Roundworm News and Research

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Roundworm infection, or toxocariasis, is a zoonotic disease — a disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Dogs and cats are the definitive hosts for the roundworm species that commonly cause human disease.

Exposure to parasitic roundworm linked with lower lung-function and asthma in younger men

By looking at the exposure to the parasitic roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides/suum in Nothern Europe (Norway, Denmark and Estonia), the study finds that younger men exposed to Ascaris had a striking reduction in lung function and nearly five times higher odds of having asthma compared to the non-exposed.

4 Jan 2022

Researchers receive NIH grants to develop new treatments for neglected tropical diseases

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have received two grants from the National Institutes of Health totaling more than $5.5 million to develop new treatments for two types of devastating parasitic infections common in sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America: river blindness and intestinal worm infections.

22 Dec 2021

Genome sequencing efforts overlook huge swathes of diversity and opportunity, researchers warn

Efforts to sequence the genomes of the world's animals tend to focus on those that most resemble humans with the work conducted almost entirely in the Global North, according to an analysis led by Washington State University.

7 Dec 2021

Researchers discover crucial role of glial cells in maintaining healthy gut immunity

Researchers at the Francis Crick Institute have uncovered a fundamental role of glial cells in the nervous system of the gut in maintaining a healthy intestine.

20 Oct 2021

Mothers pass on the legacy of stress exposure to future generations

A mother's response to stress can even influence her grandchildren. Biologists at the University of Iowa found that roundworm mothers subjected to heat stress passed, under certain conditions and through modifications to their genes, the legacy of that stress exposure not only to their offspring but even to their offspring's children.

13 Oct 2021

Researchers discover unique self-destructive process in aging nematode worms

As worm mothers age, they secrete a milk-like fluid through their vulva that is consumed by their offspring and supports their growth, according to a new study led by UCL researchers.

6 Oct 2021

Drug accumulation alters gut bacterial metabolism and composition

In a research paper recently published in the journal Nature by Klünemann et al. (September 8th, 2021), the interaction of 15 diverse drugs with 25 common strains of gut bacteria is investigated, revealing 70 bacteria-drug interactions that include 29 entirely novel mechanisms not yet reported.

15 Sep 2021

Study uncovers new mechanism for memory transfer between individual roundworms

When an organism encounters a threat in its environment, it is to the species' advantage to warn others of the peril.

4 Sep 2021

Simple roundworm may hold the key to understanding cell death processes

A biologist at The University of Texas at Arlington hopes that a simple roundworm might hold the key to understanding novel cell death processes. Such knowledge could lead to improved therapies to treat a variety of conditions in humans, including cancer and neurological injuries.

14 Aug 2021

Anti-parasitic drug prevents pancreatic cancer's initiation, progression and metastasis in mice

As the third-most lethal cancer in the United States, with only a 1% five-year survival rate for people with its most aggressive form, pancreatic cancer has long been a target of researchers who search for ways to slow or stop its growth and spread.

3 Aug 2021

Precise manipulation of folate metabolism may pave way to broadly improve health during aging

Several different causes of aging have been discovered, but the question remains whether there are common underlying mechanisms that determine ageing and lifespan.

16 Jun 2021

Researchers identify new potential mechanism for age-related macular degeneration

Using laboratory-grown roundworms as well as human and mouse eye tissue, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers have identified a new potential mechanism for age-related macular degeneration-;the leading cause of blindness among older adults.

13 Apr 2021

Rising cost of antiparasitic drugs in U.S increases patient costs, may reduce quality of care

New study finds the skyrocketing cost of drugs in U.S. used to treat hookworm and other soil-transmitted parasites increases patient costs, suggests decreased quality of care.

10 Mar 2021

Research shows intestinal parasite infestations reduce COVID-19 severity

Now, new research out of Mekelle, Ethiopia, examines the role of parasitic infestation on the prognosis of COVID-19. The research paper, which appears on the preprint server medRxiv, shows that intestinal parasitosis is protective against severe COVID-19.

4 Feb 2021

Researchers discover protein that adjusts gene activity to match nutrient levels in roundworms

Transforming a fertilized egg into a fully functional adult is a complicated task. Cells must divide, move, and mature at specific times. Developmental genes control that process, turning on and off in a choreographed way.

23 Dec 2020

Invasive alien species threaten biological diversity, shows study

The raccoon, raccoon dog, mink, and golden jackal are not native to Germany or Europe but are increasingly spreading in these non-native regions.

8 Dec 2020

Study reveals key role of IL-33 signaling molecule in parasite infections, other health conditions

De'Broski Herbert has a philosophy that's guided his career researching helminths, or parasitic worms, and their interaction with their hosts' immune systems: "Follow the worm."

15 Nov 2020

Oregon biologists reveal molecular mechanisms that produce DNA damage in sperm

University of Oregon biologists have used the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans to identify molecular mechanisms that produce DNA damage in sperm and contribute to male infertility following exposure to heat.

23 Oct 2020

PATH wins grant to develop oral treatment option for soil-transmitted helminth infections

PATH announced today they received a grant from Japan's Global Health Innovative Technology Fund to develop a new oral treatment option for soil-transmitted helminth infections.

1 Oct 2020

Researchers demonstrate the utility of AI in identifying neural degeneration

Researchers from North Carolina State University have demonstrated the utility of artificial intelligence (AI) in identifying and categorizing neural degeneration in the model organism C. elegans. The tool uses deep learning, a form of AI, and should facilitate and expedite research into neural degeneration.

24 Sep 2020