MONICA QUINZO

Transgenesis in parasitic helminths: a brief history and prospects for the future

Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Date: 28-03-2022

DOI: 10.1186/S13071-022-05211-Z

Abstract: Helminth infections impact the health of hundreds of millions of persons globally and also cause important economic losses in livestock farming. Methodological limitations as well as the low attention given to the study of helminths have impacted biological research and, thus, the procurement of accurate diagnosis and effective treatments. Understanding the biology of helminths using genomic and proteomic approaches could contribute to advances in understanding host–helminth interactions and lead to new vaccines, drugs and diagnostics. Despite the significant advances in genomics in the last decade, the lack of methodological adaptation of current transgenesis techniques has h ered the progression of post-genomic research in helminthology. However, the application of new techniques, such as CRISPR, to the study of trematodes and nematodes has opened new avenues for genome editing-powered functional genomics for these pathogens. This review summarises the historical advances in functional genomics in parasitic helminths and highlights pending limitations that will need to be overcome to deploy transgenesis tools. Graphical Abstract

Universidad Complutense De Madrid

Location: Spain

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Universidad Nacional De Educación A Distancia

Location: Spain

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Instituto De Salud Carlos III

Location: Spain

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