{"id":630505,"date":"2024-08-11T02:30:01","date_gmt":"2024-08-10T23:30:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/a-common-parasite-could-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain-how-scientists-are-turning-toxoplasma-gondii-from-foe-into-friend\/"},"modified":"2024-08-11T02:30:01","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T23:30:01","slug":"a-common-parasite-could-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain-how-scientists-are-turning-toxoplasma-gondii-from-foe-into-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-common-parasite-could-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain-how-scientists-are-turning-toxoplasma-gondii-from-foe-into-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"#A common parasite could deliver drugs to the brain\u2014how scientists are turning Toxoplasma gondii from foe into friend"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a21d1ed4cb8d\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a21d1ed4cb8d\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-common-parasite-could-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain-how-scientists-are-turning-toxoplasma-gondii-from-foe-into-friend\/#Microbes_as_medicine\" >Microbes as medicine<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-common-parasite-could-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain-how-scientists-are-turning-toxoplasma-gondii-from-foe-into-friend\/#Why_cant_we_just_take_a_pill_for_brain_diseases\" >Why can&#8217;t we just take a pill for brain diseases?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-common-parasite-could-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain-how-scientists-are-turning-toxoplasma-gondii-from-foe-into-friend\/#Toxoplasma_offers_delivery_service_to_brain_cells\" >Toxoplasma offers delivery service to brain cells<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/a-common-parasite-could-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain-how-scientists-are-turning-toxoplasma-gondii-from-foe-into-friend\/#The_long_road_ahead\" >The long road ahead<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Parasites <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pmed.1001920\">take an enormous toll<\/a> on human and veterinary health. But researchers may have found a way for patients with brain disorders and a common brain parasite to become frenemies.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                                    A new study published in <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41564-024-01750-6\"><i>Nature Microbiology<\/i><\/a> has pioneered the use of a single-celled parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, to inject therapeutic proteins into brain cells. The brain is very picky about what it lets in, including many drugs, which limits treatment options for neurological conditions.<\/p>\n<p>As a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/medicine.iu.edu\/faculty\/13502\/sullivan-william\">professor of microbiology<\/a>, I&#8217;ve dedicated my career to finding ways to kill dangerous parasites such as Toxoplasma. I&#8217;m fascinated by the prospect that we may be able to use their weaponry to instead treat other maladies.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Microbes_as_medicine\"><\/span>Microbes as medicine<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ever since scientists realized that microscopic organisms can cause illness\u2014what&#8217;s called the 19th-century <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/curiosity.lib.harvard.edu\/contagion\/feature\/germ-theory\">germ theory of disease<\/a>\u2014humanity has been on a quest to keep infectious agents out of our bodies. Many people&#8217;s understandable aversion to germs may make the idea of adapting these microbial adversaries for therapeutic purposes seem counterintuitive.<\/p>\n<p>But preventing and treating disease by co-opting the very microbes that threaten us has a history that long predates germ theory. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1258%2Fjrsm.2012.12k044\">As early as the 1500s<\/a>, people in the Middle East and Asia noted that those lucky enough to survive smallpox never got infected again. These observations led to the practice of purposefully exposing an uninfected person to the material from an infected person&#8217;s pus-filled sores\u2014which unbeknownst to them contained weakened smallpox virus\u2014to protect them from severe disease.<\/p>\n<p>This concept of inoculation has yielded a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/vaccines\/vpd\/vaccines-list.html\">plethora of vaccines<\/a> that have saved countless lives.<\/p>\n<p>Viruses, bacteria and parasites have also evolved many tricks to penetrate organs such as the brain and could be <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007%2Fs40199-019-00291-2\">retooled to deliver drugs<\/a> into the body. Such uses could include <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41392-021-00487-6\">viruses for gene therapy<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/S2468-1253(22)00276-X\">intestinal bacteria to treat a gut infection<\/a> known as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/c-diff\/index.html\">C. diff<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_cant_we_just_take_a_pill_for_brain_diseases\"><\/span>Why can&#8217;t we just take a pill for brain diseases?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Pills offer a convenient and effective way to get medicine into the body. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.drugs.com\/drug-classes.html#B\">Chemical drugs<\/a> such as aspirin or penicillin are small and easily absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream.<\/p>\n<p>Biologic drugs such as insulin or semaglutide, on the other hand, are large and complex molecules that are vulnerable to breaking down in the stomach before they can be absorbed. They are also too big to pass through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream.<\/p>\n<p>All drugs, especially biologics, have great difficulty penetrating the brain due to the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier is a layer of cells lining the brain&#8217;s blood vessels that acts like a gatekeeper to block germs and other unwanted substances from gaining access to neurons.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"mb-4\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/VideoObject\">\n    <meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"A common parasite could deliver drugs to the brain\u2014how scientists are turning Toxoplasma gondii from foe into friend\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch\/?v=M9VoVho5p3k\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"description\" content=\"Scientists retooled Toxoplasma to deliver drugs to neurons.\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"uploadDate\" content=\"2024-08-08T06:19:20-04:00\"\/><br \/>\n        <meta itemprop=\"embedUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M9VoVho5p3k\"\/><br \/>\n    <meta itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/M9VoVho5p3k\/maxresdefault.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>             <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Could brain parasites be used to treat cognitive disorders?