Helminth-Mediated Modulation of Metabolic Health
Summary
Helminth-mediated modulation of metabolic health encompasses the complex interplay between parasitic worm infections and host metabolic pathways, revealing protective effects against obesity, insulin resistance and cardiometabolic disease. Epidemiological data indicate lower prevalence of type 2 diabetes and dyslipidaemia in regions endemic for soil-transmitted and schistosome infections, while experimental models have begun to unravel underlying mechanisms. Helminths induce a type 2 immune response that favours alternatively activated (M2) macrophages, enhances adipose tissue browning and boosts production of anti-inflammatory adipokines such as adiponectin. Concurrently, helminth-derived molecules can strengthen intestinal barrier integrity and modulate host metabolite profiles, shifting lipid and amino acid pathways towards a more favourable metabolic state. This immunometabolic axis holds promise for novel therapeutic strategies targeting global burdens of obesity and diabetes.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent clinical and preclinical investigations have provided convergent evidence for helminth-driven metabolic benefits. In a two-year randomised trial, experimental hookworm (Necator americanus) infection in adults at risk of type 2 diabetes proved safe and induced sustained reductions in fasting glucose, insulin resistance and modest body-mass decline. In murine models of obesity, Heligmosomoides polygyrus infection attenuated high-fat diet-induced weight gain by promoting M2 macrophage polarisation and enhancing adipose browning through upregulation of uncoupling protein 1, thereby improving lipid and glucose homeostasis. Complementing these findings, intestinal infection with Trichinella spiralis was shown to drive local induction of adiponectin via interleukin-25, which in turn fortified epithelial barrier function, increased worm expulsion and may contribute to systemic metabolic regulation.
Helminth-Mediated Modulation of Metabolic Health publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in helminth-mediated modulation of metabolic health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Insulin resistance: Diminished cellular response to insulin signalling, leading to impaired glucose uptake and elevated blood glucose levels.
M2 macrophages: Alternatively activated macrophages that promote anti-inflammatory responses and tissue remodelling.
Adipokine: Bioactive protein secreted by adipose tissue, such as adiponectin, that regulates metabolic and immune processes.
Type 2 immune response: Immune pathway characterised by interleukin-4, interleukin-13 and eosinophil activation, often elicited by helminth infection.
Adipose browning: Process by which white adipose tissue acquires characteristics of thermogenically active brown adipose tissue, increasing energy expenditure.
References
- Effect of experimental hookworm infection on insulin resistance in people at risk of type 2 diabetes. Nature Communications (2023).
- Helminth infection protects against high fat diet-induced obesity via induction of alternatively activated macrophages. Scientific Reports (2018).
- Regulation and function of adiponectin in the intestinal epithelial cells in response to Trichinella spiralis infection. Scientific Reports (2023).
- Metabolomics (Non-Targeted) of Induced Type 2 Diabetic Sprague Dawley Rats Comorbid with a Tissue-Dwelling Nematode Parasite. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2023).
- Anti-obesity effects by parasitic nematode (Trichinella spiralis) total lysates. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology (2024).
- Effects of helminths and anthelmintic treatment on cardiometabolic diseases and risk factors: A systematic review. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (2023).
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