Researchers have been able to genetically modify hookworms like this one so that they can produce drugs and spread them throughout the body. © Makedonka Mitreva
Hookworms can cause dangerous infections in tropical areas. Scientists were now able to genetically modify the parasites so that they produce certain active substances and release them into the host’s body. In this way, new treatment options for chronic diseases or certain poisons can be developed.
In some regions of the world with poor health care, hundreds of millions of people are infected with hookworms, which can survive in the human intestine for years. The intestinal parasites secrete molecules that enable them to live together with the host. For healthy people, an infection usually leads to mild digestive problems, but for certain groups such as children or pregnant women, an infection can have much more serious consequences.
Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis are now using the parasite’s special lifestyle to develop a new treatment method for various diseases. In the experiments, the worm was genetically modified so that it produces an antibody that partially neutralizes the deadly neurotoxin tetrodotoxin. The antivenom is released by the worm in the host’s intestine and enters the bloodstream. Initial tests on hamsters showed that a targeted infection with the genetically modified parasites can partially neutralize tetrodotoxin in the blood.
In the future, the new treatment could be used, for example, in remote areas without medical care. The researchers also see great potential in the treatment of chronic intestinal diseases. Since a large part of the worm’s excretions remains in the intestine without entering the bloodstream, targeted application could be particularly effective here. The concept is now being further developed and can potentially be used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, food allergies and chronic diseases that require constant administration of active ingredients.
However, the scientists emphasize that strictly controlled conditions are necessary for use on humans in order to avoid the spread of the parasite. People can be specifically infected with the worms through tablets or a skin lotion. However, these cannot multiply in the host and taking an antiparasitic medication can easily eliminate the infestation. The researchers are working on genetically modifying the hookworms so that they no longer produce eggs in order to completely rule out uncontrolled spread.