Outputs (142)

Trx4, a novel thioredoxin protein, is important for Toxoplasma gondii fitness (2024)
Journal Article
Zhang, Z., Wang, M., Sun, L., Elsheikha, H. M., Lei, C., Wang, J., …Li, T. (2024). Trx4, a novel thioredoxin protein, is important for Toxoplasma gondii fitness. Parasites and Vectors, 17(1), Article 178. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06259-9

Background To successfully replicate within the host cell, Toxoplasma gondii employs several mechanisms to overcome the host cell defenses and mitigate the harmful effects of the free radicals resulting from its own metabolic processes using effector... Read More about Trx4, a novel thioredoxin protein, is important for Toxoplasma gondii fitness.

Global prevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild birds: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2024)
Journal Article
Chen, C., Qin, S., Yang, X., Li, X., Cai, Y., Lei, C., …Cao, H. (2024). Global prevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild birds: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 226, Article 106187. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106187

A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed to identify the global prevalence and factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild birds. Six bibliographic databases (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, VIP Chinese Journal... Read More about Global prevalence and risk factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild birds: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Expression profiles of host miRNAs and circRNAs and ceRNA network during Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle (2024)
Journal Article
Wang, S., Wang, X., He, J., Zheng, W., Zhu, X., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhou, C. (2024). Expression profiles of host miRNAs and circRNAs and ceRNA network during Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle. Parasitology Research, 123(2), Article 145. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-024-08152-x

Toxoplasma gondii is an opportunistic protozoan parasite that is highly prevalent in the human population and can lead to adverse health consequences in immunocompromised patients and pregnant women. Noncoding RNAs, such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and cir... Read More about Expression profiles of host miRNAs and circRNAs and ceRNA network during Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle.

An in silico and in vitro assessment of the neurotoxicity of mefloquine (2024)
Journal Article
El Sharazly, B. M., Ahmed, A., Elsheikha, H. M., & Carter, W. G. (2024). An in silico and in vitro assessment of the neurotoxicity of mefloquine. Biomedicines, 12(3), Article 505. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines12030505

Mefloquine (MQ) is a quinoline-based anti-malarial drug used for chemoprophylaxis or as treatment in combination with artesunate. Although MQ has clear anti-Plasmodium properties, it can induce neurotoxicity and undesired neuropsychiatric side effect... Read More about An in silico and in vitro assessment of the neurotoxicity of mefloquine.

The transcription factor AP2XI-2 is a key negative regulator of Toxoplasma gondii merogony (2024)
Journal Article
Wang, J., Li, T., Zhang, N., Wang, M., Sun, L., Zhang, Z., …Zhu, X. (2024). The transcription factor AP2XI-2 is a key negative regulator of Toxoplasma gondii merogony. Nature Communications, 15(1), Article 793. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-44967-z

Sexual development in Toxoplasma gondii is a multistep process that culminates in the production of oocysts, constituting approximately 50% of human infections. However, the molecular mechanisms governing sexual commitment in this parasite remain poo... Read More about The transcription factor AP2XI-2 is a key negative regulator of Toxoplasma gondii merogony.

Global prevalence of Plasmodium infection in wild birds: A systematic review and meta-analysis (2024)
Journal Article
Yan, W. L., Sun, H. T., Zhao, Y. C., Hou, X. W., Zhang, M., Zhao, Q., …Ni, H. B. (2024). Global prevalence of Plasmodium infection in wild birds: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Research in Veterinary Science, 168, Article 105136. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2024.105136

Avian malaria is a vector-borne parasitic disease caused by Plasmodium infection transmitted to birds by mosquitoes. The aim of this systematic review was to analyze the global prevalence of malaria and risk factors associated with infection in wild... Read More about Global prevalence of Plasmodium infection in wild birds: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The Toxoplasma protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit (TgPP6C) is essential for cell cycle progression and virulence (2023)
Journal Article
Liang, Q. L., Nie, L. B., Elsheikha, H. M., Li, T. T., Sun, L. X., Zhang, Z. W., …Wang, J. L. (2023). The Toxoplasma protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit (TgPP6C) is essential for cell cycle progression and virulence. PLoS Pathogens, 19(12), Article e1011831. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1011831

Protein phosphatases are post-translational regulators of Toxoplasma gondii proliferation, tachyzoite-bradyzoite differentiation and pathogenesis. Here, we identify the putative protein phosphatase 6 (TgPP6) subunits of T. gondii and elucidate their... Read More about The Toxoplasma protein phosphatase 6 catalytic subunit (TgPP6C) is essential for cell cycle progression and virulence.

The splicing factor SR2 is an important virulence factor of Toxoplasma gondii (2023)
Journal Article
Wu, X., Nanzheng, X., Elsheikha, H. M., Li, T., Kou, Y., & Zhu, X. (2023). The splicing factor SR2 is an important virulence factor of Toxoplasma gondii. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14, Article 1302512. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1302512

Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are key factors with important roles in constitutive and alternative splicing (AS) of pre-mRNAs. However, the role of SR splicing factors in the pathogenicity of T. gondii remains largely unexplored. Here, we invest... Read More about The splicing factor SR2 is an important virulence factor of Toxoplasma gondii.

A newly characterized dense granule protein (GRA76) is important for the growth and virulence of Toxoplasma gondii (2023)
Journal Article
Zheng, X., Sun, L., Elsheikha, H. M., Li, T., Gao, J., Wu, X., …Wang, J. (2024). A newly characterized dense granule protein (GRA76) is important for the growth and virulence of Toxoplasma gondii. International Journal for Parasitology, 54(2), 109-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.09.001

Pathogenicity of the zoonotic pathogen Toxoplasma gondii largely depends on the secretion of effector proteins into the extracellular milieu and host cell cytosol, including the dense granule proteins (GRAs). The protein-encoding gene TGME49_299780 w... Read More about A newly characterized dense granule protein (GRA76) is important for the growth and virulence of Toxoplasma gondii.

