The persistence of tissue-dwelling parasites represents a profound challenge in infectious disease management, traditionally attributed to intrinsic biochemical resistance against anthelmintic agents. However, cross-disc...The persistence of tissue-dwelling parasites represents a profound challenge in infectious disease management, traditionally attributed to intrinsic biochemical resistance against anthelmintic agents. However, cross-disciplinary evidence suggests that parasites orchestrate sophisticated spatial and immunological hijacking of host tissues. By actively constructing dense fibrotic barriers and upregulating critical immune checkpoints, these pathogens establish 'cold', tumor-like microenvironments that physically exclude and immunologically exhaust host effector cells. This opinion proposes a conceptual paradigm shift toward host-directed therapies and targeted nanomedicine. By adapting advanced oncological strategies-including stroma normalization, microenvironment-targeted immune checkpoint blockade, and localized stimulator of interferon genes agonist delivery-parasitic lesions can theoretically be transformed into immunologically 'hot' foci, thereby restoring endogenous immune clearance and exponentially enhancing the efficacy of conventional pharmacological interventions.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their oxygenated metabolites (oxylipins) are mediators in regulating membrane function, larval development, and host immune response. In this review, we present that free-living ne...Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their oxygenated metabolites (oxylipins) are mediators in regulating membrane function, larval development, and host immune response. In this review, we present that free-living nematodes maintain a relatively complete repertoire of enzymes for PUFA and oxylipin biosynthesis, while parasitic lineages exhibit extensive gene loss and plant-parasitic nematodes show expansion in some enzymes. Meanwhile, parasitic nematodes compensate by scavenging lipids from hosts through the recruitment of various lipid transport proteins. Thus, parasites have lost some enzymes in this metabolic pathway, correlating with host dependence for portions of lipid acquisition, suggesting the plasticity of lipid biosynthesis and acquisition for nematode adaptation to diverse ecological niches.
Increasing evidence suggests that regulatory noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) modulate a series of epithelial responses following Cryptosporidium invasion. During infection, ncRNAs are involved in the activation of intracellular...Increasing evidence suggests that regulatory noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) modulate a series of epithelial responses following Cryptosporidium invasion. During infection, ncRNAs are involved in the activation of intracellular signaling pathways, the production of antimicrobial molecules, the expression of cytokines/chemokines, the release of epithelial cell-derived exosomes, and the feedback regulation of immune homeostasis. In addition, Cryptosporidium may have developed strategies to modulate host ncRNA-mediated cellular function for immune evasion. These findings indicate that ncRNAs may be important determinants of the infection resistance conferred by the host and the long-term latency established by the parasite. Here, we summarize recent progress on the role of ncRNAs in the regulation of host-Cryptosporidium interactions, relevant to the development of ncRNA-based drug therapeutics for cryptosporidiosis in the future.
Blastocystis commonly colonises the human gut, but its presence has traditionally led to the exclusion of faecal microbiota transplantation donors. Emerging evidence links it to greater microbial diversity and favourable...Blastocystis commonly colonises the human gut, but its presence has traditionally led to the exclusion of faecal microbiota transplantation donors. Emerging evidence links it to greater microbial diversity and favourable metabolic profiles, while no harm is seen in immunocompetent recipients. Routine screening may be unnecessary, except for subtype-specific testing in immunocompromised patients.
For 65 years, the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, along with the deformed wing virus (DWV) it vectors, has killed millions of Apis mellifera honey bee colonies globally. The coevolution of the 'bee-mite-virus' syst...For 65 years, the ectoparasitic mite Varroa destructor, along with the deformed wing virus (DWV) it vectors, has killed millions of Apis mellifera honey bee colonies globally. The coevolution of the 'bee-mite-virus' system in Hawaii over 17 years has been closely followed. Resistance to V. destructor evolved in the free-living honey bees on Oahu by detecting and removing a high proportion of mite-infested brood cells, as seen in other mite-resistant honey bees. On Big Island, miticides remain widely used, so on both islands, DWV prevalence decreased, but a more virulent recombinant form evolved. Thus, coevolution on Oahu has produced a new stable 'bee-mite-virus' state that has been exploited by beekeepers and provides a global solution to the V. destructor problem.
Refugia for dung-breeding invertebrates can be created by treating only the livestock at the greatest clinical need within a herd or flock with parasiticides, while also safeguarding against risks to production and anima...Refugia for dung-breeding invertebrates can be created by treating only the livestock at the greatest clinical need within a herd or flock with parasiticides, while also safeguarding against risks to production and animal welfare. Although an attractive concept, practical application remains challenging; nevertheless, pragmatic targeted approaches are likely to have positive environmental impacts.
