Does the time at which the organism is infected by a parasite matter? Yes, according to the results of a study published in the medical journal Scientific Reports. Biological clocks would have effects on parasitic infections. Thus, the severity of the infection is different depending on whether it is transmitted during the day or at night. These conclusions were obtained on mice.
Researchers at McGill University in Canada have discovered by studying Leishmania, the parasite that causes leishmaniasis, an infection transmitted at night by a female sand fly (commonly called “sand fly”) in mice, a marked difference in the immune response against the parasite, depending on the time the virus was injected. Indeed, Leishmania was more virulent at the beginning of the night, a period corresponding to the strongest immune response against the parasite.
“Our previous work revealed that the immune system has its own biological clocks. The body’s defense mechanisms are more or less active at different times of the day,” says Nicolas Cermakian, lead author of the new study.
“We already knew that the circadian rhythms of the immune system could control viral and bacterial infections, but this is the very first time that this has been demonstrated for a parasitic infection, and for a vector-borne infection”, adds Professor Cermakian .
Fight against infectious diseases transmitted by insects
The researchers will set up new studies to identify the mechanisms at the molecular and cellular level. “A better understanding of the circadian regulatory process of leishmaniasis could contribute to the development of new treatments and better preventive measures,” says Professor Cermakian. “If we could find out how host-parasite interactions are regulated according to the time of day, we could be better equipped to fight against other diseases transmitted by insects”.
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