Introduction

The ToxoReTREAT project will offer new, improved approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of reactivated toxoplasmosis (RT) in the growing population of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Through the multidisciplinary approach, we will develop national guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of RT, examine the efficacy of newly synthesized acridine and acridone derivatives in experimental models of RT, and analyze the experimental results by using the freely available ImageJ software for computer analysis.

Toxoplasma gondii, the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is a parasitic protozoan that infects almost a third of the global population. In cases of profound and prolonged immunosuppression, reactivation of the infection occurs in chronically infected individuals, which can be life-threatening. RT is a particularly devastating complication in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients, the fastest growing population of immunosuppressed patients in Europe.

Despite this, there are still no guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of RT. Moreover, the limited therapeutic options for RT are not only inadequate for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients due to pronounced myelotoxicity, but also ineffective because they only treat circulating parasites. The ToxoReTREAT project is aimed at solving the problem of RT in this patient population by applying a multidisciplinary approach in providing new therapeutic options, with potentially improved efficiency and reduced side effects, and formulating national guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of RT.