Pigs may offer insight into toxoplasma infection
Researchers tested the human and pig version of genes that control immunity.
Researchers from the Roslin Institute believe that pig studies could improve understanding of a common parasite, which causes serious illness in vulnerable people.
Their findings revealed that pigs and humans display a similar immune response to Toxoplasma, a parasite which is carried by both humans and animals.
While toxoplasma infection is usually mild, it can have life-threatening complications for people who have weakened immune systems or are pregnant. It can also affect livestock, including pigs, impacting both animal health and productivity.
Since pigs develop diseases similarly to humans, scientists consider them a more reliable model than mice for studying toxoplasmosis.
Researchers tested the human and pig versions of two genes that control immunity, IRF1 and IDO1, in lab-grown cells. For both species, cells exposed to the parasite displayed limited growth.
The IDO1 gene was found to be starving the parasite of nutrients it needs to survive. Meanwhile IRF1 switched on additional genes which were needed for fighting infection.
Researchers also discovered that, if pig cells lack the immune-signalling genes, human versions of the gene proved able to restore immune mechanisms.
Meanwhile, blocking either pig or human genes in pig cells restored the parasite’s ability to grow. This suggests that both genes are involved with controlling infection.
The finding are expected to support a One Health approach to tacking Toxoplasma, leading to strategies for both human and animal health. This could contribute to new ways for reducing infection in livestock and improving resistance for vulnerable people.
Marzuq Ungogo, postdoctoral research fellow at the Roslin Institute, said: “The findings reveal that pigs and humans use similar biological strategies to fight toxoplasma.
“By showing that the same genes can function across both species in controlling infection, this strengthens the case for pigs as a model for studying human toxoplasmosis and helps explain why the disease can behave in comparable ways in both species.”
The full study can be found in the journal Frontiers in Immunology.
Image © Jarun Ontakrai/Shutterstock
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