Global prevalence and factors affecting the level of Cryptosporidium contamination in soil: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression (2023)
Journal Article
Zuo, M., Li, X., Xu, R., Sun, W., Elsheikha, H. M., & Cong, W. (2023). Global prevalence and factors affecting the level of Cryptosporidium contamination in soil: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression. Science of the Total Environment, 891, Article 164286. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164286

Soil contamination with Cryptosporidium is a serious environmental and public health concern. In this systematic review and meta-analysis we estimated the global prevalence of Cryptosporidium contamination in soil and evaluated its association with c... Read More about Global prevalence and factors affecting the level of Cryptosporidium contamination in soil: A systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression.

The antioxidant protein glutaredoxin 1 is essential for oxidative stress response and pathogenicity of Toxoplasma gondii (2023)
Journal Article
Li, T., Zhao, D., Liang, Q., Elsheikha, H. M., Wang, M., Sun, L., …Wang, J. (2023). The antioxidant protein glutaredoxin 1 is essential for oxidative stress response and pathogenicity of Toxoplasma gondii. The FASEB Journal, 37(6), Article e22932. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.202201275r

Glutaredoxins (Grxs) are ubiquitous antioxidant proteins involved in many molecular processes to protect cells against oxidative damage. Here, we study the roles of Grxs in the pathogenicity of Toxoplasma gondii. We show that Grxs are localized in th... Read More about The antioxidant protein glutaredoxin 1 is essential for oxidative stress response and pathogenicity of Toxoplasma gondii.

Unravelling Strain-Specific Modifications of Toxoplasma gondii tRNA and sncRNA Using LC-MS/MS (2023)
Journal Article
Wang, W., Yang, Y., Guo, H., Li, M. H., Chen, X. Q., Wei, X. Y., …Zhang, X. X. (2023). Unravelling Strain-Specific Modifications of Toxoplasma gondii tRNA and sncRNA Using LC-MS/MS. Microbiology Spectrum, 11(3), Article e0356422. https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03564-22

Many RNA modifications have been detected in rRNA, tRNA and small noncoding RNA (sncRNA) as well as in low-abundance RNA species such mRNA. Although RNA modifications play roles in many cellular and biological processes in various domains of life, kn... Read More about Unravelling Strain-Specific Modifications of Toxoplasma gondii tRNA and sncRNA Using LC-MS/MS.

Companion animal parasites: 10 years on (2023)
Journal Article
Wright, I., & Elsheikha, H. (2023). Companion animal parasites: 10 years on. Veterinary Record, 192(7), 297-298. https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.2925

Modulation of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the liver of Beagle dogs by Toxocara canis infection (2023)
Journal Article
Zou, Y., Zheng, W. B., Elsheikha, H. M., He, J. J., Lu, Y. X., Wang, S., …Zhu, X. Q. (2023). Modulation of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the liver of Beagle dogs by Toxocara canis infection. Parasites and Vectors, 16, Article 114. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-023-05738-9

Background Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) play crucial roles in regulating various physiological and pathological processes. However, the role of lncRNAs and mRNAs in mediating the liver response during Toxocara canis infec... Read More about Modulation of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in the liver of Beagle dogs by Toxocara canis infection.

Functional Characterization of 15 Novel Dense Granule Proteins in Toxoplasma gondii Using the CRISPR-Cas9 System (2022)
Journal Article
Zheng, X. N., Wang, J. L., Elsheikha, H. M., Wang, M., Zhang, Z. W., Sun, L. X., …Li, T. T. (2023). Functional Characterization of 15 Novel Dense Granule Proteins in Toxoplasma gondii Using the CRISPR-Cas9 System. Microbiology Spectrum, 11(1), https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.03078-22

The analysis of the subcellular localization and function of dense granule proteins (GRAs) is of central importance for the understanding of host-parasite interaction and pathogenesis of Toxoplasma gondii infection. Here, we identified 15 novel GRAs... Read More about Functional Characterization of 15 Novel Dense Granule Proteins in Toxoplasma gondii Using the CRISPR-Cas9 System.

The protein phosphatase 2A holoenzyme is a key regulator of starch metabolism and bradyzoite differentiation in Toxoplasma gondii (2022)
Journal Article
Wang, J., Li, T., Elsheikha, H. M., Liang, Q., Zhang, Z., Wang, M., …Zhu, X. (2022). The protein phosphatase 2A holoenzyme is a key regulator of starch metabolism and bradyzoite differentiation in Toxoplasma gondii. Nature Communications, 13(1), Article 7560. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35267-5

Phenotypic switching between tachyzoite and bradyzoite is the fundamental mechanism underpinning the pathogenicity and adaptability of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Although accumulation of cytoplasmic starch granules is a hallmark of the... Read More about The protein phosphatase 2A holoenzyme is a key regulator of starch metabolism and bradyzoite differentiation in Toxoplasma gondii.

Effect of deleting four Toxoplasma gondii calcium-binding EGF domain-containing proteins on parasite replication and virulence (2022)
Journal Article
Wang, X., Li, T., Elsheikha, H. M., Zheng, X., Zhao, D., Wang, J., …Zhu, X. (2023). Effect of deleting four Toxoplasma gondii calcium-binding EGF domain-containing proteins on parasite replication and virulence. Parasitology Research, 122, 441-450. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-022-07739-6

Several calcium-binding proteins including calcium-dependent protein kinases play important roles in several facets of the intracellular infection cycle of the apicomplexan protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. However, the role of the calcium-bindin... Read More about Effect of deleting four Toxoplasma gondii calcium-binding EGF domain-containing proteins on parasite replication and virulence.

