Helminth reshapes host gut microbiota and immunoregulation by deploying an antimicrobial program of innate immunity.

ABSTRACT: Helminths can manipulate their host's gut microbiota, with the expansion of the lactobacilli population being a common feature. This process profoundly influences host immunoregulation, yet the underlying mechanisms remain almost unknown. Using a tissue-dwelling helminth model (larval Echinococcus multilocularis) while validating key findings from other helminth infections, we show that helminths harness the antibacterial program of host innate immunity to transform the host gut microbiome and control gut microbiota-mediated immunity. Using multifaceted techniques, we elucidate that cathelicidin-related antimicrobial peptide (CRAMP), derived from the expanded CD11b⁺CD206⁺ macrophages rather than the intestinal epithelial cells, is the key component that enters

SUBMITTER: Zou Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12026035 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature