No Fluke

In East Asia, infection with the parasitic worm, or fluke, Opisthorchis viverrini (pictured) is a significant health problem, affecting around 10 million people in Thailand and Laos. Colonising the liver, this parasite is especially hazardous as it strongly raises the risk of developing cholangiocarcinoma, cancer of the bile ducts. Infection is likely to stimulate tumour development in several ways, including through proteins secreted by the parasites, such as granulin. To investigate its role, researchers used a gene editing technique, known as CRISPR-Cas9, to mutate the granulin gene in young parasitic worms. When hamsters were infected with these modified worms, the parasites reproduced successfully, but the hosts’ livers displayed reduced symptoms associated with bile duct cancer. Besides confirming the importance of parasitic granulin, this study also demonstrates the effectiveness of gene editing techniques in this type of parasitic worm, opening the door for future research on other relevant genes.

Written by Emmanuelle Briolat

Emmanuelle Briolat

Writer

A researcher specialising in visual signals in Lepidoptera, camouflage and the effects of light pollution, Emmanuelle’s writing covers a range of topics, from biomedical research to children’s books about moth defences.

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• Image from work by B. Sripa and colleagues, published in PLOS Medicine 2007
• 2019 research from Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand; George Washington University, Washington DC, USA and the Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia
• Image originally published under a Creative Commons Licence (BY 2.5)
• Research published in eLife, January 2019