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Remodeling parasite microenvironments: a cold-to-hot transformation
Jiaqi Wang1, Zeming Wu2, Xuemin Jin3
1State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Severe Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Research of the Ministry of Education, Institute of Zoonosis, College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China; College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China.
Trends in Parasitology
|May 19, 2026
Summary
Tissue-dwelling parasites create immune-suppressing microenvironments, hindering treatment. This research proposes adapting cancer therapies to reawaken the immune system, enhancing parasite clearance and drug efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Parasitology
- Immunology
- Oncology
- Nanomedicine
Background:
- Tissue-dwelling parasites pose significant challenges in infectious disease management.
- Traditional treatments focus on anthelmintic resistance, overlooking parasite-driven host tissue manipulation.
- Parasites actively create immune-suppressive, fibrotic barriers, forming 'cold' tumor-like microenvironments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a conceptual paradigm shift in managing persistent parasitic infections.
- To explore the potential of host-directed therapies and targeted nanomedicine.
- To adapt advanced oncological strategies for parasitic disease treatment.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual proposal integrating cross-disciplinary evidence.
- Adapting oncological strategies: stroma normalization, immune checkpoint blockade, and STING agonist delivery.
- Theoretical transformation of parasitic lesions into immunologically 'hot' foci.
Main Results:
- Parasites establish 'cold', tumor-like microenvironments that exclude and exhaust host immune cells.
- Proposed therapies aim to convert these lesions into 'hot' foci.
- Enhanced immune clearance and increased efficacy of conventional treatments are theoretically achievable.
Conclusions:
- A paradigm shift towards host-directed therapies is necessary for persistent parasitic infections.
- Oncological strategies offer a novel approach to overcome parasite-induced immune suppression.
- Targeted nanomedicine and immune modulation can restore endogenous clearance mechanisms.
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