Parasitic diseases are responsible for significant mortality, morbidity, and socio-economic imbalance in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Hosts deploy their immune machinery to stave off parasitic infections. In turn, parasites have evolved a range of strategies to escape host immune defense. Therefore, a critical understanding of the interactions between microbes and their hosts is imperative to prevent and treat infectious diseases. Unfortunately, despite the discovery over a century ago of malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis, toxoplasmosis, filariasis, schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis, we are still struggling to control these infections due to a lack of understanding of the host-parasite relationships.
Researchers have been investigating parasitic infections for decades, but due to their antigenic complexity, digenetic life cycles, and immune evasion strategies, we are yet to discover a effective vaccine candidates for any protozoan or helminth parasites. These parasites have developed a number of strategies to exploit host machinery in order to survive within their hosts; yet, while much study is being conducted to better understand the host-parasite interactions, many questions remain unanswered. Some examples include: epigenetics of host-parasite interactions; dormancy and parasite persistence; drug resistance; the role of exosomes in parasitic infections; rhoptry secretion machinery and immuno-ecology of parasitic infections have yet to be extensively investigated. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of host-parasite interactions of parasite life stages within distinct cells/tissues could help to develop effective preventive and therapeutic interventions.
The aims of this research topics are to provide an updated overview of the parasite survival strategies and the host immune defense mechanisms. We are inviting the submission of original research, review articles, mini-reviews, opinions, and perspectives on this research topic. This special theme collection includes, but is not limited to, the following sub-topics:
(1) Survival strategies of intracellular protozoan parasites
(2) Survival strategies of parasitic helminths
(3) Host defense mechanisms against parasitic infection
(4) New advances in the knowledge of host-parasite relationships
(5) Role of signaling pathways in pathogenesis and immunomodulation
(6) Epigenetics of host–pathogen interactions
(7) Novel vaccine candidates
Parasitic diseases are responsible for significant mortality, morbidity, and socio-economic imbalance in tropical and sub-tropical countries. Hosts deploy their immune machinery to stave off parasitic infections. In turn, parasites have evolved a range of strategies to escape host immune defense. Therefore, a critical understanding of the interactions between microbes and their hosts is imperative to prevent and treat infectious diseases. Unfortunately, despite the discovery over a century ago of malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis, toxoplasmosis, filariasis, schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis, we are still struggling to control these infections due to a lack of understanding of the host-parasite relationships.
Researchers have been investigating parasitic infections for decades, but due to their antigenic complexity, digenetic life cycles, and immune evasion strategies, we are yet to discover a effective vaccine candidates for any protozoan or helminth parasites. These parasites have developed a number of strategies to exploit host machinery in order to survive within their hosts; yet, while much study is being conducted to better understand the host-parasite interactions, many questions remain unanswered. Some examples include: epigenetics of host-parasite interactions; dormancy and parasite persistence; drug resistance; the role of exosomes in parasitic infections; rhoptry secretion machinery and immuno-ecology of parasitic infections have yet to be extensively investigated. Therefore, a comprehensive understanding of host-parasite interactions of parasite life stages within distinct cells/tissues could help to develop effective preventive and therapeutic interventions.
The aims of this research topics are to provide an updated overview of the parasite survival strategies and the host immune defense mechanisms. We are inviting the submission of original research, review articles, mini-reviews, opinions, and perspectives on this research topic. This special theme collection includes, but is not limited to, the following sub-topics:
(1) Survival strategies of intracellular protozoan parasites
(2) Survival strategies of parasitic helminths
(3) Host defense mechanisms against parasitic infection
(4) New advances in the knowledge of host-parasite relationships
(5) Role of signaling pathways in pathogenesis and immunomodulation
(6) Epigenetics of host–pathogen interactions
(7) Novel vaccine candidates
