Neospora caninum: Recent Progress in Host-Pathogen Interactions, Molecular Insights, and Control Strategies

Neospora caninum, the causative agent of abortion in cattle, has a major economic impact worldwide. This review aims to provide an overview of key advances over the last 10 years in understanding host-pathogen interactions, molecular mechanisms, and emerging control strategies and puts them into a context with previously published important findings. More recently, novel diagnostic tools with improved sensitivity and specificity have been developed. These have supplemented the already existing methods to detect infection in clinical cases and are essential for investigations on parasite distribution, disease incidence and prevalence, and transmission of N. caninum. Epidemiological studies have revealed the influence of environmental, genetic, and ecological factors on parasite transmission dynamics, and emphasized the importance of integrated "One Health" strategies. Characteristics of different Neospora strains have been elucidated through animal models and molecular tools such as clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9)-based gene editing, high-throughput sequencing, and advanced proteomics, aiming to shed light on stage-specific gene regulation and virulence factors, contributing to the development of interventions against neosporosis. Insights into immune modulation, immune evasion, and parasite persistence contributed to the efforts towards vaccine development. In terms of therapeutics, both repurposed drugs and more targeted inhibitors have shown promising efficacy in reducing parasite burden and mitigating vertical transmission in laboratory models. Here, more recent innovations in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems and immunomodulatory strategies are prone to enhancing therapeutic outcomes. However, a significant challenge remains the integration of molecular and immunological insights into practical applications.