In a new study, a global team of researchers hijacked the system Toxoplasma uses to secrete proteins into their host cell. The team genetically engineered Toxoplasma to make a hybrid protein, fusing one of their secreted proteins to a protein called MECP2that regulates genetic activity in the brain, effectively allowing the MECP2 protein to be incorporated into neurons. The researchers found that the parasites secreted the hybrid protein MECP2 into neurons grown in a petri dish, as well as into the brains of infected mice.
A genetic deficiency in MECP2 causes a rare brain development disorder called Rett SyndromeGene therapy trials Using viruses to transport the MECP2 protein Studies are being conducted to treat Rett syndrome. If Toxoplasma If a form of the MECP2 protein can be introduced into brain cells, it could offer another option for treating this currently incurable disease. It could also offer another treatment option for other neurological problems that arise from errant proteins. like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.
The long road ahead
He Path from the lab bench to the patient’s bed It’s long and full of obstacles, so don’t expect to see any engineering. Toxoplasma at the clinic at any time.
The obvious complication in use Toxoplasma for medical purposes is that it can cause a serious, lifelong infection that is currently incurable. Infecting someone with Toxoplasma can damage critical organ systemsincluding the brain, eyes, and heart.
However, until One third of the world’s population I am currently carrying Toxoplasma in their brain, apparently without incident. Recent studies have correlated the infection with an increased risk of schizophrenia, anger disorder and recklessness, suggesting that this silent infection may be predisposing some people to serious neurological problems.
The widespread prevalence of Toxoplasma Infections can also be another complication, as it disqualifies many people from using it as a treatment. Since the billions of people who already carry the parasite have developed immunity against future infections, therapeutic forms of Toxoplasma They would be quickly destroyed by their immune systems once injected.
In some cases, the benefits of using Toxoplasma Using a drug delivery system may outweigh the risks. Engineering benign forms of this parasite could produce the proteins patients need without harming the organ (the brain) that defines who we are.