Mechanistic insights into liver-fluke-induced bile-duct cancer

Authors

Michael J. Smout, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia.
Thewarach Laha, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand.
Sujittra Chaiyadet, Tropical Medicine Graduate Program, Academic Affairs, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Paul J. Brindley, Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, and Research Center for Neglected Diseases of Poverty, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Alex Loukas, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia. Electronic address: alex.loukas@jcu.edu.au.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

11-8-2024

Journal

Trends in parasitology

DOI

10.1016/j.pt.2024.10.012

Keywords

cancer; extracellular vesicle; granulin; liver fluke; microbiome; vaccine

Abstract

Liver fluke infection is a major risk for cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). It has been established that the Asian liver flukes, Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini secrete growth factors, digestive enzymes, and extracellular vesicles (EVs) which contribute to abnormal cell development in the bile ducts where the worms reside. These secretions - combined with aberrant inflammation and repeated cycles of chronic wounding at the site of parasite attachment and grazing on the epithelium - promote biliary hyperplasia and fibrosis and ultimately malignant transformation. Application of post-genomic and gene-editing tools to the study of liver fluke immunobiology and pathogenesis has accelerated the discovery of essential virulence factors to which targeted therapies and diagnostics can be directed.

APA Citation

Smout, Michael J.; Laha, Thewarach; Chaiyadet, Sujittra; Brindley, Paul J.; and Loukas, Alex, "Mechanistic insights into liver-fluke-induced bile-duct cancer" (2024). GW Authored Works. Paper 6023.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/6023

Department

Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine