Recent advances in combination therapies have improved trichuriasis treatment, yet efficacy remains highly variable. Emerging genomic, clinical, and epidemiological evidence suggests that this variability may reflect hid...Recent advances in combination therapies have improved trichuriasis treatment, yet efficacy remains highly variable. Emerging genomic, clinical, and epidemiological evidence suggests that this variability may reflect hidden biological diversity rather than operational factors alone. Recognizing this complexity is essential to align control strategies with parasite biology and achieve sustainable outcomes.
Host-range expansion in parasites is usually framed as an adaptive response to heterogeneous environments and trade-offs. In this opinion article, I propose Ratchet-Driven Generalism (RDG): in some parasites, broad host...Host-range expansion in parasites is usually framed as an adaptive response to heterogeneous environments and trade-offs. In this opinion article, I propose Ratchet-Driven Generalism (RDG): in some parasites, broad host range may instead arise non-adaptively after the loss of sexual recombination. Under Muller's ratchet, deleterious mutations accumulate in asexual or rarely recombining lineages. Over time, genomic erosion can degrade host-specific adaptations, including host-interaction genes. In parallel, reduced competitive filtering among parasite genotypes can weaken selection for host-specific performance. Consequently, genotypes that are merely viable across hosts may persist. RDG predicts genomic signatures of functional decay and reduced efficacy of selection. It also suggests that such generalism may be transient, because continued genomic erosion can increase extinction risk. I outline comparative genomic tests to examine RDG.
Arthropod-induced allergic diseases are increasingly recognized as a major global health challenge in the Anthropocene. Climate change, urbanization, and ecological disruption are expanding human exposure to allergenic a...Arthropod-induced allergic diseases are increasingly recognized as a major global health challenge in the Anthropocene. Climate change, urbanization, and ecological disruption are expanding human exposure to allergenic arthropods, including hematophagous ticks and synanthropic mites, thereby intensifying allergic sensitization and disease burden. In this review, we examine how arthropod-derived molecules disrupt epithelial barrier integrity, activate innate immune pathways, and promote type 2 immune polarization and IgE-mediated sensitization, exemplified by alpha-gal syndrome. We further integrate the epithelial barrier hypothesis with advances in component-resolved diagnostics, AI-assisted precision medicine, and One Health surveillance approaches to provide a systems-level perspective on arthropod allergy. Finally, we highlight emerging translational challenges and future directions for prediction, prevention, and personalized management of arthropod-associated allergic diseases in a rapidly changing environment.
Ochoa et al. identified a novel Plasmodium falciparum haplotype in ancient osteological remains of two notable members of the Medici family. The findings expand our current knowledge of historical P. falciparum genetic d...Ochoa et al. identified a novel Plasmodium falciparum haplotype in ancient osteological remains of two notable members of the Medici family. The findings expand our current knowledge of historical P. falciparum genetic diversity and confirm its expansion in Europe.
Stanbery et al. show that tuft cells, previously defined as epithelial activators of innate type 2 immunity, are dispensable for memory T helper 2 (Th2) cell establishment but required for protective immunity during seco...Stanbery et al. show that tuft cells, previously defined as epithelial activators of innate type 2 immunity, are dispensable for memory T helper 2 (Th2) cell establishment but required for protective immunity during secondary helminth infection. This involves tuft cell secretion of interleukin-25 and leukotriene C4 to promote memory Th2 effector function.
Complex host-vector-virus interfaces can impose serious health challenges. Western honeybees have experienced high colony losses globally, mainly driven by the host-shifted, virus-vectoring ectoparasitic mites Varroa des...Complex host-vector-virus interfaces can impose serious health challenges. Western honeybees have experienced high colony losses globally, mainly driven by the host-shifted, virus-vectoring ectoparasitic mites Varroa destructor and Tropilaelaps mercedesae. Host populations can survive mite infestations through natural selection, offering a long-term strategy for colony health. However, host-vector-virus coevolution requires local adaptations of this triad, which is poorly understood. We propose harnessing natural selection through a global approach focused on standardized monitoring of colony survival, mite infestation levels, and control of reproductives. Studying native and adapted mite hosts, host shifts, and comparing susceptible to surviving hosts will enhance understanding of this host-vector-virus system. This strategy promotes colony health in both managed and wild host populations and provides insights into other host-vector-virus interfaces.
