Scientists shed light on fighting toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasma gondii commonly infects cats and lives in one third of humans in the UK.
New research has uncovered a potential new way to combat toxoplasmosis, as scientists reveal the parasite uses a key protein to create a communication network.
Toxoplasma gondii commonly infects cats and lives in one third of humans in the UK. While most people suffer few harmful effects, women infected during pregnancy can pass the parasite to their unborn child, resulting in serious health problems such as blindness and brain damage. People with compromised immunity are also at risk of serious complications.
However, until now scientists knew very little about how the parasite communicates with its host.
Research by the University of Glasgow and the University of Vermont has shown it uses the protein actin to form an extensive network connecting individual parasites.
During infection, parasites replicate in synchronisation, meaning all parasites in the host cell replicate at the same time. It was not previously understood how they co-ordinated themselves.
The research team found that if the protein is depleted, not only does the communication network collapse, but the parasites begin to replicate out of synch and are trapped in the host cell, which ultimately halts infection.
One of the lead authors Professor Markus Meissner, from the University of Glasgow, added: “This work greatly increases our understanding of the Toxoplasma parasite, and provides an insight into how this potentially dangerous parasitic infection can be disrupted.
“When we first saw the formation of such an extensive network, we didn’t believe our eyes and the first thing we discussed was if this is just an artefact. However, at the end all our control experiments demonstrated that it is very real. The major challenge was to convince some of our colleagues who were also looking into the role of actin in these parasites.”
The findings could also offer clues for the treatment of other parasite diseases such as malaria.
The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is inviting applications from veterinary students to attend a one-week extramural studies (EMS) placement in July 2026.
