O Modelo Experimental nas Infecções Causadas por L. amazonensis e L. braziliensis

Leishmaniases are a group of diseases caused by parasitic protozoa of the genus Leishmania, which are transmitted to the vertebrate host by phlebotomine insects. Different Leishmania species may induce distinct clinical manifestations of the disease, and infection outcome is also influenced by the host’s genetic background. Most of the knowledge on individual response comes from studies conducted in mice. Some mice strains are susceptible to infection, whereas others are extremely resistant, a fact that allows the study of the underlying mechanisms regulating the immune response to infection. In this review, we comment on the experimental models of infection currently used to study leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania braziliensis and L. amazonensis