Trends in parasitology最新文献

Livestock is a vital source of nutrition, income, and resilience in Africa, yet parasitic diseases remain a major constraint to productivity. Access to safe, effective, and affordable parasiticides for smallholder farmers is limited, while reliance on outdated or substandard products, rising resistance, counterfeit drugs, and weak regulation further reduce effectiveness. This article summarizes outcomes from a recent multi-stakeholder meeting on parasiticide access, emphasizing that innovation must extend beyond new molecule discovery to include adapted formulations, smart regulation, local delivery models, workforce capacity, diagnostic and product stewardship. Coordinated action by governments, industry, farmers, and animal health professionals is essential to improve access and make parasite control a driver of resilient, equitable, and sustainable livestock systems across Africa.

Sex determination in eukaryotes defines whether an organism develops as male or female and is shaped by genetic and environmental factors. In the malaria parasite Plasmodium, recent data suggest that sex determination is decided at two critical checkpoints. First, chromatin remodeling activates the master regulator AP2-G, triggering a transcriptional cascade that commits the parasites to sexual development and drives the expression of genes crucial for male and female gametocytes. Second, post-transcriptional processes - including the stabilization and suppression of transcript via RNA-binding proteins - guide the branching into male or female gametocytes through threshold-trait-dependent mechanisms. This review highlights recent advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms that regulate the two checkpoints of sex determination in malaria gametocytes.

Postgenomic parasitology promised holism but often delivered digital reductionism. For complex ailments such as Chagas disease, this can be a dead end. This article proposes a rhizomatic framework, viewing the parasite-host-microbiota assemblage as an interconnected ecosystem, arguing for an ecologically grounded science that integrates social and biological reality.

Low-dose exposure to pesticides can have stimulatory effects on the biological traits of arthropods, a hallmark of hormesis, which induces adaptive responses. In this forum article we postulate that such responses could be induced in sea lice ectoparasitic copepods, offering a perspective for scientific advance and improved practical solutions.

Plasmodium, the parasite which causes malaria, has evolved with - and plagued - humans since our species emerged. Decades of intervention efforts have concluded that the blueprint for success is to hamper transmission between Anopheles mosquitoes and humans. Before causing symptomatic blood-stage infection, Plasmodium must first develop in the liver, which serves as a hidden gateway into the human host. Blocking parasite entrance or exit through the liver stage prevents both illness and onward transmission. Robust immunity against the pre-erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum fails to develop during natural exposure in malaria-endemic countries. Here, we highlight how expanding knowledge of key mechanisms involved in the immune response against the liver stage parasite is shaping current and future intervention strategies against malaria.

This review focuses on recent advances in the field of cell division of eukaryotic pathogens of the phylum Apicomplexa, a group of pathogens known for their diverse modes of cell division. We cover two topics - an organization and a regulation of the apicomplexan cell cycles - using models of Toxoplasma gondii tachyzoites and Plasmodium falciparum merozoites of the red blood cell stage. The review emphasizes differences and similarities between the conventional cell cycle of the parasite's host cells and apicomplexan cell cycles, and between binary and multinuclear divisions of Apicomplexa. Although many factors play a role in cell cycle regulation, we concentrated on the central cell cycle regulators, cyclin-dependent kinase complexes.

Studying parasites in aquatic vertebrate hosts is vital for understanding parasite diversity, life cycles, host-parasite associations and parasite-environment interactions. However, such research often requires euthanizing hosts, raising ethical concerns amid increasingly stringent animal welfare standards. This opinion article examines whether and when killing aquatic vertebrate hosts for parasitological studies is ethically justifiable. We outline current ethical regulations and review processes, then consider legitimate reasons for host sacrifice - such as accurate parasite identification, biodiversity assessment, and ecosystem health monitoring. Emphasising the multiple Rs framework in parasitological research we propose practical strategies to minimise harm, including non-lethal diagnostics and improved methodologies. Our goal is to foster critical reflection and promote more ethical, innovative approaches within aquatic parasitology.