Daniel F. Hoft, M.D., Ph.D. » Investigators

Cardiovascular Research Interests:

Primary area of research:

• Prevention of immune-mediated cardiac disease associated with infectious pathogens (specifically Trypanosoma cruzi)

Related areas of research:

• Molecular pathogenesis of chagasic cardiomyopathy

Summary of cardiovascular research:

The Hoft lab is an immunobiology lab developing vaccines for mucosally invasive intracellular infections. One of the main infectious models being studied is Trypanosoma cruzi infections in mice. T. cruzi causes Chagas disease, which is the most common infectious cause of chronic cardiac disease and the most common cause of sudden death in Brazil . Chronic T. cruzi infection leads to immune-mediated cardiac pathology, resulting in arrhythmias and/or dilated cardiomyopatahy.

The Hoft lab has identified a T. cruzi antigen that appears to be a promising vaccine candidate and is studying the immune mechanisms important for protective immunity induced by this vaccine in mice. Studies are also underway to investigate the events required for development of protective memory CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells specific for the vaccine, as well as to determine whether the experimental vaccine can protect against chagastic cardiac disease when used either as a prophylatic or immunotherapy. T. cruzi-specific TCR transgenic mice have been generated, providing highly sophisticated molecular tools for this work. In collaboration with additional SLU investigators, the Hoft lab is also studying the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of chagastic heart disease.