CULTIVATION OF AFRICAN AND SOUTH AMERICAN TRYPANOSOMES OF MEDICAL OR VETERINARY IMPORTANCE

Abstract

Today most parasite stages of the African trypanosome species can be grown in vitro. The co-cultivation of insect or mammalian cells is still necessary for the cultivation of some of the insect or mammalian forms. However, simple culture systems that produce high parasite yields cost-effectively have still to be found, with the exception of the procyclic trypomastigote forms which can easily be grown in semi-defined media. A culture system for the production of metacyclic forms in large numbers is a major goal for future research. The different stages of T. cruzi can easily be grown in large quantities. Even metacyclic forms can be produced in large numbers in monophasic media without host cells. The vertebrate forms, grown in the presence of mammalian cells, can also be grown in quantities sufficient for most biochemical and immunological investigations. Either amastigotes or hypomastigotes can be obtained from cultures. They can be separted from host cells or debris by chromatography or gradient centrifugation.