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ITHS › ITHS Impact › Translational Science Benefits Model Profiles › The Helminth-Altered Gut Microbiome Project

The Helminth-Altered Gut Microbiome Project

TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE BENEFITS MODEL PROFILE

Benefits

Download the 1-page project profile

Summary

The rise in asthma and autoimmune diseases in Western countries is a complex problem, affected by changes in the environment, lifestyle, and healthcare practices. These diseases are mainly found in Western countries that have adopted modern medical treatments. People who move from countries with similar healthcare systems tend to develop these conditions at rates similar to their new home country within one generation. The Hygiene Hypothesis suggests that the increase in immune system problems is linked to the loss of “old friend” infections, like parasitic worms, that have evolved with humans for thousands of years. It’s thought that these infections, especially when caught in childhood, help train the immune system to avoid attacking itself. Research shows a connection between lower rates of parasitic worm infections and higher rates of inflammatory diseases, like asthma. Studies in mice also support the idea that parasitic worm infections can help protect against asthma and other similar conditions.

Significance

Although there is evidence that parasitic worm infections are linked to reduced immune system problems, large clinical trials have shown no clear benefit for patients who are treated with parasitic worms. We think that the impact of these infections on the immune system happens through changes in the gut microbiome, which is a factor that remains controlled in animal studies but varies greatly in humans. One exciting study showed that transferring the parasite-altered gut microbiome improved asthma symptoms in mice. Other research has also shown that this altered microbiome can help with conditions like colitis and obesity caused by a high-fat diet. Because of this, we believe that the future of the Hygiene Hypothesis depends on understanding the specific factors in the parasite-altered gut microbiome that are responsible for these effects.

Translational Science Solution

Identifying a method to study asthma therapeutics prioritizes unmet needs in population health.  Additionally, this method allows for investigation into other autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, making this method generalizable, and this new protocol could enhance the scientific efficiencies in studying autoimmune disorders.

Benefits

  • Demonstrated benefits are those that have been observed and are verifiable.
  • Potential benefits are those logically expected with moderate to high confidence.

The development of a simplified protocol would allow for a more detailed study of how a parasite affects the gut microbiome and its role in allergic diseases.
Potential.

Clinical Benefits:
Investigative Procedures

There is potential for a wide range of asthma patients to be recommended a treatment based on the gut microbiome.
Potential.

Clinical Benefits:
Therapeutic Procedures

There is growing interest in exploring helminths and the gut microbiome for bioactive products, with great potential for discovering new treatments.
Potential.

Clinical Benefits:
Biological Factors & Products

There is potential to discover therapies that could be used to treat asthma in human patients.
Potential.

Clinical Benefits:
Drugs

This model developed a protocol that doesn’t require specialized equipment to produce germ-free larvae for studying the helminth-altered gut microbiome.
Demonstrated.

Clinical Benefits:
Equipment & Supplies

Developing a tracing assay to track larval growth throughout development, allowing for comparison with conventional larval growth as a way to measure infectivity.
Demonstrated.

Clinical Benefits:
Software Technologies

Potential development of an asthma therapeutic will improve lives of patients and their families.
Potential.

Community Benefits:
Health Care Accessibility

The potential development of an asthma therapy could simplify the steps that healthcare providers take when treating asthma cases.
Potential.

Community Benefits:
Health Care Delivery

The potential development of an asthma therapy could improve the quality of asthma care and ensure consistent treatment across different communities.
Potential.

Community Benefits:
Health Care Quality

Development of an asthma therapeutic will decrease the number and severity of asthma attacks experienced by patients, improving quality of life.
Potential.

Community Benefits:
Life Expectancy & Quality of Life

Development of an asthma therapeutic will be novel in origin and require patents.
Potential.

Economic Benefits:
Patents

The development of an asthma therapy could reduce the need for frequent treatments, leading to better asthma control at a lower cost.
Potential.

Economic Benefits:
Cost Effectiveness

The development of an asthma therapy could eventually lead to overall cost savings by reducing the need for current treatments, such as inhalers.
Potential.

Economic Benefits:
Cost Savings

Having an asthma therapeutic that treats the cause of asthma rather than the symptoms will reduce the cost of healthcare visits, and the cost of producing current treatments.
Potential.

Economic Benefits:
Societal & Financial Cost of Illness

Development of an asthma therapeutic will lead to the publication of scientific papers and could lead to future epidemiology reports.
Potential.

Policy Benefits:
Scientific Research Reports

This research has clinical, community, economic, and policy implications. The framework for these implications was derived from the Translational Science Benefits Model created by the Institute of Clinical & Translational Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis.

Funding

Funding provided by the Institute of Translational Health Sciences under grant TL1 TR002317.

References

  1. Blackwell, K. H. et al. A simplified protocol for deriving sterile, infectious murine Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri larvae. STAR Protocols 5, 103144 (2024). https://doi.org:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103144
  2. Zaiss, M. M. et al. The intestinal microbiota contributes to the ability of helminths to modulate allergic inflammation. Immunity 43, 998-1010 (2015).
  3. Su, C. W. et al. Helminth-Induced and Th2-Dependent Alterations of the Gut Microbiota Attenuate Obesity Caused by High-Fat Diet. Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology 10, 763-778 (2020). https://doi.org:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcmgh.2020.06.010
  4. Su, C. et al. Helminth-induced alterations of the gut microbiota exacerbate bacterial colitis. Mucosal Immunol 11, 144-157 (2018). https://doi.org:10.1038/mi.2017.20
  5. Rapin, A. et al. Infection with a small intestinal helminth, Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri, consistently alters microbial communities throughout the murine small and large intestine. International Journal for Parasitology 50, 35-46 (2020). https://doi.org:10.1016/j.ijpara.2019.09.005
  6. Walk, S. T., Blum, A. M., Ewing, S. A.-S., Weinstock, J. V. & Young, V. B. Alteration of the murine gut microbiota during infection with the parasitic helminth Heligmosomoides polygyrus. Inflammatory bowel diseases 16, 1841-1849 (2010).

Research Team

Karlin Blackwell, PhD Candidate, Senior Investigator
Montana State University

Seth Walk, PhD; Douglas Kominsky, PhD; Heather Grifka-Walk, PhD
Montana State University

Learn More About the Project

  • Poster Presentation:
    Blackwell, K. H. et al. A simplified protocol for deriving sterile, infectious murine Heligmosomoides polygyrus bakeri larvae. STAR Protocols 5, 103144 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xpro.2024.103144