Protist parasites cause devastating diseases worldwide, yet their complex metabolism remains poorly understood. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have emerged as powerful tools to systematically represent and simulate...Protist parasites cause devastating diseases worldwide, yet their complex metabolism remains poorly understood. Genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) have emerged as powerful tools to systematically represent and simulate parasite metabolism, enabling the prediction of gene essentiality, metabolic vulnerabilities, and host-parasite interactions. This review examines the current landscape of GEMs for protist pathogens, focusing on the key modeling decisions (objective functions, constraints, and compartmentalization) that govern model behavior and predictive scope. We discuss how these choices shape biological interpretability and how inherited assumptions from early reconstructions propagate across successive models. Ongoing challenges in standardization and reusability highlight the need for consistent annotation, validation, and adherence to FAIR data principles to build interoperable and reproducible resources.
Parasites spread through shared environments, so observations from hosts sampled in the same environment are rarely independent. Ignoring shared environmental effects can lead to an underestimation of study outcome uncer...Parasites spread through shared environments, so observations from hosts sampled in the same environment are rarely independent. Ignoring shared environmental effects can lead to an underestimation of study outcome uncertainty and the potential to draw incorrect conclusions. Intraclass correlation coefficients help address this issue by quantifying cluster-level effects and adjusting sample sizes.
Trends Parasitol
· 2026 Jul · PMID 42236358
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Babesia microti poses a significant threat to human health, underscoring the need for an improved in vitro culture system to reduce reliance on animal models and support drug and vaccine screening. Key challenges include...Babesia microti poses a significant threat to human health, underscoring the need for an improved in vitro culture system to reduce reliance on animal models and support drug and vaccine screening. Key challenges include the tropism of preferential host red blood cells (RBCs), parasite metabolic needs, culture medium formulation, and optimization of the microaerophilic environment (oxygenation).
Vector-borne disease transmission is highly heterogeneous, yet existing models emphasize climate, host density, and pathogen load. We propose that host-vector microbiome similarity represents a previously unrecognized ec...Vector-borne disease transmission is highly heterogeneous, yet existing models emphasize climate, host density, and pathogen load. We propose that host-vector microbiome similarity represents a previously unrecognized ecological axis in transmission biology. During blood feeding, vectors ingest host-derived immune effectors shaped by the host microbiota. When immune targeting depends on shared microbial features, microbiome similarity predicts the magnitude of immune-mediated disturbance within the vector gut, altering colonization resistance and influencing pathogen establishment. These effects are context-dependent and may enhance or suppress transmission. This framework generates testable predictions linking microbiome similarity, immune-mediated disturbance, and vector competence across systems. Incorporating microbiome similarity into transmission models may help explain heterogeneity and improve ecological understanding and intervention strategies.
Parasites of dogs and cats are changing in ways that challenge our current understanding across many scientific fields. Factors such as climate change and increased global travel are reshaping parasite distributions, fav...Parasites of dogs and cats are changing in ways that challenge our current understanding across many scientific fields. Factors such as climate change and increased global travel are reshaping parasite distributions, favoring their introduction and emergence in new foci. Some parasites appear to have emerged in new regions, while others have switched hosts or developed resistance. Other parasites may have long been overlooked because of limited diagnostic capacity. At the same time, genetic recombination and hybridization are producing variants with altered virulence and transmission patterns. Together, these trends suggest a future in which companion animal parasitology becomes more dynamic, unpredictable, and globally interconnected, demanding stronger surveillance, improved diagnostics, and closer integration between veterinary and public health efforts.
