The transcriptome of Trichuris suis--first molecular insights into a parasite with curative properties for key immune diseases of humans.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Iatrogenic infection of humans with Trichuris suis (a parasitic nematode of swine) is being evaluated or promoted as a biological, curative treatment of immune diseases, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and ulcerative colitis, in humans. Although it is understood that short-term T. suis infection in people with such diseases usually induces a modified Th2-immune response, nothing is known about the molecules in the parasite that induce this response.

Methodology/principal findings

As a first step toward filling the gaps in our knowledge of the molecular biology of T. suis, we characterised the transcriptome of the adult stage of this nematode employing next-generation sequencing and bioinformatic techniques. A total of ∼65,000,000 reads were generated and

SUBMITTER: Cantacessi C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3160910 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature