AUTHOR=Zhong Haoran , Guan Guiquan , Jin Yamei TITLE=Roles of helminth extracellular vesicle-derived let-7 in host–parasite crosstalk JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology VOLUME=15 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2024.1449495 DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2024.1449495 ISSN=1664-3224 ABSTRACT=

Helminth infections are a major public health problem as they can cause long-term chronic infections in their hosts for which there is no effective vaccine. During the long-term interaction between helminths and their hosts, helminth-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) can participate in host immunomodulatory processes by secreting bioactive molecules (BMAs). Growing data suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs) in helminth EVs have a significant impact on the host’s immune system. The let-7 family is highly conserved among helminth EVs and highly homologous in the host, and its function in host–parasite crosstalk may reflect active selection for compatibility with the host miRNA machinery. In-depth studies targeting this aspect may better elucidate the mechanism of parasite-host interactions. Hence, this review summarizes the current studies on the cross-species involvement of helminth EV-derived let-7 in host immune regulation and discusses the barriers to related research and potential applications of helminth EVs.