Camellia sinensis solvent extract, epigallocatechin gallate and caffeine confer trophocidal and cysticidal effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii (2022)
Journal Article
Fakae, L. B., Harun, M. S., Ting, D. S. J., Dua, H. S., Cave, G. W., Zhu, X. Q., …Elsheikha, H. M. (2023). Camellia sinensis solvent extract, epigallocatechin gallate and caffeine confer trophocidal and cysticidal effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii. Acta Tropica, 237, Article 106729. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106729

We examined the anti-acanthamoebic efficacy of green tea Camellia sinensis solvent extract (SE) or its chemical constituents against Acanthamoeba castellanii by using anti-trophozoite, anti-encystation, and anti-excystation assays. C. sinensis SE (62... Read More about Camellia sinensis solvent extract, epigallocatechin gallate and caffeine confer trophocidal and cysticidal effects against Acanthamoeba castellanii.

Microfluidic-Based Formulation of Essential Oils-Loaded Chitosan Coated PLGA Particles Enhances Their Bioavailability and Nematocidal Activity (2022)
Journal Article
Helal, M. A., Abdel-Gawad, A. M., Kandil, O. M., Khalifa, M. M., Morrison, A. A., Bartley, D. J., …Elsheikha, H. M. (2022). Microfluidic-Based Formulation of Essential Oils-Loaded Chitosan Coated PLGA Particles Enhances Their Bioavailability and Nematocidal Activity. Pharmaceutics, 14(10), Article 2030. https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14102030

In this study, poly (lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA) particles were synthesized and coated with chitosan. Three essential oil (EO) components (eugenol, linalool, and geraniol) were entrapped inside these PLGA particles by using the continuous flow-fo... Read More about Microfluidic-Based Formulation of Essential Oils-Loaded Chitosan Coated PLGA Particles Enhances Their Bioavailability and Nematocidal Activity.

Lipidomic changes in the liver of beagle dogs associated with Toxocara canis infection (2022)
Journal Article
Li, H. Y., Zou, Y., Elsheikha, H. M., Xu, Y., Cai, L., Xie, S. C., …Zheng, W. B. (2022). Lipidomic changes in the liver of beagle dogs associated with Toxocara canis infection. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 12, Article 890589. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2022.890589

A global lipidomic analysis using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry was performed on the liver of beagle dogs infected with Toxocara canis to profile hepatic lipid species at 12h post-infection (hpi), 24 hpi, and 36 days post-infection (... Read More about Lipidomic changes in the liver of beagle dogs associated with Toxocara canis infection.

Terrestrial runoff influences the transport and contamination levels of Toxoplasma gondii in marine organisms (2022)
Journal Article
Li, M. Y., Kang, Y. H., Sun, W. C., Hao, Z. P., Elsheikha, H. M., & Cong, W. (2022). Terrestrial runoff influences the transport and contamination levels of Toxoplasma gondii in marine organisms. Science of the Total Environment, 851, Article 158168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158168

There is a growing concern regarding the potential adverse impact of Toxoplasma gondii contamination of the marine environment on marine wildlife and public health. Terrestrial runoff is a significant route for dissemination of T. gondii oocysts from... Read More about Terrestrial runoff influences the transport and contamination levels of Toxoplasma gondii in marine organisms.

Perception of UK companion animal veterinarians on risk assessment based parasite control (2022)
Journal Article
Bagster, A., & Elsheikha, H. (2022). Perception of UK companion animal veterinarians on risk assessment based parasite control. Veterinary parasitology (Amsterdam), 34, Article 100774. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2022.100774

Parasites can pose a risk to companion animals and potentially their owners. Current parasiticide use is possibly impacting the environment, increasing adverse reaction and resistance risk. As such parasiticides should be dispensed by the veterinary... Read More about Perception of UK companion animal veterinarians on risk assessment based parasite control.

RNA sequencing reveals dynamic expression of spleen lncRNAs and mRNAs in Beagle dogs infected by Toxocara canis (2022)
Journal Article
Xu, Y., Zheng, W. B., Li, H. Y., Cai, L., Zou, Y., Xie, S. C., …Elsheikha, H. M. (2022). RNA sequencing reveals dynamic expression of spleen lncRNAs and mRNAs in Beagle dogs infected by Toxocara canis. Parasites and Vectors, 15(1), Article 279. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-022-05380-x

Background: Toxocara canis is a cosmopolitan parasite with a significant adverse impact on the health of humans and animals. The spleen is a major immune organ that plays essential roles in protecting the host against various infections. However, its... Read More about RNA sequencing reveals dynamic expression of spleen lncRNAs and mRNAs in Beagle dogs infected by Toxocara canis.

555 Questions In Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Parasitic Diseases (2022)
Book
Elsheikha, H. (2022). 555 Questions In Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Parasitic Diseases. (Kindle Edition). Nottingham, England: Para Publishing Limited

This book is a comprehensive revision aid that will help parasitology students and trainees prepare for pre-test assessment and review. Readers can identify their own abilities and areas for development by completing 555 questions relevant to topics... Read More about 555 Questions In Zoonotic and Vector-Borne Parasitic Diseases.

Diagnosis and Management of Acanthamoeba Keratitis: A Continental Approach (2022)
Journal Article
Bouten, M., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2022). Diagnosis and Management of Acanthamoeba Keratitis: A Continental Approach. Parasitologia, 2(3), 167-197. https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia2030016

Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a potentially blinding infection caused by protozoa found worldwide. The topical application of biguanides and diamidines is the most common anti-amoebic treatment for AK. In this study, we hypothesized that geographica... Read More about Diagnosis and Management of Acanthamoeba Keratitis: A Continental Approach.

