Parasites and Host Interactions

Ecological niche stability of Biomphalaria intermediate hosts for Schistosoma mansoni under extreme flooding and seasonal change

This study examines how extreme flooding and seasonal changes affect the ecological niches of Biomphalaria snail species in Uganda, showing seasonal shifts in habitat suitability and species dominance.

Migratory dermal gamma delta T cells determine the balance between lung immunity and tissue damage during Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection

This study shows that dermal gamma delta T cells migrate from the skin to the lungs during Nippostrongylus brasiliensis infection, balancing IL-17 and IFN-gamma responses to prevent lung damage.

Carbon dioxide shapes parasite-host interactions in a human-infective nematode

This study shows that CO2 influences different life stages of the nematode Strongyloides stercoralis, affecting their behavior and development during host interaction.

Molecular epidemiology of Ascaris lumbricoides following multiple rounds of community-wide treatment: who infects whom?

This study uses genomic data to analyze A. lumbricoides transmission patterns and the impact of repeated drug treatment in a longitudinal cohort.

Thermosensory behaviors of the free-living life stages of Strongyloides species support parasitism in tropical environments

This study investigates the thermosensory behaviors of free-living Strongyloides adults, finding they prefer near-tropical temperatures and exhibit temperature-dependent lifespan and reproductive effects.

2-D organoids demonstrate specificity in the interactions of parasitic nematodes and their secreted products at the basal or apical intestinal epithelium

This study uses 2-D organoids to show that parasitic nematodes and their secreted products affect host gene expression differently depending on their location at the intestinal epithelium.

SID-2 localises to extracellular vesicles in parasitic nematodes and does not function in environmental RNAi

This study identifies SID-2 as an extracellular vesicle protein in parasitic nematodes that does not function in environmental RNAi, suggesting a shift in its ancestral role.

Evidence of opportunistic blood feeding in the parasitic nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri

This study shows that the nematode Heligmosomoides bakeri can opportunistically feed on blood, leading to increased collagen gene expression and growth advantage, suggesting broader blood-feeding behavior in nematodes.

Anomalous diffusion analysis reveals cooperative locomotion of adult parasitic nematodes in sex-mixed groups.

This study analyzes the locomotion of parasitic nematodes in sex-mixed groups, finding cooperative, super-diffusive movement driven by mating, while individual movement remains random.

Intestinal helminth skews DC2 development towards regulatory phenotype to counter the anti-helminth immune response.

This study shows that intestinal helminth infection shifts DC2 development towards a regulatory phenotype to suppress anti-helminth immunity.

Immune targets for schistosomiasis control identified by a genome-wide association study of East African snail vectors

This study identifies two genomic regions associated with schistosome resistance in Biomphalaria sudanica snails using a genome-wide association study.

Extensive transmission and variation in a functional receptor for praziquantel resistance in endemic Schistosoma mansoni

The paper uses population genomics and functional genetics to identify praziquantel resistance variants in Schistosoma mansoni.

Gut microbiota metabolically mediate intestinal helminth infection in Zebrafish

This study identifies gut microbiota-mediated metabolites that influence intestinal helminth infection in zebrafish, highlighting potential therapeutic targets.

A single-cell atlas of the miracidium larva of the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni: cell types, developmental pathways and tissue architecture

Rapid phenotypic and genotypic change in a laboratory schistosome population

The paper detects recent contamination in a laboratory Schistosoma mansoni population and shows how genetic drift causes divergence in parasite populations over time.

Nanopore-based analysis unravels the genetic landscape and phylogenetic relationships of human-infecting Trichuris incognita and Trichuris trichiura in Cote d'Ivoire, Uganda, Tanzania, and Laos

The paper uses nanopore sequencing to identify two genetically distinct Trichuris species in humans and non-human primates, revealing geographic patterns and highlighting a new diagnostic marker for resource-limited settings.

Discovery of a novel Trichuris species, T. incognita, with low sensitivity to albendazole-ivermectin treatment in Cote d'Ivoire patients, identified through fecal DNA metabarcoding

RNA-seq gene expression profiling of the bladder in a mouse model of urogenital schistosomiasis

This study uses RNA-seq to analyze gene expression changes in mouse bladders infected with Schistosoma haematobium eggs, identifying differentially expressed host and parasite genes associated with inflammation and immune responses.

Genomic and morphological characterization of Trichuris incognita n. sp., a Human-Infecting Trichuris species

This study identifies and characterizes a new human-infecting Trichuris species, Trichuris incognita n. sp., which shows resistance to albendazole-ivermectin treatment and suggests species-level differences in drug response rather than resistance.

The assessment of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the ss-tubulin genes in human soil-transmitted helminths exposed to different pressure with benzimidazole drugs

This study evaluates SNPs in β-tubulin genes of human soil-transmitted helminths to assess their association with benzimidazole resistance, finding no strong evidence for their role as resistance markers.

Heterochromatin protein 1 (HP1) of Schistosoma mansoni: non-canonical chromatin landscape and fitness effects

This study investigates the chromatin landscape and fitness effects of SmHP1 in Schistosoma mansoni, finding non-canonical HP1 enrichment and increased parasite fitness upon knock-down.

A single locus determines praziquantel response in Schistosoma mansoni

The paper reanalyzes a GWAS to show that a single locus on chromosome 3 determines praziquantel response in Schistosoma mansoni, rather than two loci.

Delineating markers of disease-disease interaction: a systematic methodology and its application to multiple diabetes-helminth cohorts

This study introduces a methodology to identify disease-disease interaction markers using comorbid diabetes and helminth infection cohorts, finding cytokines like IFN-γ and TNF- show significant interaction effects before treatment.

Alterations of metagenomics and metaproteomics associate kidney disease in a combination of opisthorchiasis and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

This paper investigates how combined high-fat high-fructose diets and Opisthorchis viverrini infection alter gut microbiome and host proteome, leading to kidney disease in hamsters.

Inhibition of Carbonic Anhydrase Using Aspirin is a Novel Method to Block Schistosomiasis Infection of the Parasitic Trematode, Schistosoma mansoni, in the intermediate snail host, Biomphalaria glabrata

The paper investigates the role of carbonic anhydrase inhibition in Biomphalaria glabrata snails infected with Schistosoma mansoni, showing that aspirin analogs can reduce CA expression in susceptible snails.

Revisiting annotation of Schistosoma mansoni Micro-Exon Gene (MEG) family

The paper revisits the annotation of Schistosoma mansoni micro-exon genes, classifies them into subfamilies, and proposes a new nomenclature to improve reproducibility and avoid duplication.

Transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood of Schistosoma mansoni infected children from the Albert Nile region in Uganda reveals genes implicated in fibrosis pathology.

This study analyzes RNA-seq data from Ugandan children infected with Schistosoma mansoni to identify differentially expressed genes associated with infection intensity and fibrosis-related pathways.

Single cell transcriptomics of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni first intra-molluscan stage reveals tentative tegumental and stem cell regulators.

The paper performs single-cell transcriptomics on the first intra-molluscan stage of Schistosoma mansoni to identify key cell type regulators and their biological processes.

The stage- and sex-specific transcriptome of the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni

This study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic analysis of Schistosoma mansoni across eight life stages, revealing sex-specific gene expression patterns and developmental transitions.

An epigenetic molluscicide

The paper develops a compound that targets DNA methylation in Biomphalaria glabrata to reduce its fecundity, offering a potential new class of specific molluscicides.