Mosquitoes transmit a wide range of viruses and malaria parasites, posing a significant threat to global public health. Among recent advances in genetic pest control, gene drives have emerged as a powerful tool. Through...Mosquitoes transmit a wide range of viruses and malaria parasites, posing a significant threat to global public health. Among recent advances in genetic pest control, gene drives have emerged as a powerful tool. Through super-Mendelian inheritance, gene drives ensure biased transmission of specific traits to offspring, potentially enabling rapid propagation through wild populations. Gene drives can be utilized to alter or eliminate entire mosquito populations, potentially curbing vector-borne disease transmission in a sustainable manner. Additionally, several improved genetic control strategies provide temporally self-limiting and spatially confinable options for pest control. This review summarizes genetic control research in Anopheles, Aedes, and Culex mosquitoes, focusing on recent progress, major bottlenecks, and potential solutions.
Myzozoa, a clade of alveolate protists including Apicomplexa, Chromerida, Perkinsozoa, and dinoflagellates, possesses the most reduced mitochondrial genomes among eukaryotes. Apicomplexan parasites, such as Toxoplasma go...Myzozoa, a clade of alveolate protists including Apicomplexa, Chromerida, Perkinsozoa, and dinoflagellates, possesses the most reduced mitochondrial genomes among eukaryotes. Apicomplexan parasites, such as Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium spp., retain mitochondrial genomes encoding only three proteins and highly fragmented rRNAs. Despite this reduction, recent structural studies show that T. gondii mitoribosome incorporates lineage-specific RNA-binding proteins as integral components to maintain a functional complex composed of over 50 rRNA fragments. The conservation of rRNA fragmentation and protein repertoire observed among Apicomplexa suggests a shared evolution within the phylum. This radical divergence from all other currently investigated cytoplasmic and mitochondrial ribosomes highlights evolutionary plasticity and common ancestry, providing a model for studying mitochondrial evolution and potential antiparasitic drug discovery.
Infectious pathogens extensively rewire host RNA processing, yet most studies examine individual processing mechanisms in isolation. In this review, we synthesize evidence that alternative splicing, N6-methyladenosine (m...Infectious pathogens extensively rewire host RNA processing, yet most studies examine individual processing mechanisms in isolation. In this review, we synthesize evidence that alternative splicing, N6-methyladenosine (mA) methylation, and adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) RNA editing collectively shape infection outcomes across viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens by modulating host defense and pathogen replication. We highlight how pathogens hijack or are constrained by these mechanisms, with particular emphasis on underexplored bacterial and parasitic systems. We then propose a metatranscriptomics framework that integrates long-read and direct RNA sequencing with specialized computational tools to jointly profile splicing, mA, and A-to-I editing in host and pathogen. Such integrative analyses will reveal convergent regulatory nodes and guide the development of host-directed therapies.
Parasites elicit a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms, often attributed to tissue damage or alterations in the gut microbiota. A recent study by Touhara et al. pioneers the functional understanding of a collaboratio...Parasites elicit a wide range of gastrointestinal symptoms, often attributed to tissue damage or alterations in the gut microbiota. A recent study by Touhara et al. pioneers the functional understanding of a collaboration between chemosensory epithelial cells and sensory neurons to induce behavioral changes during immune responses against parasitic infections.
Tennessen et al.'s study addresses longstanding knowledge gaps regarding the evolutionary drivers of a major Neotropical malaria vector, Anopheles darlingi. Through extensive whole-genome analysis, they revealed geograph...Tennessen et al.'s study addresses longstanding knowledge gaps regarding the evolutionary drivers of a major Neotropical malaria vector, Anopheles darlingi. Through extensive whole-genome analysis, they revealed geographically structured An. darlingi populations with no evidence of sympatric species and strong signals of widespread insecticide resistance through convergent evolution.
A new study by Lansink et al. identifies an expression-site-body-associated RNA nuclease that selectively attenuates expression-site-associated gene transcripts, showing that antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei is...A new study by Lansink et al. identifies an expression-site-body-associated RNA nuclease that selectively attenuates expression-site-associated gene transcripts, showing that antigenic variation in Trypanosoma brucei is refined not only by monoallelic transcription but also by spatially organized nuclear RNA decay.