Human pediculosis, a global public health problem (2022)
Journal Article
Fu, Y., Yao, C., Deng, Y., Elsheikha, H. M., Shao, R., Zhu, X., & Liu, G. (2022). Human pediculosis, a global public health problem. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 11(1), Article 58. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-022-00986-w

Background: Human pediculosis is caused by hematophagous lice, which are transmitted between individuals via direct and/or indirect contact. Despite the public health importance of louse infestation, information concerning the global burden of pedicu... Read More about Human pediculosis, a global public health problem.

Global profiling of protein lysine malonylation in Toxoplasma gondii strains of different virulence and genetic backgrounds (2022)
Journal Article
Nie, L., Liang, Q., Wang, M., Du, R., Zhang, M., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhu, X. (2022). Global profiling of protein lysine malonylation in Toxoplasma gondii strains of different virulence and genetic backgrounds. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 16(5), Article e0010431. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010431

Lysine malonylation is a post-translational modification (PTM), which regulates many cellular processes. Limited information is available about the level of lysine malonylation variations between Toxoplasma gondii strains of distinct genetic lineages... Read More about Global profiling of protein lysine malonylation in Toxoplasma gondii strains of different virulence and genetic backgrounds.

Illuminating Host-Parasite Interaction at the Cellular and Subcellular Levels with Infrared Microspectroscopy (2022)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Al-Sandaqchi, A. T., Harun, M. S., Winterton, F., Altharawi, A., Elsaied, N. A., …Chan, K. L. A. (2022). Illuminating Host-Parasite Interaction at the Cellular and Subcellular Levels with Infrared Microspectroscopy. Cells, 11(5), Article 811. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11050811

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is an opportunistic protozoan that can cause brain infection and other serious health consequences in immuno-compromised individuals. This parasite has a remarkable ability to cross biological barriers and exploit the ho... Read More about Illuminating Host-Parasite Interaction at the Cellular and Subcellular Levels with Infrared Microspectroscopy.

A systematic review, meta‐analysis and meta‐regression of the global prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild marine mammals and associations with epidemiological variables (2022)
Journal Article
Li, M., Gao, X., Ma, J., Elsheikha, H. M., & Cong, W. (2022). A systematic review, meta‐analysis and meta‐regression of the global prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild marine mammals and associations with epidemiological variables. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, 69(5), e1213-e1230. https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14493

Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild marine mammals is a growing problem and is associated with adverse impacts on marine animal and public health. This systematic review, meta-analysis and meta-regression estimates the global prevalence of T. gondii... Read More about A systematic review, meta‐analysis and meta‐regression of the global prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in wild marine mammals and associations with epidemiological variables.

Functional Characterization of 17 Protein Serine/Threonine Phosphatases in Toxoplasma gondii Using CRISPR-Cas9 System (2022)
Journal Article
Liang, Q. L., Nie, L. B., Li, T. T., Elsheikha, H. M., Sun, L. X., Zhang, Z. W., …Wang, J. L. (2022). Functional Characterization of 17 Protein Serine/Threonine Phosphatases in Toxoplasma gondii Using CRISPR-Cas9 System. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9, Article 738794. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.738794

Protein serine/threonine phosphatases (PSPs), found in various plants and protozoa, are involved in the regulation of various biological processes. However, very little is known about the role of PSPs in the pathogenicity of the apicomplexan protozoa... Read More about Functional Characterization of 17 Protein Serine/Threonine Phosphatases in Toxoplasma gondii Using CRISPR-Cas9 System.

Temporal transcriptomic changes in long non-coding RNAs and messenger RNAs involved in the host immune and metabolic response during Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle (2022)
Journal Article
Wang, S. S., Zhou, C. X., Elsheikha, H. M., He, J. J., Zou, F. C., Zheng, W. B., …Zhao, G. H. (2022). Temporal transcriptomic changes in long non-coding RNAs and messenger RNAs involved in the host immune and metabolic response during Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle. Parasites and Vectors, 15, Article 22. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-021-05140-3

Background: Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of various biological and pathological processes, in particular the inflammatory response by modulating the transcriptional control of inflammatory genes. However, the role of lncRNA... Read More about Temporal transcriptomic changes in long non-coding RNAs and messenger RNAs involved in the host immune and metabolic response during Toxoplasma gondii lytic cycle.

Synergy between Toxoplasma gondii type I Δ GRA17 immunotherapy and PD-L1 checkpoint inhibition triggers the regression of targeted and distal tumors (2021)
Journal Article
Zhu, Y. C., Elsheikha, H. M., Wang, J. H., Fang, S., He, J. J., Zhu, X. Q., & Chen, J. (2021). Synergy between Toxoplasma gondii type I Δ GRA17 immunotherapy and PD-L1 checkpoint inhibition triggers the regression of targeted and distal tumors. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer, 9(11), Article e002970. https://doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2021-002970

Background: In this study, we hypothesize that the ability of the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii to modulate immune response within the tumor might improve the therapeutic effect of immune checkpoint blockade. We examined the synergetic therapeutic acti... Read More about Synergy between Toxoplasma gondii type I Δ GRA17 immunotherapy and PD-L1 checkpoint inhibition triggers the regression of targeted and distal tumors.

Waterborne protozoan outbreaks: An update on the global, regional, and national prevalence from 2017 to 2020 and sources of contamination (2021)
Journal Article
Ma, J. Y., Li, M. Y., Qi, Z. Z., Fu, M., Sun, T. F., Elsheikha, H. M., & Cong, W. (2022). Waterborne protozoan outbreaks: An update on the global, regional, and national prevalence from 2017 to 2020 and sources of contamination. Science of the Total Environment, 806(Part 2), Article 150562. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150562

The aim of this review is to identify the worldwide trend of waterborne protozoan outbreaks and how it varies between geographic regions during the period from 2017 to 2020. Data about waterborne protozoan outbreaks were gathered and stratified by co... Read More about Waterborne protozoan outbreaks: An update on the global, regional, and national prevalence from 2017 to 2020 and sources of contamination.

