How skin-penetrating parasitic worms enter people
Mechanisms of skin penetration in skin-penetrating parasitic nematodes
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · NIH-11224080
This project looks at how threadworms and related parasites find and get through human skin, which could help protect children and others from infection.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11224080 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you or your community live where these parasites are common, researchers will study how tiny infective larvae sense a person and pierce the skin. They will watch larvae on samples of human and animal skin using lab and ex vivo skin-penetration tests and compare the human parasite Strongyloides stercoralis with a related rat parasite. The team will use genetic editing (CRISPR), reversible chemogenetic nerve silencing, and in vivo calcium imaging to see which genes and neurons control the behaviors that lead to skin entry. Learning these steps could guide future ways to prevent or treat these infections.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are people or communities affected by skin-penetrating nematode infections such as Strongyloides, or individuals willing to provide skin samples in regions where these infections occur.
Not a fit: People with no exposure to soil-transmitted parasitic worms or those seeking immediate clinical treatment for an active infection are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new targets for preventing skin entry or developing safer, more effective treatments against skin-penetrating worm infections.
How similar studies have performed: Related genetic and neural approaches have produced useful insights in model nematodes, but applying these methods to the human-parasitic Strongyloides is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES — LOS ANGELES, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: HALLEM, ELISSA ANYON — UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- Study coordinator: HALLEM, ELISSA ANYON
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.