JOURNAL ARTICLE

How Whipworms Tunnel Through the Gut: With complicated lifecycles and genetics, parasitic worms can be hard to study, but organoids unveil new insight into their biology and a path to better drugs.

  • Published In: Scientist, 2025, v. 39, n. 4. P. 44 1 of 3

  • Database: Agriculture Plus 2 of 3

  • Authored By: DEMARCO, STEPHANIE 3 of 3

Abstract

The article focuses on the research conducted to understand how whipworms, specifically Trichuris trichiura, infect the gut and to develop better treatments for whipworm infections. Whipworms have a complex lifecycle and can cause disease in approximately 500 million people worldwide. Researchers, led by an immunologist at the University of Cambridge, utilized gut organoids to observe the real-time invasion of whipworms into gut epithelial cells, revealing insights into the worms' interactions with host cells and their immune responses. The study aims to enhance the understanding of whipworm biology and improve drug efficacy against these parasites, as current treatments have low cure rates. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Scientist. 2025/12, Vol. 39, Issue 4, p44
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Health and Medicine
  • Publication Date:2025
  • ISSN:0890-3670
  • Accession Number:189446897
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