Toxocara canis Infection Alters lncRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles of Dog Bone Marrow (2021)
Journal Article
Zheng, W. B., Zou, Y., Liu, Q., Hu, M. H., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhu, X. Q. (2021). Toxocara canis Infection Alters lncRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles of Dog Bone Marrow. Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, 9, Article 688128. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2021.688128

Bone marrow is the main hematopoietic organ that produces red blood cells, granulocytes, monocyte/macrophages, megakaryocytes, lymphocytes, and myeloid dendritic cells. Many of these cells play roles in the pathogenesis of Toxocara canis infection, a... Read More about Toxocara canis Infection Alters lncRNA and mRNA Expression Profiles of Dog Bone Marrow.

Biology, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of selected fish-borne parasitic zoonoses (2021)
Journal Article
Cong, W., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2021). Biology, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of selected fish-borne parasitic zoonoses. Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine, 94(2), 297-309

Fish-borne parasites have been part of the global landscape of food-borne zoonotic diseases for many decades and are often endemic in certain regions of the world. The past 20 years or so have seen the expansion of the range of fish-borne parasitic z... Read More about Biology, epidemiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of selected fish-borne parasitic zoonoses.

Fasciola gigantica–Derived Excretory-Secretory Products Alter the Expression of mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs Involved in the Immune Response and Metabolism in Goat Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells (2021)
Journal Article
Wang, S. S., Chen, D., He, J. J., Zheng, W. B., Tian, A. L., Zhao, G. H., …Zhu, X. Q. (2021). Fasciola gigantica–Derived Excretory-Secretory Products Alter the Expression of mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs Involved in the Immune Response and Metabolism in Goat Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells. Frontiers in Immunology, 12, Article 653755. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2021.653755

Fasciola gigantica produces excretory-secretory products (ESPs) with immune-modulating effects to promote its own survival. In this study, we performed RNA-seq to gain a comprehensive global understanding of changes in the expression of mRNAs, miRNAs... Read More about Fasciola gigantica–Derived Excretory-Secretory Products Alter the Expression of mRNAs, miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs Involved in the Immune Response and Metabolism in Goat Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

Should Veterinary Practitioners Be Concerned about Acanthamoeba Keratitis? (2021)
Journal Article
Cooper, E., Cowmeadow, W., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2021). Should Veterinary Practitioners Be Concerned about Acanthamoeba Keratitis?. Parasitologia, 1(1), 12-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia1010002

When presented with an animal exhibiting signs of keratitis (inflammation of the cornea), such as impaired vision, mucoid discharges, redness, swelling, and corneal oedema, most veterinarians would think of bacteria, viruses, or fungi as the potentia... Read More about Should Veterinary Practitioners Be Concerned about Acanthamoeba Keratitis?.

1001 MCQs for Parasitology Trainees: The Essential Revision Guide (2021)
Book
Elsheikha, H. (2021). 1001 MCQs for Parasitology Trainees: The Essential Revision Guide. Para Publishing Limited

With a broad range of 1001 multiple choice questions and answers, this book is the ideal resource for all parasitology trainees who need to revise and prepare for parasitology examinations. The questions are representative of curricula of veterinary... Read More about 1001 MCQs for Parasitology Trainees: The Essential Revision Guide.

Human gnathostomiasis: a neglected food-borne zoonosis (2020)
Journal Article
Liu, G., Sun, M., Elsheikha, H. M., Fu, Y., Sugiyama, H., Ando, K., …Yao, C. (2020). Human gnathostomiasis: a neglected food-borne zoonosis. Parasites and Vectors, 13, Article 616. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04494-4

Background: Human gnathostomiasis is a food-borne zoonosis. Its etiological agents are the third-stage larvae of Gnathostoma spp. Human gnathostomiasis is often reported in developing countries, but it is also an emerging disease in developed countri... Read More about Human gnathostomiasis: a neglected food-borne zoonosis.

Dysregulation of hepatic microRNA expression in C57BL/6 mice affected by excretory-secretory products of Fasciola gigantica (2020)
Journal Article
Shi, W., He, J., Mei, X., Lu, K., Zeng, Z., Zhang, Y., …Zhu, X. (2020). Dysregulation of hepatic microRNA expression in C57BL/6 mice affected by excretory-secretory products of Fasciola gigantica. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14(12), Article e0008951. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0008951

The excretory-secretory products released by the liver fluke Fasciola gigantica (FgESPs) play important roles in regulating the host immune response during the infection. Identification of hepatic miRNAs altered by FgESPs may improve our understandin... Read More about Dysregulation of hepatic microRNA expression in C57BL/6 mice affected by excretory-secretory products of Fasciola gigantica.

ROP18-Mediated Transcriptional Reprogramming of HEK293T Cell Reveals New Roles of ROP18 in the Interplay Between Toxoplasma gondii and the Host Cell (2020)
Journal Article
Li, J., He, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Ma, J., Xu, X., & Zhu, X. (2020). ROP18-Mediated Transcriptional Reprogramming of HEK293T Cell Reveals New Roles of ROP18 in the Interplay Between Toxoplasma gondii and the Host Cell. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 10, Article 586946. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2020.586946

Toxoplasma gondii secretes a number of virulence-related effector proteins, such as the rhoptry protein 18 (ROP18). To further broaden our understanding of the molecular functions of ROP18, we examined the transcriptional response of human embryonic... Read More about ROP18-Mediated Transcriptional Reprogramming of HEK293T Cell Reveals New Roles of ROP18 in the Interplay Between Toxoplasma gondii and the Host Cell.