\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/M9VoVho5p3k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up mt-4\" itemprop=\"caption\">Scientists retooled Toxoplasma to deliver drugs to neurons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Toxoplasma_offers_delivery_service_to_brain_cells\"><\/span>Toxoplasma offers delivery service to brain cells<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Toxoplasma parasites <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1079\/ahr2005100\">infect all animals, including humans<\/a>. Infection can occur in multiple ways, including ingesting spores released in the stool of infected cats or consuming contaminated meat or water. <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/toxoplasmosis\/about\/index.html\">Toxoplasmosis<\/a> in otherwise healthy people produces only mild symptoms but can be serious in immunocompromised people and to gestating fetusus.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike most pathogens, Toxoplasma can cross the blood-brain barrier and invade brain cells. Once inside neurons, the parasite releases a suite of proteins that <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1128\/cmr.00005-17\">alter gene expression in its host<\/a>, which may be a factor in the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1016\/j.neubiorev.2018.11.012\">behavioral changes<\/a> it causes in infected animals and people.<\/p>\n<p>                                                                                                                                            In a new study, a global team of researchers <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41564-024-01750-6\">hijacked the system Toxoplasma uses<\/a> to secrete proteins into its host cell. The team genetically engineered Toxoplasma to make a hybrid protein, fusing one of its secreted proteins to a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/medlineplus.gov\/genetics\/gene\/mecp2\/\">protein called MeCP2<\/a>, which regulates gene activity in the brain\u2014in effect, giving the MeCP2 a piggyback ride into neurons. Researchers found that the parasites secreted the MeCP2 protein hybrid into neurons grown in a petri dish as well as in the brains of infected mice.<\/p>\n<p>A genetic deficiency in MECP2 causes a rare brain development disorder called <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/rett-syndrome\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20377227\">Rett syndrome<\/a>. Gene therapy trials <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rettsyndrome.org\/clinical-trial-news-updates\/\">using viruses to deliver the MeCP2 protein<\/a> to treat Rett syndrome are underway. If Toxoplasma can deliver a form of MeCP2 protein into brain cells, it may provide another option to treat this currently incurable condition. It also may offer another treatment option for other neurological problems that arise from errant proteins, such as Alzheimer&#8217;s and Parkinson&#8217;s disease.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_long_road_ahead\"><\/span>The long road ahead<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The road from laboratory bench to bedside is long and filled with obstacles, so don&#8217;t expect to see engineered Toxoplasma in the clinic anytime soon.<\/p>\n<p>The obvious complication in using Toxoplasma for medical purposes is that it can produce a serious, lifelong infection that is currently incurable. Infecting someone with Toxoplasma can <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/toxoplasmosis\/about\/index.html\">damage critical organ systems<\/a>, including the brain, eyes and heart.<\/p>\n<p>However, up to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/j.1550-7408.2008.00345.x\">one-third of people worldwide<\/a> currently carry Toxoplasma in their brain, <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>arently without incident. Emerging studies have correlated infection with increased risk of schizophrenia, rage disorder and recklessness, hinting that this quiet infection may be <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1155%2F2021%2F6634807\">predisposing some people to serious neurological problems<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The widespread prevalence of Toxoplasma infections may also be another complication, as it disqualifies many people from using it for treatment. Since the billions of people who already carry the parasite have developed immunity against future infection, therapeutic forms of Toxoplasma would be rapidly destroyed by their immune systems once injected.<\/p>\n<p>In some cases, the benefits of using Toxoplasma as a drug delivery system may outweigh the risks. Engineering benign forms of this parasite could produce the proteins patients need without harming the organ\u2014the brain\u2014that defines who we are.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>                                                    Provided by<br \/>\n                                                                                                            The Conversation<br \/>\n                                                                                                                <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\"><br \/>\n                                                            <svg>\n                                                                <use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n                                                            <\/svg><br \/>\n                                                        <\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n                                                  This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/a-common-parasite-could-one-day-deliver-drugs-to-the-brain-how-scientists-are-turning-toxoplasma-gondii-from-foe-into-friend-235928\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/235928\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n                                             <\/p>\n<p>                                        <!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>                                                <strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n                                                A common parasite could deliver drugs to the brain\u2014how scientists are turning Toxoplasma gondii from foe into friend (2024, August 10)<br \/>\n                                                retrieved 11 August 2024<br \/>\n                                                from https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2024-08-common-parasite-drugs-brain-scientists.html<\/p>\n<p>                                             This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n                                             part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/science\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2024-08-common-parasite-drugs-brain-scientists.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Parasites take an enormous toll on human and veterinary health. But researchers may have found a way for patients with brain disorders and a common brain parasite to become frenemies. A new study published in Nature Microbiology has pioneered the use of a single-celled parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, to inject therapeutic proteins into brain cells. The&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":630506,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/2024\/a-common-parasite-coul.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-630505","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630505","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=630505"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/630505\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/630506"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=630505"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=630505"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=630505"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}