Journal article
Activation of mosquito immunity blocks the development of transmission-stage filarial nematodes
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v 117(7), pp 3711-3717
18 Feb 2020
PMID: 32015105
Featured in Collection : UN Sustainable Development Goals @ Drexel
Abstract
Mosquito-borne helminth infections are responsible for a significant worldwide disease burden in both humans and animals. Accordingly, development of novel strategies to reduce disease transmission by targeting these pathogens in the vector are of paramount importance. We found that a strain of Aedes aegypti that is refractory to infection by Dirofilaria immitis, the agent of canine heartworm disease, mounts a stronger immune response during infection than does a susceptible strain. Moreover, activation of the Toll immune signaling pathway in the susceptible strain arrests larval development of the parasite, thereby decreasing the number of transmission-stage larvae. Notably, this strategy also blocks transmission-stage Brugia malayi, an agent of human lymphatic filariasis. Our data show that mosquito immunity can play a pivotal role in restricting filarial nematode development and suggest that genetically engineering mosquitoes with enhanced immunity will help reduce pathogen transmission.
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Details
- Title
- Activation of mosquito immunity blocks the development of transmission-stage filarial nematodes
- Publication Details
- PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, v 117(7), pp 3711-3717
- Publisher
- NATL ACAD SCIENCES; WASHINGTON
- Number of pages
- 0
- Grant note
- This work was supported by a University Research Foundation Grant (URF-2017), intramural funds, and NIH Grant AI139060 (to M.P.). J.B.L. was supported by NIH Grants AI050668 and AI44572. J.Y.K. was supported in part by NIH Grant T35 OD010919 and a grant from Merial. Leslie King and Megan Povelones helped with critical reading and revision of the manuscript.
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Drexel University
- Web of Science ID
- WOS:000514096400055
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85079549997
- Other Identifier
- 991021860680304721
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- Web of Science research areas
- Parasitology