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Top 7 worm papers

In light of this month's feature on parasitic worms used to treat disease, we present a snapshot of the most highly ranked articles in related fields from Faculty of 1000

Written byBob Grant
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linkurl:1. Fighters in fat;http://f1000.com/1438956?key=sks77bpwcj55pkx
Larval root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita
Image: Courtesy of the Agricultural Research Service
A new type of immune cell dubbed the "natural helper cell," found around the fat stores of the gut, activates B-cells and produces more Th2-type cytokines than other cells, possibly contributing to allergic immunity, clearance of parasitic worms and wound healing.K. Moro et al., "Innate production of T(H)2 cytokines by adipose tissue-associated c-Kit(+)Sca-1(+) lymphoid cells," linkurl:Nature,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20023630?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 463:540-44, 2010. Evaluated by Avinash Bhandoola, Univ Penn; John Gordon Foster and Steve Ward, Univ Bath, UK; Troy Randall, Univ Rochester; Dale Umetsu, Children's Hosp Boston, Harvard Med Sch; Dhaya Seshasayee and Flavius Martin, Genentech; James Di Santo, Inst Pasteur, France; Richard Locksley, UCSF. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/1438956?key=sks77bpwcj55pkx linkurl:2. Worm-bacteria tag team in mice;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/rxym797y26xbn99/id/3941956 Trichuris muris, a common nematode parasite of mice, depends on the host's gut bacteria to help its eggs hatch. Furthermore, T. muris-infected mice may be better protected against pathogens, as the damage the worms inflict on the intestinal epithelium can provide the adaptive immune system more direct access to harmful pathogens in the gut.K.S. Hayes et al., "Exploitation of the intestinal microflora by the parasitic nematode Trichuris muris," linkurl:Science,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/20538949?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 328:1391-94, 2010. Evaluated by Thomas Nutman, NIH; Richard Locksley, UCSF; Paul Brindley, George Washington Univ. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/rxym797y26xbn99/id/3941956 linkurl:3. Pig worms treat Crohn's;http://f1000.com/1022903?key=sf53fwcgzpxdk6b For 24 weeks, eggs from the pig whipworm were administered to 29 patients with Crohn's ? an inflammatory bowel disease -- and 21 of them experienced a remission in symptoms.R.W. Summers et al., "Trichuris suis therapy in Crohn's disease," linkurl:Gut,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/15591509?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 54:87-90. Evaluated by Etienne Joly, CNRS, France; Steve Ward, Univ Bath, UK; Thomas Nutman, NIH; Paul Brindley, George Washington Univ. linkurl: Free F1000 Evaluation;http://f1000.com/1022903?key=sf53fwcgzpxdk6b linkurl:4. Anti-inflammatory worm eggs;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/5c60g45jzwbw36h/id/1029253 Eggs from Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic trematode that causes a debilitating intestinal disease in humans, secrete a chemokine binding protein that reduces inflammation in several animal models, suggesting that a purified form of the molecule could be used as an anti-inflammatory agent in human disease.P. Smith et al., "Schistosoma mansoni secretes a chemokine binding protein with antiinflammatory activity," linkurl:J Exp Med,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/16301741?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 202:1319-25, 2005. Evaluated by Richard Grencis, Univ Manchester; Thomas Wynn, NIH; Thomas Nutman, NIH. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/5c60g45jzwbw36h/id/1029253 linkurl:5. Achilles heel of immune response?;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/xrmb9ph9bqg5tlh/id/1019072 Calcium channels called dihydropyridine receptors found on the surface of certain immune cells may hold the key to dampening over active Th2 immune responses, which play a role in some allergies and the eradication of parasitic worms.M. Savignac et al., "Dihydropyridine receptors are selective markers of Th2 cells and can be targeted to prevent Th2-dependent immunopathological disorders," linkurl:J Immunol,; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/15100258?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 172:5206-12, 2004. Evaluated by Dan Conrad, VA Commonwealth Univ. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/xrmb9ph9bqg5tlh/id/1019072 linkurl:6. Worms prevent diabetes in mice;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/jg9mkc998whc7m4/id/1014053 Schistoma mansoni, a parasitic worm that infects humans, can prevent the development of Type 1 diabetes in mouse models of the disease, by encouraging the production of interleukin-10, an anti-inflammatory cytokine, and by increasing numbers of natural killer T cells.P. Zaccone et al., "Schistosoma mansoni antigens modulate the activity of the innate immune response and prevent onset of type 1 diabetes," linkurl:Eur J Immunol,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/12731071?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 33:1439-49, 2003. Evaluated by Matthias von Herrath; La Jolla Instit for Allergy and Immunology. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/jg9mkc998whc7m4/id/1014053 linkurl:7. A macrophage trigger on Th1 cells?;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/8npzg5nm3d8mdqh/id/1005377 Inactivating a transmembrane protein called Tim-3 in Th1 immune cells increases the severity of an experimental Th1-dependent autoimmune disease of the central nervous system by increasing the number and activation level of macrophages in mice. Targeting this protein could potentially shift immune responses to the Th2 end of the spectrum to regulate disorders such as asthma.L, Monney et al., "Th1-specific cell surface protein Tim-3 regulates macrophage activation and severity of an autoimmune disease," linkurl:Nature,;http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez/11823861?dopt=Abstract&holding=f1000%2Cf1000m 415:536-41, 2002. Evaluated by Betty Tsao, UCLA. linkurl:Free F1000 Evaluation;http://www.f1000biology.com/article/8npzg5nm3d8mdqh/id/1005377 The F1000 Top 7 is a snapshot of the highest ranked articles based on a custom search (using the terms "helminth and autoimmune") on Faculty of 1000, as calculated on February 4, 2011. Faculty Members evaluate and rate the most important papers in their field. To see the latest rankings, search the database, and read daily evaluations, visit linkurl:http://f1000.com.;http://f1000.com
**__Related stories:__***linkurl:Opening a can of worms;http://www.the-scientist.com/2011/2/1/42/1/
[February 2011]*linkurl:New gut ecosystem model?;http://www.the-scientist.com/blog/display/57492/
[10th June 2010]
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Meet the Author

  • Bob Grant

    From 2017 to 2022, Bob Grant was Editor in Chief of The Scientist, where he started in 2007 as a Staff Writer. Before joining the team, he worked as a reporter at Audubon and earned a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. In his previous life, he pursued a career in science, getting a bachelor’s degree in wildlife biology from Montana State University and a master’s degree in marine biology from the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Bob edited Reading Frames and other sections of the magazine.

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