New technologies to study helminth development and host-parasite interactions

• Published in: International journal for parasitology Vol. 53; no. 8; pp. 393 - 403
• Main Authors: Britton, Collette, Laing, Roz, McNeilly, Tom N., Perez, Matias G., Otto, Thomas D., Hildersley, Katie A., Maizels, Rick M., Devaney, Eileen, Gillan, Victoria
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Animals; Base Sequence; Cell atlas; Development; Gene expression; Helminth; Helminths - physiology; Host response; Host-Parasite Interactions - genetics; Life Cycle Stages; Nematode; Organoids; Single-cell RNA-seq; Host response; Helminth; Organoids; Single-cell RNA-seq; Development; Nematode; Gene expression; Cell atlas
• ISSN: 0020-7519; 1879-0135
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2022.11.012

[Display omitted] •Fine detail of gene expression in each cell is achievable by single-cell (sc)RNA-seq.•scRNA-seq has generated gene expression cell atlases for helminth species.•Host cell responses to infection can be profiled at the single-cell level.•Organoids provide an in vitro system for helminth research. How parasites develop and survive, and how they stimulate or modulate host immune responses are important in understanding disease pathology and for the design of new control strategies. Microarray analysis and bulk RNA sequencing have provided a wealth of data on gene expression as parasites develop through different life-cycle stages and on host cell responses to infection. These techniques have enabled gene expression in the whole organism or host tissue to be detailed, but do not take account of the heterogeneity between cells of different types or developmental stages, nor the spatial organisation of these cells. Single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) adds a new dimension to studying parasite biology and host immunity by enabling gene profiling at the individual cell level. Here we review the application of scRNA-seq to establish gene expression cell atlases for multicellular helminths and to explore the expansion and molecular profile of individual host cell types involved in parasite immunity and tissue repair. Studying host-parasite interactions in vivo is challenging and we conclude this review by briefly discussing the applications of organoids (stem-cell derived mini-tissues) to examine host-parasite interactions at the local level, and as a potential system to study parasite development in vitro. Organoid technology and its applications have developed rapidly, and the elegant studies performed to date support the use of organoids as an alternative in vitro system for research on helminth parasites.