International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Molecular Research on Parasites and the Host Immune Response

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Dear Colleagues,

Parasites are a divergent group of organisms that attack various hosts, leading to serious problems for both human and veterinary medicine. They lead to significant morbidity and losses in animal production. Clinical manifestations can range from severe and fatal to long-lasting infections that have a beneficial impact on the host, alleviating symptoms of allergies and autoimmune diseases. Substantial focus has been placed on investigating both the positive and negative aspects of these infections. Scientists have been trying for years to develop effective vaccines against parasites as well as to utilize them in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and allergies. However, in order to achieve these goals, deciphering the molecular-level crosstalk between invading parasites and the host is necessary. Parasites can interfere with the immune system, interact with the nervous system, and impact the composition of the host's microbiota.

The purpose of this issue is to explore the knowledge regarding both the positive and negative aspects of parasitic infections. It welcomes, but is not limited to, manuscripts related to vaccine development and the understanding of interactions with the immune system. Studies investigating the interplay between parasites and the nervous or hormonal systems, as well as other components of the host response, are also of special interest.

Dr. Piotr Bąska
Guest Editor

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Keywords

parasites
immune response
immunomodulation
vaccines
helminths
nervous system and parasitic infection

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of the Immunoprotective Efficacy of Recombinant 14-3-3 Protein and Dense Granule Protein 10 (GRA10) as Candidate Antigens for Rabbit Vaccines against Eimeria intestinalis

by Changming Xiong, Wei He, Jie Xiao, Ge Hao, Jiayan Pu, Hao Chen, Liwen Xu, Yuhua Zhu and Guangyou Yang

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(19), 14418; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241914418 - 22 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1138

Abstract

Eimeria intestinalis infects rabbits, causing severe intestinal coccidiosis. Prolonged anticoccidial drug use might lead to coccidia resistance and drug residues in food. Thus, vaccines are required to control rabbit coccidiosis. In this study, recombinant E. intestinalis 14-3-3 and GRA10 proteins (rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10) were obtained via prokaryotic expression and used as recombinant subunit vaccines. Fifty 30-day-old rabbits were randomly grouped as follows: PBS-uninfected group, PBS-infected group, Trx-His-S control group, and rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10 immunized groups. The rabbits were subcutaneously immunized twice at 2-week intervals, challenged with 7 × 10⁴ sporulated oocysts, and sacrificed 14 days later. The protective effects were assessed via clinical signs, relative weight gain, oocyst reduction, mean intestinal lesion score, ACI (anticoccidial index), cytokine, and specific antibody levels in sera. The rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10 groups had higher relative weight gain rates of 81.94% and 73.61% (p < 0.05), and higher oocyst reduction rates of 86.13% and 84.87% (p < 0.05), respectively. The two immunized groups had fewer intestinal lesions (p < 0.05) and higher IgG levels (p < 0.05). Higher levels of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-γ cytokines in the rEi-14-3-3 group (p < 0.05) and a higher level of IFN-γ in the rEi-GRA10 group (p < 0.05) were observed. The ACI values of the rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10 groups were 168.24 and 159.91, with good and moderate protective effects, respectively. Both rEi-14-3-3 and rEi-GRA10 induced humoral immunity in the rabbits. In addition, rEi-14-3-3 induced Th1- and Th2-type immune responses. Both recombinant proteins were protective against E. intestinalis infection in rabbits, with rEi-14-3-3 showing a better protective effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Parasites and the Host Immune Response)

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Review

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22 pages, 1675 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Roles of Various Immune Cell Populations in Immune Response against Helminths

by Janina Lekki-Jóźwiak and Piotr Bąska

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(1), 420; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25010420 - 28 Dec 2023

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Abstract

Helminths are multicellular parasites that are a substantial problem for both human and veterinary medicine. According to estimates, 1.5 billion people suffer from their infection, resulting in decreased life quality and burdens for healthcare systems. On the other hand, these infections may alleviate autoimmune diseases and allergy symptoms. The immune system is programmed to combat infections; nevertheless, its effector mechanisms may result in immunopathologies and exacerbate clinical symptoms. This review summarizes the role of the immune response against worms, with an emphasis on the Th₂ response, which is a hallmark of helminth infections. We characterize non-immune cells (enteric tuft cells—ETCs) responsible for detecting parasites, as well as the role of hematopoietic-derived cells (macrophages, basophils, eosinophils, neutrophils, innate lymphoid cells group 2—ILC2s, mast cells, T cells, and B cells) in initiating and sustaining the immune response, as well as the functions they play in granulomas. The aim of this paper is to review the existing knowledge regarding the immune response against helminths, to attempt to decipher the interactions between cells engaged in the response, and to indicate the gaps in the current knowledge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Research on Parasites and the Host Immune Response)

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