New Viruses in Parasitic Nematodes: A Breakthrough in Disease Research
- Video
6 September 2024
New Viruses in Parasitic Nematodes: A Breakthrough in Disease Research
New research shows that parasitic nematodes, responsible for infecting more than a billion people globally, carry viruses that may solve the puzzle of why some cause serious diseases.
A study led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) used cutting-edge bioinformatic data mining techniques to identify 91 RNA viruses in 28 species of parasitic nematodes, representing 70% of those that infect people and animals. Often these are symptomless or not serious, but some can lead to severe, life-changing disease.
Nematode worms are the most abundant animals on the planet, prevalent in all continents worldwide, with several species infecting humans as well as agriculturally and economically important animals and crops. And yet in several cases, scientists do not know how some nematodes cause certain diseases.
The new research, published in Nature Microbiology, opens the door to further study of whether these newly discovered viruses – only five of which were previously known to science – could contribute to many chronic, debilitating conditions. If a connection can be proven, it could pave the way for more effective treatments in the future.
So I was interested in looking at what sort of, well bacteria, well, specifically viruses, infect these worms similar to our viruses, infect us. They can cause disease. And in our, in our own guts as well, we have bacteria, viruses living within us. So I was interested in seeing what also live within these worms.
As part of my research, I was looking at finding out what soil viruses are within are within them. So from this I screen looked at 41 different species of parasitic worms and found 91 different viruses infecting them. These viruses seem appear to be unique to specific species of of worms. If we can, so in this way we can use these viruses as a sort of indication of what specific species are infecting a person, and this way we can then tailor these sort of treatments we give to the person as well.
There’s also the potential that these viruses cause disease in the worms themselves, so we might be able to utilize some of these they solve in alternative treatment to specific worm infections as well. I am from Indonesia, developing country, born to Chinese immigrant parents there. So I have seen firsthand the impact that some of these tropical diseases can cause either viruses like dengue, which I myself have been infected three times with with it.
And also the impact that these passage of worms causing people as well. So the opportunity to try and give back to the community that raised me and try and improve the livelihoods of other communities across the world is something that. I strive for as well, one of my main life goals. Yeah.