African sleeping sickness: Study suggests new way to help the immune system fight off parasite
Tuesday, December 8, 2015 - 21:11
in Biology & Nature
African sleeping sickness, caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, is transmitted by the tsetse fly and is fatal if left untreated. New research reveals a method to manipulate trypanosomes in the mammalian bloodstream to acquire fly stage characteristics. The findings suggest that inhibiting specific proteins can 'trick' the parasite into differentiating to a different stage of its lifecycle.