Eliane V. Esteves, PhD
Biography
Dr. Esteves joined the Department of Microbiology and Immunology as a member of the Hermance lab in January 2023. Dr. Esteves obtained her Master's and PhD degrees from the Department of Parasitology at the University of S茫o Paulo (Brazil). She has been working with ticks and tick-borne diseases since 2010, exploring the acquisition, transmission and interaction with pathogens (bacteria and viruses) as well as the identification of molecules with immunomodulatory activity in the saliva, salivary glands and midgut of ticks, with an emphasis on the pathogen-vector-host triad.
Research
Tick-Virus Interactions
Ticks are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites that transmit a broad range of pathogens
causing several diseases in humans and other animals. Severe fever with thrombocytopenia
syndrome virus (SFTSV) is an emerging tick-borne bandavirus with a high case fatality
rate in humans. This virus is endemic in eastern Asia, and the Asian longhorned tick,
Haemaphysalis longicornis, is the main vector. Although the presence of SFTSV has been clearly demonstrated
in all life stages of H. longicornis, the dynamics of virus acquisition, transstadial persistence, and dissemination from
midgut to salivary glands remain unexplored. The focus on this project is characterization
of the acquisition, dissemination and transstadial survival of SFTSV in H. longicornis ticks.
Vaccines against Ticks and the Tick-Pathogens
Within the arthropod vector, the main areas of interaction with a pathogen are concentrated in the digestive system and salivary glands. At the time of the bite, the saliva injected by the vector contains a complex mixture of molecules that contribute to the control of hemostasis, inflammation and the host's immune response. The continuous secretion of these salivary molecules during the vector鈥檚 blood feeding guarantee an uninterrupted flow of blood to the vector while also contributing to the invasion and establishment of pathogen infection in the vertebrate host. If vector saliva is indeed important for successful blood feeding and establishment of the pathogen in the vertebrate host, then host immunity against the vector salivary components should control the vector feeding, and possibly reduce or even prevent infection. In this context, Dr. Esteves' current focus is the identification and characterization of molecules with antigenic properties present in tick saliva as a potential target to control ticks and pathogens transmitted by them.