Professor Khadija Akarid

Country: Morocco

Institution: Ain-Chock Faculty of Sciences, Hassan II University of Casablanca, Morocco

Research Areas: Cellular and molecular Immunology, infectious diseases

Our proposal aims to study host-Leishmania interactions in order to understand the pathophysiology of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) in Morocco. This research is carried out in collaboration with partners from the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy and the Pasteur Institute of Morocco (Casablanca).

CL is widely distributed in Morocco and is mainly due to two species: Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major. The clinical presentation of CL results from a complex interplay of multiple factors, including the host genetic background, its immunological status, and the parasite species.

We focus on two main axes:

• The impact of L. major and L. tropica strains on neutrophils (PMNs) and macrophages functions, particularly on ROS production, assembly and activation of NADPH oxidase, Nitric Oxide, and cytokines production. Indeed, although the macrophage is the permanent host cell of Leishmania, PMNs are the first cells recruited at the infectious site.
• The genetic diversity of L. major and its impact on the host immune response. This infection can be asymptomatic, localized, or disseminated. We investigate the pathogenicity of the strains in active L. major CL foci, with respect to the parasite genotype, the expression of some host immune genes, and their impact on in vivo experimental mouse model.