Molecular prevalence, risk factors and genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in wild marine snails collected from offshore waters in eastern China (2020)
Journal Article
Cong, W., Elsheikha, H. M., Li, M., Ma, J., Zou, Y., & Jiang, Z. (2021). Molecular prevalence, risk factors and genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in wild marine snails collected from offshore waters in eastern China. Acta Tropica, 214, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105779

Increasing evidence exisits for the role that shellfish play in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii in marine environment. However, limited information is available on the level of T. gondii infection in wild marine snails, which can play a role in... Read More about Molecular prevalence, risk factors and genotypes of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in wild marine snails collected from offshore waters in eastern China.

Epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of cerebral toxoplasmosis (2020)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Marra, C. M., & Zhu, X. (2020). Epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of cerebral toxoplasmosis. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 34(1), https://doi.org/10.1128/CMR.00115-19

Toxoplasma gondii is known to infect a considerable number of mammalian and avian species and a substantial proportion of the world’s human population. The parasite has an impressive ability to disseminate within the host’s body and employs various t... Read More about Epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of cerebral toxoplasmosis.

Proteomic profiling of the liver, hepatic lymph nodes, and spleen of buffaloes infected with fasciola gigantica (2020)
Journal Article
Hu, R., Zhang, F., Elsheikha, H. M., Ma, Q., Ehsan, M., Zhao, Q., & Zhu, X. (2020). Proteomic profiling of the liver, hepatic lymph nodes, and spleen of buffaloes infected with fasciola gigantica. Pathogens, 9(12), Article 982. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9120982

In the present study, we used an isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantitation (iTRAQ) proteomics technology to characterize the differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in the liver, hepatic lymph nodes (hLNs), and spleen of buffaloes infected... Read More about Proteomic profiling of the liver, hepatic lymph nodes, and spleen of buffaloes infected with fasciola gigantica.

Toxocara canis Differentially Affects Hepatic MicroRNA Expression in Beagle Dogs at Different Stages of Infection (2020)
Journal Article
Zou, Y., Zheng, W., He, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Zhu, X., & Lu, Y. (2020). Toxocara canis Differentially Affects Hepatic MicroRNA Expression in Beagle Dogs at Different Stages of Infection. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7, https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.587273

Toxocara canis is a neglected zoonotic parasite, which threatens the health of dogs and humans worldwide. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the progression of T. canis infection remain mostly unknown. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs... Read More about Toxocara canis Differentially Affects Hepatic MicroRNA Expression in Beagle Dogs at Different Stages of Infection.

Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells (2020)
Journal Article
Pérez-Cota, F., Fuentes-Domínguez, R., La Cavera III, S., Hardiman, W., Yao, M., Setchfield, K., …Clark, M. (2020). Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells. Journal of Applied Physics, 128(16), Article 160902. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0023744

© 2020 Author(s). Characterization of the elasticity of biological cells is growing as a new way to gain insight into cell biology. Cell mechanics are related to most aspects of cellular behavior, and applications in research and medicine are broad.... Read More about Picosecond ultrasonics for elasticity-based imaging and characterization of biological cells.

Transcriptomic Profiling of Mouse Brain During Acute and Chronic Infections by Toxoplasma gondii Oocysts (2020)
Journal Article
Hu, R., He, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Zou, Y., Ehsan, M., Ma, Q., …Cong, W. (2020). Transcriptomic Profiling of Mouse Brain During Acute and Chronic Infections by Toxoplasma gondii Oocysts. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, Article 570903. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.570903

Infection by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii can have a devastating impact on the structure and function of the brain of the infected individuals, particularly immunocompromised patients. A systems biology view of the brain transcriptome can identify... Read More about Transcriptomic Profiling of Mouse Brain During Acute and Chronic Infections by Toxoplasma gondii Oocysts.

Global profiling of lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylome in Toxoplasma gondii using affinity purification mass spectrometry (2020)
Journal Article
Nie, L., Liang, Q., Elsheikha, H. M., Du, R., Zhu, X., & Li, F. (2020). Global profiling of lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylome in Toxoplasma gondii using affinity purification mass spectrometry. Parasitology Research, 119(12), 4061-4071. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-020-06923-w

Lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylation (Khib) is a recently discovered and evolutionarily conserved form of protein post-translational modification (PTM) found in mammalian and yeast cells. Previous studies have shown that Khib plays roles in the activity o... Read More about Global profiling of lysine 2-hydroxyisobutyrylome in Toxoplasma gondii using affinity purification mass spectrometry.

Global profiling of lncRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs reveals differential expression of coding genes and non-coding RNAs in the lung of beagle dogs at different stages of Toxocara canis infection (2020)
Journal Article
Zheng, W., Zou, Y., He, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Liu, G., Hu, M., …Zhu, X. (2021). Global profiling of lncRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs reveals differential expression of coding genes and non-coding RNAs in the lung of beagle dogs at different stages of Toxocara canis infection. International Journal for Parasitology, 51(1), 49-61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2020.07.014

The roundworm Toxocara canis causes toxocariasis in dogs and larval migrans in humans. Better understanding of the lung response to T. canis infection could explain why T. canis must migrate to and undergoes part of its development inside the lung of... Read More about Global profiling of lncRNAs-miRNAs-mRNAs reveals differential expression of coding genes and non-coding RNAs in the lung of beagle dogs at different stages of Toxocara canis infection.

Acetylome analysis of the feline small intestine following Toxoplasma gondii infection (2020)
Journal Article
Meng, Y., Zhai, B., Elsheikha, H. M., Xie, S., Wang, Z., Zhao, Q., …He, J. (2020). Acetylome analysis of the feline small intestine following Toxoplasma gondii infection. Parasitology Research, 119(11), 3649-3657. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-020-06880-4

Toxoplasma gondii is a protozoan parasite capable of infecting a large number of warm-blooded animals and causes serious health complications in immunocompromised patients. T. gondii infection of the feline small intestine is critical for the complet... Read More about Acetylome analysis of the feline small intestine following Toxoplasma gondii infection.

