About this Research Topic
Parasitic diseases such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis, amoebiasis, schistosomiasis, echinococcosis, etc. continue to pose an enormous health burden and harbour higher morbidity and mortality worldwide. The goal of controlling and eliminating parasitic diseases relies on the comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms of biological development, reproduction and parasite-host interaction during the infection and adaptation. This requires more technological advances in identification of novel target molecules and development of intervention tools through extensive basic and translational research in the field.
In this Research Topic, we aim to publish Original Research articles and Reviews that represent the current advances of basic researches on cellular and molecular aspects of “classical” and newly-emerging infections via utilizing advanced techniques, which will contribute to better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of parasite biology and parasite-host interaction, and also facilitate the development of tools for control and elimination of human parasitic diseases and zoonosis as well.
This Research Topic includes:
• Host-Parasite interactions
Studies to illustrate the molecular mechanism of Host-Parasite Interactions during the infection and adaptation of parasites in vertebrates or vectors via utilizing human, animal, or in vitro research models. These studies will contribute to better understanding the key determinants for parasite invasion, immune evasion, and pathogenesis during the acute or chronic infection in hosts, and provides novel molecular targets for development of tools of diagnosis, drug, vaccine etc. against parasitic diseases.
• Parasites and immunity
Understanding the molecular aspects of host immune responses during a parasite infection is critical for investigation of the disease pathogenesis, developing novel therapies and more efficacious vaccines. Studies from both animal models, human population cohort and controlled human infection models may provide comprehensive insights of the host immune system in response to the invasion of the parasites. In this research topic, we intend to generate a collection of the most recent research advances of the diverse immune mechanisms involved during a parasite infection.
•Drug resistance
Emerging drug resistance hampers the clinical treatment, effective control and elimination of parasitic diseases, e.g. artemisinin resistance of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this topic, we intend to collect the related researches to explore the cellular and molecular basis of drug resistance of parasites. This may be helpful to resolve this challenge through development of next-generation anti-parasite drugs.
•Omics studies
Recent technological advancements, such as single cell analysis, CRISPR gene editing and next generation sequencing etc., which enabled notable advances in the identification of novel molecular targets and related translational research for parasitic protozoan infections.
In this Research Topic, we aim to publish Original Research articles and Reviews that represent the current advances of basic researches on cellular and molecular aspects of “classical” and newly-emerging infections via utilizing advanced techniques, which will contribute to better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of parasite biology and parasite-host interaction, and also facilitate the development of tools for control and elimination of human parasitic diseases and zoonosis as well.
This Research Topic includes:
• Host-Parasite interactions
Studies to illustrate the molecular mechanism of Host-Parasite Interactions during the infection and adaptation of parasites in vertebrates or vectors via utilizing human, animal, or in vitro research models. These studies will contribute to better understanding the key determinants for parasite invasion, immune evasion, and pathogenesis during the acute or chronic infection in hosts, and provides novel molecular targets for development of tools of diagnosis, drug, vaccine etc. against parasitic diseases.
• Parasites and immunity
Understanding the molecular aspects of host immune responses during a parasite infection is critical for investigation of the disease pathogenesis, developing novel therapies and more efficacious vaccines. Studies from both animal models, human population cohort and controlled human infection models may provide comprehensive insights of the host immune system in response to the invasion of the parasites. In this research topic, we intend to generate a collection of the most recent research advances of the diverse immune mechanisms involved during a parasite infection.
•Drug resistance
Emerging drug resistance hampers the clinical treatment, effective control and elimination of parasitic diseases, e.g. artemisinin resistance of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, however, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this topic, we intend to collect the related researches to explore the cellular and molecular basis of drug resistance of parasites. This may be helpful to resolve this challenge through development of next-generation anti-parasite drugs.
•Omics studies
Recent technological advancements, such as single cell analysis, CRISPR gene editing and next generation sequencing etc., which enabled notable advances in the identification of novel molecular targets and related translational research for parasitic protozoan infections.
Keywords: Parasite-Host Interaction, Immune Responses, Parasitic Diseases, Translational Research
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
