Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026

13:25
Transient Transduction of the Strobilated Forms of Echinococcus granulosus
Published on: September 16, 2022
Human cystic echinococcosis: old problems and new perspectives
Alessandra Siracusano1, Antonella Teggi, Elena Ortona
1Dipartimento di Malattie Infettive, Parassitarie e Immunomediate, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena 299, 00161 Roma, Italy.
Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Infectious Diseases
|November 6, 2009
Summary
Cystic echinococcosis (CE), a parasitic disease affecting millions, is reviewed for diagnosis and management. New insights into Echinococcus granulosus molecules offer potential treatments for immune-mediated diseases.
Area of Science:
- * Parasitology
- * Immunology
- * Infectious Diseases
Background:
- * Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a significant global helminthic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus.
- * Affecting approximately six million people worldwide, CE presents a substantial public health challenge.
- * The disease involves chronic infection with parasite metacestodes.
Purpose of the Study:
- * To review current diagnostic and clinical management strategies for CE.
- * To explore novel concepts regarding Echinococcus granulosus molecules.
- * To identify potential therapeutic applications for immune-mediated diseases.
Main Methods:
- * Comprehensive literature review of existing research on CE.
- * Analysis of molecular biology findings related to E. granulosus.
- * Discussion of host immune response modulation by parasite molecules.
Main Results:
- * E. granulosus molecules can modulate host immune responses, promoting anti-inflammatory effects.
- * These modulations contribute to parasite survival within the host.
- * Current diagnostic and management approaches for CE are discussed.
Conclusions:
- * Understanding E. granulosus molecular biology enhances knowledge of CE pathogenesis.
- * New molecular insights may lead to novel therapeutic strategies for CE.
- * Potential applications exist for treating or preventing inflammatory immune-mediated diseases.
Related Concept Videos
Amebiasis
Entamoeba histolytica, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for intestinal and extraintestinal amebiasis. Though a significant proportion of infections remain asymptomatic, approximately 50 million individuals annually are estimated to present with clinical disease, resulting in up to 100,000 deaths globally. The disease burden is disproportionately high in regions with lower socioeconomic status, such as parts of India, Africa, Mexico, and Latin America.Etiology and TransmissionThe infective...
Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Anthelminthic Agents
Anthelmintic drugs differ significantly from antiparasitic therapies targeting protozoa, primarily due to differences in parasite biology. Whereas most protozoal treatments act on proliferating cells, anthelmintics are typically directed against mature, nonproliferative helminths. The therapeutic approach considers the helminth's reliance on neuromuscular coordination, glucose metabolism, and microtubular integrity for survival, reproduction, and localization within the host. Most anthelmintics...