In Vitro Growth- and Encystation-Inhibitory Efficacies of Matcha Green Tea and Epigallocatechin Gallate Against Acanthameoba Castellanii (2020)
Journal Article
Dickson, A., Cooper, E., Fakae, L. B., Wang, B., Chan, K. L. A., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2020). In Vitro Growth- and Encystation-Inhibitory Efficacies of Matcha Green Tea and Epigallocatechin Gallate Against Acanthameoba Castellanii. Pathogens, 9(9), Article 763. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9090763

We examined the inhibitory effect of matcha green tea (Camellia sinensis) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg; the most abundant catechin in tea) on the vegetative growth and encystation of Acanthamoeba castellanii T4 genotype. The sulforhodamine B (S... Read More about In Vitro Growth- and Encystation-Inhibitory Efficacies of Matcha Green Tea and Epigallocatechin Gallate Against Acanthameoba Castellanii.

Nematocidal effects of a coriander essential oil and five pure principles on the infective larvae of major ovine gastrointestinal nematodes in vitro (2020)
Journal Article
Helal, M. A., Abdel-Gawad, A. M., Kandil, O. M., Khalifa, M. M. E., Cave, G. W. V., Morrison, A. A., …Elsheikha, H. M. (2020). Nematocidal effects of a coriander essential oil and five pure principles on the infective larvae of major ovine gastrointestinal nematodes in vitro. Pathogens, 9(9), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9090740

The anthelmintic effects of extracted coriander oil and five pure essential oil constituents (geraniol, geranyl acetate, eugenol, methyl iso-eugenol, and linalool) were tested, using larval motility assay, on the third-stage larvae (L3s) of Haemonchu... Read More about Nematocidal effects of a coriander essential oil and five pure principles on the infective larvae of major ovine gastrointestinal nematodes in vitro.

Structural, functional, and metabolic alterations in human cerebrovascular endothelial cells during toxoplasma gondii infection and amelioration by verapamil in vitro (2020)
Journal Article
Al-Sandaqchi, A. T., Marsh, V., Williams, H. E. L., Stevenson, C. W., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2020). Structural, functional, and metabolic alterations in human cerebrovascular endothelial cells during toxoplasma gondii infection and amelioration by verapamil in vitro. Microorganisms, 8(9), Article 1386. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8091386

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), the causative agent of toxoplasmosis, is a frequent cause of brain infection. Despite its known ability to invade the brain, there is still a dire need to better... Read More about Structural, functional, and metabolic alterations in human cerebrovascular endothelial cells during toxoplasma gondii infection and amelioration by verapamil in vitro.

Impact of neospora caninum infection on the bioenergetics and transcriptome of cerebrovascular endothelial cells (2020)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Alkurashi, M., Palfreman, S., Castellanos, M., Kong, K., Ning, E., …MacNaughtan, W. (2020). Impact of neospora caninum infection on the bioenergetics and transcriptome of cerebrovascular endothelial cells. Pathogens, 9(9), Article 710. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9090710

In this work, the effects of the protozoan Neospora caninum on the bioenergetics, chemical composition, and elemental content of human brain microvascular endothelial cells (hBMECs) were investigated. We showed that N. caninum can impair cell mitocho... Read More about Impact of neospora caninum infection on the bioenergetics and transcriptome of cerebrovascular endothelial cells.

Effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection on the function and integrity of human cerebrovascular endothelial cells and the influence of Verapamil treatment in vitro (2020)
Journal Article
Harun, M., Marsh, V., Elsaied, N. A., Webb, K. F., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2020). Effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection on the function and integrity of human cerebrovascular endothelial cells and the influence of Verapamil treatment in vitro. Brain Research, 1746, Article 147002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2020.147002

Toxoplasma gondii can cause parasitic encephalitis, a life-threatening infection that predominately occurs in immunocompromised individuals. T. gondii has the ability to invade the brain, but the mechanisms by which this parasite crosses the blood–br... Read More about Effects of Toxoplasma gondii infection on the function and integrity of human cerebrovascular endothelial cells and the influence of Verapamil treatment in vitro.

Transcriptome Profiling of Toxoplasma gondii-Infected Human Cerebromicrovascular Endothelial Cell Response to Treatment with Monensin (2020)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Harun, M. S. R., Taylor, M., & Zhu, X. (2020). Transcriptome Profiling of Toxoplasma gondii-Infected Human Cerebromicrovascular Endothelial Cell Response to Treatment with Monensin. Microorganisms, 8(6), https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8060842

Central to the progression of cerebral toxoplasmosis is the interaction of Toxoplasma gondii with the blood-brain barrier (BBB) endothelial cells. In the present work, we tested the hypothesis that inhibition of Wnt pathway signalling by the monovale... Read More about Transcriptome Profiling of Toxoplasma gondii-Infected Human Cerebromicrovascular Endothelial Cell Response to Treatment with Monensin.

First record of besnoitiosis caused by Besnoitia bennetti in donkeys from the UK (2020)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Schares, G., Paraschou, G., Sullivan, R., & Fox, R. (2020). First record of besnoitiosis caused by Besnoitia bennetti in donkeys from the UK. Parasites and Vectors, 13, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-04145-8

Background: The involvement of Besnoitia bennetti in skin pathologies was investigated in a series of 20 donkeys from the Donkey Sanctuary in England, in the 2013-2019 period. Methods: The initial histopathological finding of Besnoitia cysts in skin... Read More about First record of besnoitiosis caused by Besnoitia bennetti in donkeys from the UK.

