The relevance of studying insect–nematode interactions for human disease

ABSTRACT

Vertebrate-parasitic nematodes cause debilitating, chronic infections in millions of people worldwide. The burden of these so-called ‘neglected tropical diseases’ is often carried by poorer socioeconomic communities in part because research on parasitic nematodes and their vertebrate hosts is challenging and costly. However, complex biological and pathological processes can be modeled in simpler organisms. Here, we consider how insight into the interactions between entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), their insect hosts and bacterial symbionts may reveal novel treatment targets for parasitic nematode infections. We argue that a combination of approaches that target nematodes, as well as the interaction of pathogens with insect vectors and bacterial symbionts, offer potentially effective, but underexplored opportunities.

KEYWORDS:

• Vertebrate-parasitic nematodes
• entomopathogenic nematodes
• inter-species interactions
• alternative treatment options
• vector control
• model organisms

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology [N/A].