About this Research Topic
Helminth infections have been reported to provide a degree of protection against the development of cardiometabolic disorders and other non-communicable diseases, such as chronic respiratory diseases, although the exact underlying mechanism(s) remain incompletely understood. Recent data on both animal and human studies indeed showed a reciprocal inverse relationship between helminth infection and the risk of developing insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and chronic respiratory diseases like asthma. Altogether, the helminth-specific immunometabolic response induced in their host may exert some protective effects against these non-communicable diseases.
Concurring with enhanced efforts in helminth control and elimination, and the growing prevalence of metabolic disorders across the world, it is of utmost importance to better decipher the immunological and pathological underpinnings of the interaction between helminths and host metabolic homeostasis. A deeper understanding of the host immunometabolic responses to helminths in individuals with metabolic disorders and other non-communicable diseases may help to pave the way for new therapeutic strategies to prevent or even reverse metabolic dysfunctions and/or chronic respiratory diseases. This special collection will focus on various aspects of the helminth-host interactions in the context of non-communicable diseases, including both epidemiological and interventional studies investigating the impact of helminth infections on cardiometabolic and hyperinflammatory diseases and preclinical mechanistic studies in animal models of obesity and type 2 diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases.
The following themes are of particular interest:
- Helminths and non-communicable diseases- Epidemiology
- Helminths and metabolic syndrome- Immunomodulation/Host-pathogen interaction
- Helminths and cardiometabolic diseases- Atherosclerosis
- Helminths and chronic respiratory diseases- Asthma
- Helminth-derived molecules, immunometabolism and gut dysbiosis
Concurring with enhanced efforts in helminth control and elimination, and the growing prevalence of metabolic disorders across the world, it is of utmost importance to better decipher the immunological and pathological underpinnings of the interaction between helminths and host metabolic homeostasis. A deeper understanding of the host immunometabolic responses to helminths in individuals with metabolic disorders and other non-communicable diseases may help to pave the way for new therapeutic strategies to prevent or even reverse metabolic dysfunctions and/or chronic respiratory diseases. This special collection will focus on various aspects of the helminth-host interactions in the context of non-communicable diseases, including both epidemiological and interventional studies investigating the impact of helminth infections on cardiometabolic and hyperinflammatory diseases and preclinical mechanistic studies in animal models of obesity and type 2 diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases.
The following themes are of particular interest:
- Helminths and non-communicable diseases- Epidemiology
- Helminths and metabolic syndrome- Immunomodulation/Host-pathogen interaction
- Helminths and cardiometabolic diseases- Atherosclerosis
- Helminths and chronic respiratory diseases- Asthma
- Helminth-derived molecules, immunometabolism and gut dysbiosis
Keywords: Type 2 Diabetes mellitus, Obesity, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), gut dysbiosis, Helminths, nutrient, metabolism, cardiometabolic diseases, atherosclerosis, non-communicable diseases
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