Hookworm News and Research

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Hookworm infections in humans are caused by two important species of nematode parasites (a type of a roundworm), Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus.

Researchers create vaccine that protects against malaria in mouse models

A Yale-led team of researchers have created a vaccine that protects against malaria infection in mouse models, paving the way for the development of a human vaccine that works by targeting the specific protein that parasites use to evade the immune system.

13 Jul 2018

Low-cost deworming drug improves female farmers' physical fitness

Impoverished female farm workers infected with intestinal parasites known as hookworms saw significant improvements in physical fitness when they were treated with a low-cost deworming drug.

19 Apr 2018

Gut microbes linked to severity of intestinal parasitic worm infections

A new study indicates that the kinds of microbes living in the gut influence the severity and recurrence of parasitic worm infections in developing countries.

9 Mar 2018

Researchers shine new light on hookworm-malaria co-infections

A study released today from an international team of researchers shines new light on "co-infections," infectious diseases that attack the immune system simultaneously.

9 Feb 2018

Researchers team up to identify vulnerabilities of lethal parasite

An estimated 100 million people around the world are infected with Strongyloides stercoralis, a parasitic nematode, yet it's likely that many don't know it.

15 Dec 2017

Molecule discovered in worm spit could offer solution for non-healing wounds

Every day 12 Australian diabetics have a limb amputated because of a non-healing wound. Globally, it's one every 30 seconds.

25 May 2017

GW researchers develop way to test potency of recombinant hookworm vaccines

Researchers at the George Washington University have developed a way to test recombinant vaccines for their ability to stay effective after years of storage.

10 Mar 2017

Researchers develop testing program to study potency of vaccines for neglected tropical diseases

A new generation of vaccines for neglected tropical diseases is moving into clinical trials, and understanding the long-term stability and effectiveness of these vaccines over periods of storage is key to their success.

1 Mar 2017

GHIT Fund invests in two innovative malaria eradication tools

The Global Health Innovative Technology Fund (GHIT Fund) announced today that it’s investing US$1,383,785 in a pair of innovative malaria eradication tools—a vaccine that could block transmission of two species of the deadly disease and a rapid field test that can reveal a malaria infection in minutes.

1 Apr 2016

UC Riverside researchers identify immune protein that protects the body from infections

Researchers in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Riverside have identified an immune protein in mice that is quickly triggered in the body following infection and serves to protect the body's tissues. Called "RELMalpha," this protein, whose homologue in humans is called "resistin," is responsible more for protecting the body than attacking the parasite.

30 Mar 2016

Roundworm infection increases fertility among women in the Amazon

Parasitic worms can live inside humans gaining nourishment from the food we ingest (roundworms) or from our blood (hook worms), whilst being safe from predators. Although roundworm infections are generally symptomless they are not something any of us would choose to have. However, it has recently been found that infection with roundworm increases a woman's fertility.

20 Nov 2015

Caltech researchers reveal new information that could help fight against hookworms

Tiny parasitic hookworms infect nearly half a billion people worldwide--almost exclusively in developing countries--causing health problems ranging from gastrointestinal issues to cognitive impairment and stunted growth in children. By sequencing and analyzing the genome of one particular hookworm species, Caltech researchers have uncovered new information that could aid the fight against these parasites.

3 Mar 2015

Scientists sequence genome of hookworm

In an advance that may potentially lead to new treatments for parasitic hookworms, scientists at the University of Massachusetts Medical School and Cornell University have sequenced the genome of the hookworm, Ancylostoma ceylanicum.

3 Mar 2015

Australian researchers use hookworms to reduce symptoms of celiac disease

Australian researchers have achieved groundbreaking results in a clinical trial using hookworms to reduce the symptoms of celiac disease.

26 Sep 2014

Experts examine how molecule in parasitic worms can effectively treat autoimmune diseases

Experts believe a molecule in parasitic worms could help explain why worm infections can effectively treat a range of autoimmune diseases, including multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

12 Aug 2014

Going barefoot contributes to hookworm infections

Going barefoot in parts of Africa, Asia and South America contributes to hookworm infections, which afflict an estimated 700 million of the world's poor. The parasitic worm lives in the soil and enters the body through the feet. By feeding on victims' blood, the worms cause anemia and, in children, stunted growth and learning problems.

20 Jan 2014

HOOKVAC consortium awarded grant to develop, test vaccine for human hookworm

The HOOKVAC consortium, led by the Academic Medical Center at the University of Amsterdam, today announced it has been awarded a grant of six million Euros from the European Commission FP7 programme to expand the Sabin Vaccine Institute Product Development Partnership’s (Sabin PDP) work to develop and test a vaccine for human hookworm, a disease that infects 600-700 million of the world’s poorest people.

27 Sep 2013

HOOKVAC consortium to begin first clinical testing of human hookworm vaccine in West Africa

The HOOKVAC consortium, led by the Academic Medical Center (AMC) at the University of Amsterdam, today announced it has been awarded a grant of six million Euros from the European Commission FP7 programme to expand the Sabin Vaccine Institute Product Development Partnership's (Sabin PDP) work to develop and test a vaccine for human hookworm, a disease that infects 600-700 million of the world's poorest people.

27 Sep 2013

Researchers find parasitic worms limit effects of autoimmune and other diseases

If the idea of hookworms makes you shudder, consider this: Those pesky intestinal parasites may actually help your body ward off other infections, and perhaps even prevent autoimmune and other diseases.

31 Aug 2013

Bacterial crystal protein could be safe, inexpensive treatment for parasitic worms in humans

A benign crystal protein, produced naturally by bacteria and used as an organic pesticide, could be a safe, inexpensive treatment for parasitic worms in humans and provide effective relief to over a billion people around the world.

24 Jul 2013