Trends in parasitologyPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-06-02DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.009
Weizhe Chen, Xiaozhen Yang, Jialiang Guo, Yue Han, Jackson Champer
{"title":"Gene drives and other transgenic approaches for mosquito control.","authors":"Weizhe Chen, Xiaozhen Yang, Jialiang Guo, Yue Han, Jackson Champer","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"647-661"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148144877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in parasitologyPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-06-18DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.06.002
Loick P Kojom Foko
{"title":"Unveiling malaria history using ancient genomes.","authors":"Loick P Kojom Foko","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"565-567"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148278991","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in parasitologyPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-05-26DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.002
Simone Haeberlein, Christoph G Grevelding, Franco H Falcone, Paul M Selzer
{"title":"The Drug Design & Development Seminar 2026: joining forces with the European Cost Action 'OneHealthDrugs'.","authors":"Simone Haeberlein, Christoph G Grevelding, Franco H Falcone, Paul M Selzer","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.002","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"553-561"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148035535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in parasitologyPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-05-19DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.003
Jiaqi Wang, Zeming Wu, Xuemin Jin
{"title":"Remodeling parasite microenvironments: a cold-to-hot transformation.","authors":"Jiaqi Wang, Zeming Wu, Xuemin Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"593-602"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147975820","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in parasitologyPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-06-02DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.007
Alicia Rojas, Filipe Dantas-Torres, Jairo A Mendoza-Roldan, Domenico Otranto
{"title":"Emergent, re-emerging, or just ignored: the many lives of cat and dog parasites.","authors":"Alicia Rojas, Filipe Dantas-Torres, Jairo A Mendoza-Roldan, Domenico Otranto","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"582-592"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148144907","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in parasitologyPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-04-02DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.03.008
Håkon H Jones, Nicole L Gottdenker, Heather D S Walden, Michael J Yabsley
{"title":"Angiostrongylus cantonensis (rat lungworm).","authors":"Håkon H Jones, Nicole L Gottdenker, Heather D S Walden, Michael J Yabsley","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.03.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.03.008","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"662-663"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147616888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in parasitologyPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-05-13DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.04.006
Silu Deng, Junjie Liu, Mingfei Sun, Xian-Ming Chen, Juan Li
{"title":"The role of noncoding RNAs in host-Cryptosporidium interactions.","authors":"Silu Deng, Junjie Liu, Mingfei Sun, Xian-Ming Chen, Juan Li","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.04.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.04.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"617-633"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147933894","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Host-vector microbiome similarity predicts immune-mediated disturbance and vector competence.","authors":"Alejandro Cabezas-Cruz, Elianne Piloto-Sardiñas, Dasiel Obregón","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.05.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"573-581"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148151720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Trends in parasitologyPub Date : 2026-07-01Epub Date: 2026-06-17DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2026.06.001
Gasmi Imène, Jay Philippe
{"title":"Tuft cells awaken Th2 recall responses.","authors":"Gasmi Imène, Jay Philippe","doi":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.06.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.pt.2026.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":23327,"journal":{"name":"Trends in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"562-564"},"PeriodicalIF":7.6,"publicationDate":"2026-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148273161","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}