Parasite-derived extracellular RNAs as novel biomarkers for Strongyloides diagnosis

Diagnosis of Strongyloidiasis and soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) is predominantly restricted to stool-based microscopy approaches. Sensitivity and specificity of these methods are typically poor. New diagnostic methods are essential to monitor the success of ongoing disease elimination efforts. Extracellular RNAs (exRNAs) have been proposed as effective biomarkers for a range of conditions in human medicine, including cancer, metabolic diseases and infections. exRNA research, in the context of parasite diagnostics is in its infancy yet has shown great potential in detecting parasite infection but has not been tested in delineating the intensity and stage of disease. Many studies have shown that microRNAs in particular are released into host tissue and circulation, potentially to facilitate host immune modulation and parasite virulence. Characterising this mode of host-parasite communication could yield a multitude of effective disease-linked biomarkers. We have exploited Strongyloides ratti as a model for the identification of parasite-derived miRNAs in and the dysregulation of host miRNAs in host plasma and immune tissues during infection. Ongoing experiments aim to characterise the plasma miRNome across various stages of infection and characterise the impact of parasite-derived miRNAs on host gene expression.