Circadian clocks coordinate daily rhythms, shaping mating, host-seeking, and pathogen transmission in mosquitoes. In this review article, we discuss the current understanding of the molecular clockwork in key mosquito sp...Circadian clocks coordinate daily rhythms, shaping mating, host-seeking, and pathogen transmission in mosquitoes. In this review article, we discuss the current understanding of the molecular clockwork in key mosquito species, including Aedes aegypti and Anopheles gambiae, highlighting clade-specific features and diversified transcription-translation feedback loops relative to Drosophila's canonical clock model. We synthesize evidence and propose mechanistic hypotheses about the integration of environmental cues by central and peripheral clocks in an organ- and sex-specific manner, including a reanalysis of rhythmic RNA-sequencing data. Finally, we discuss how temporal synchrony among vector, host, and parasite determines transmission efficiency and how emerging single-cell and circuit-level tools will refine models of mosquito circadian organization. Overall, this review provides a framework for understanding mosquito daily and circadian rhythms.
Recent increases in the global malaria disease burden are thought to be due, in part, to an increase in insecticide resistance, which reduces the efficacy of primary control methods, such as long-lasting insecticide nets...Recent increases in the global malaria disease burden are thought to be due, in part, to an increase in insecticide resistance, which reduces the efficacy of primary control methods, such as long-lasting insecticide nets and indoor residual spraying. However, quantifying the impact of insecticide resistance on vector control tools before intervention failure is hampered by the insensitivity of phenotyping approaches. In this opinion article, we discuss how genomic approaches can be used to accurately characterise patterns of insecticide resistance and may be used to provide an estimate of the impacts of resistance, which is a prerequisite for evidence-based vector control.
The sensory biology of ticks has received comparatively little attention, despite their major importance as disease vectors. Recent findings challenge the view of ticks as passive followers of host cues and instead revea...The sensory biology of ticks has received comparatively little attention, despite their major importance as disease vectors. Recent findings challenge the view of ticks as passive followers of host cues and instead reveal that they actively shape how sensory information is acquired. By adjusting posture, foreleg position, and questing height, ticks regulate stimulus exposure and generate feedback that modulates ongoing behavior. This perspective highlights host-seeking as a dynamic process shaped by environmental context and internal state rather than by cue presence alone. Here, we synthesize emerging evidence from behavior, physiology, and sensory energetics to introduce an active-sensing perspective on tick biology and outline how feedback-driven sensory control influences host encounters, habitat use, and vector competence.
Helm EY, Christopher T, Lopez Espinoza A
… +2 more, Santillano N, Tait Wojno ED
Trends Parasitol
· 2026 May · PMID 41982009
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Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) infect over a billion people worldwide. Individual outcomes vary, ranging from subclinical, mild infections to recurrent or severe disease. Emerging evidence reveals that susceptibility...Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) infect over a billion people worldwide. Individual outcomes vary, ranging from subclinical, mild infections to recurrent or severe disease. Emerging evidence reveals that susceptibility to STH infection reflects a multilayered integration of past and present environmental factors. At mucosal surfaces, STHs activate type 2 immune, epithelial, and neuronal circuits, while microbial- and diet-derived signals promote homeostasis. Environmental signals tune the transcriptional programs that control these events, shaping interleukin-13-driven effector functions required for worm expulsion. Concurrently, infection and inflammation history imprint immune and epithelial compartments, leading to durable epigenetic remodeling and altering responsiveness to STHs upon reexposure. Understanding how environmental factors impact host-helminth interactions offers new opportunities to predict susceptibility and design interventions that enhance anti-helminth immunity.
Metabolic resistance to insecticides in malaria vectors is jeopardizing control strategies. Unlike target-site resistance, metabolic resistance is more complex, making causative variants harder to pinpoint and design fie...Metabolic resistance to insecticides in malaria vectors is jeopardizing control strategies. Unlike target-site resistance, metabolic resistance is more complex, making causative variants harder to pinpoint and design field-applicable diagnostics. Recently, multiomics approaches have helped detect several DNA markers in detoxification genes (cytochrome P450s, glutathione S-transferases) in major vectors, including Anopheles gambiae (CYP6P4, CYP6P3, GSTe2) and Anopheles funestus (CYP6P9a/b, CYP6P4a/b, CYP9K1, GSTe2, ASL). These markers now support resistance management by assessing spatiotemporal resistance evolution, its impact on control tools, cross-resistance patterns, fitness costs, and malaria transmission. In this review, we synthesize current knowledge on the discovery of these markers, highlight available DNA-based diagnostic methods for operational genomic surveillance, and outline priorities for extending this framework to new insecticides and other vector species.
Osakunor DNM, Alonso S, Jumbe S
… +1 more, Lamberton PHL
Trends Parasitol
· 2026 May · PMID 41956922
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Full text
Schistosomiasis remains a debilitating parasitic disease, with over 200 million people infected globally. Heavy, chronic infections cause severe morbidity and over 12 000 deaths a year. As diagnostics improve, we have a...Schistosomiasis remains a debilitating parasitic disease, with over 200 million people infected globally. Heavy, chronic infections cause severe morbidity and over 12 000 deaths a year. As diagnostics improve, we have a greater understanding of more accurate prevalences. However, how infections, including light-intensity infections, affect individuals' health and quality of life remains to be fully understood, particularly as specific markers of morbidity, disease progression, and resolution are lacking. We explore evidence about the true broader physical, psychological, economic, social, and environmental impacts of schistosomiasis, identifying critical gaps in understanding the interplay between infection, morbidity, and wellbeing, and propose innovative approaches to better capture true long-term disease impacts. We argue for more holistic frameworks to inform disease monitoring, intervention evaluation, and policy development.
Shan et al. identified nonparasite genome virus-like RNAs (ngRNAs) in Schistosoma japonicum using computational and experimental approaches. These ngRNAs, found in reproductive tissues and associated with virus-like part...Shan et al. identified nonparasite genome virus-like RNAs (ngRNAs) in Schistosoma japonicum using computational and experimental approaches. These ngRNAs, found in reproductive tissues and associated with virus-like particles in the parasite's ovary, influence egg development and disease pathology, highlighting a potential role for hyperparasites and suggesting new strategies for schistosomiasis control.
Genomic studies have transformed malaria research but provide only indirect proxies for the functional processes that govern infection progression and clinical outcomes. We argue that proteomics should be a core componen...Genomic studies have transformed malaria research but provide only indirect proxies for the functional processes that govern infection progression and clinical outcomes. We argue that proteomics should be a core component of malaria systems biology. By quantifying protein abundance, post-translational modifications, interaction networks, localization, and turnover in both host and parasite, proteomics can help identify mechanisms of cytoadhesion, endothelial dysfunction, immune modulation, tissue-specific pathology, and variability in therapeutic response-processes less amenable to interrogation at the nucleic acid level. Advances in high-throughput and high-resolution proteomic technologies, as well as emerging single-cell and spatial proteomics combined with artificial intelligence-driven pipelines, now enable comprehensive, sensitive, quantitative, system-wide profiling. We outline how these approaches can dissect host-parasite crosstalk and accelerate discovery in malaria research.
Kortbawi et al. identified trans-sialidase 23 (TS23) via phage display as an immunodominant B-cell epitope of Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidases, broadly detected serologically in Chagas-endemic regions. Independent mapp...Kortbawi et al. identified trans-sialidase 23 (TS23) via phage display as an immunodominant B-cell epitope of Trypanosoma cruzi trans-sialidases, broadly detected serologically in Chagas-endemic regions. Independent mapping confirmed this antigenic landscape. TS23, FLY, and TS9 may define an emerging family of immunogenic epitopes with implications for tissue tropism and translational applications.
Vaccination is the most effective prophylactic measure against infectious diseases. Vaccine immunogenicity, however, is often reduced in rural and low-income regions where helminth infections are endemic. Helminths exert...Vaccination is the most effective prophylactic measure against infectious diseases. Vaccine immunogenicity, however, is often reduced in rural and low-income regions where helminth infections are endemic. Helminths exert strong immunomodulatory effects and can alter host immune responses to unrelated antigens, including vaccines. This review summarizes evidence from human and mouse studies assessing how helminth infections and deworming (DW) influence vaccine responses, highlighting limitations, such as reinfection, incomplete DW, and misdiagnosis in clinical settings. Murine models enable mechanistic analyses and challenge infections. These studies revealed long-lasting impaired vaccine immunogenicity and efficacy in previously helminth-infected mice that may not be fully reversed by DW. Finally, controlled human infection models combined with systems approaches are required to improve vaccine regimens in low-income countries.
Blastocystis research has grown rapidly with molecular tools, especially next-generation sequencing, increasing subtype discovery but raising methodological and taxonomic challenges. We assess subtype designation criteri...Blastocystis research has grown rapidly with molecular tools, especially next-generation sequencing, increasing subtype discovery but raising methodological and taxonomic challenges. We assess subtype designation criteria, caution against lowering divergence thresholds without biological evidence, and propose minimum standards requiring near full-length small subunit ribosomal RNA data and replication to ensure nomenclatural stability and epidemiological comparability.
Parasite conservation is already underway, using existing knowledge and tools, but it needs more coordinated participation from parasitologists. Any expert can assess parasites for the International Union for the Conserv...Parasite conservation is already underway, using existing knowledge and tools, but it needs more coordinated participation from parasitologists. Any expert can assess parasites for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List using standardized criteria based on parasites' geographic distributions, population sizes, and, when available, population trends. Evidence is being compiled from host association data, digitized museum specimens, and literature surveys, and then peer-reviewed through the IUCN Species Survival Commission Parasite Specialist Group to ensure scientific rigor. These assessments connect directly to conservation planning under local to international biodiversity conventions and norms and can inform both in situ and ex situ management to conserve parasites. By sharing data and expertise, parasitologists can turn parasitological knowledge into conservation action.