In vitro activity of Camellia sinensis (green tea) against trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba castellanii (2020)
Journal Article
Fakae, L. B., Stevenson, C. W., Zhu, X. Q., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2020). In vitro activity of Camellia sinensis (green tea) against trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba castellanii. International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance, 13, 59-72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpddr.2020.05.001

© 2020 The Author(s) The effect of Camellia sinensis (green tea) on the growth of Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites was examined using a microplate based-Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. C. sinensis hot and cold brews at 75% and 100% concentrations... Read More about In vitro activity of Camellia sinensis (green tea) against trophozoites and cysts of Acanthamoeba castellanii.

Immunostimulatory efficacy and protective potential of putative TgERK7 protein in mice experimentally infected by Toxoplasma gondii (2020)
Journal Article
Li, Z. Y., Guo, H. T., Calderón-Mantilla, G., He, J. J., Wang, J. L., Bonev, B. B., …Elsheikha, H. M. (2020). Immunostimulatory efficacy and protective potential of putative TgERK7 protein in mice experimentally infected by Toxoplasma gondii. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, 310(5), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2020.151432

© 2020 The Author(s) The extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERKs) serve as important determinants of cellular signal transduction pathways, and hence may play important roles during infections. Previous work suggested that putative ERK7 of Toxop... Read More about Immunostimulatory efficacy and protective potential of putative TgERK7 protein in mice experimentally infected by Toxoplasma gondii.

Drug discovery against acanthamoeba infections: Present knowledge and unmet needs (2020)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Siddiqui, R., & Khan, N. A. (2020). Drug discovery against acanthamoeba infections: Present knowledge and unmet needs. Pathogens, 9(5), Article 405. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9050405

Although major strides have been made in developing and testing various antiacanthamoebic drugs, recurrent infections, inadequate treatment outcomes, health complications, and side effects associated with the use of currently available drugs necessit... Read More about Drug discovery against acanthamoeba infections: Present knowledge and unmet needs.

Global Proteomic Analysis of Lysine Malonylation in Toxoplasma gondii (2020)
Journal Article
Nie, L., Liang, Q., Du, R., Elsheikha, H. M., Han, N., Li, F., & Zhu, X. (2020). Global Proteomic Analysis of Lysine Malonylation in Toxoplasma gondii. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11, Article 776. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00776

Lysine malonylation (Kmal) is a new post-translational modification (PTM), which has been reported in several prokaryotic and eukaryotic species. Although Kmal can regulate many and diverse biological processes in various organisms, knowledge about t... Read More about Global Proteomic Analysis of Lysine Malonylation in Toxoplasma gondii.

iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics analysis identifies host pathways modulated during toxoplasma gondii infection in swine (2020)
Journal Article
He, J., Ma, J., Wang, J., Zhang, F., Li, J., Zhai, B., …Zhu, X. (2020). iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics analysis identifies host pathways modulated during toxoplasma gondii infection in swine. Microorganisms, 8(4), Article 518. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8040518

Toxoplasma gondii is a leading cause of foodborne illness and consumption of undercooked pig meat is a major risk factor for acquiring toxoplasmosis, which causes a substantial burden on society. Here, we used isobaric tags for relative and absolute... Read More about iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics analysis identifies host pathways modulated during toxoplasma gondii infection in swine.

Significant transcriptional changes in mature daughter Varroa destructor mites during infestation of different developmental stages of honeybees (2020)
Journal Article
Tu, Y., Wu, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Getachew, A., Zhou, C., Zhou, H., & Xu, S. (2020). Significant transcriptional changes in mature daughter Varroa destructor mites during infestation of different developmental stages of honeybees. Pest Management Science, 76(8), 2736-2745. https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.5821

Background: Varroa destructor is considered a major cause of honeybee (Apis mellifera) colony losses worldwide. Although V. destructor mites exhibit preference behavior for certain honeybee lifecycle stages, the mechanism underlying host finding and... Read More about Significant transcriptional changes in mature daughter Varroa destructor mites during infestation of different developmental stages of honeybees.

RHΔgra17Δnpt1 strain of Toxoplasma gondii elicits protective immunity against acute, chronic and congenital toxoplasmosis in mice (2020)
Journal Article
Sun, L., Liang, Q., Elsheikha, H. M., Cao, X., Nie, L., Li, T., …Wang, J. (2020). RHΔgra17Δnpt1 strain of Toxoplasma gondii elicits protective immunity against acute, chronic and congenital toxoplasmosis in mice. Microorganisms, 8(3), Article 352. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8030352

In the present study, a dense granule protein 17 (gra17) and novel putative transporter (npt1) double deletion mutant of Toxoplasma gondii RH strain was engineered. The protective efficacy of vaccination using RHΔgra17Δnpt1 tachyzoites against acute,... Read More about RHΔgra17Δnpt1 strain of Toxoplasma gondii elicits protective immunity against acute, chronic and congenital toxoplasmosis in mice.

Transcriptional changes in Toxoplasma gondii in response to treatment with monensin (2020)
Journal Article
Zhai, B., He, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Li, J., Zhu, X., & Yang, X. (2020). Transcriptional changes in Toxoplasma gondii in response to treatment with monensin. Parasites and Vectors, 13, Article 84. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-020-3970-1

Background: Infection with the apicomplexan protozoan parasite T. gondii can cause severe and potentially fatal cerebral and ocular disease, especially in immunocompromised individuals. The anticoccidial ionophore drug monensin has been shown to have... Read More about Transcriptional changes in Toxoplasma gondii in response to treatment with monensin.

Toxoplasma gondii tkl1 Deletion Mutant Is a Promising Vaccine against Acute, Chronic, and Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Mice (2020)
Journal Article
Wang, J., Liang, Q., Li, T., He, J., Bai, M., Cao, X., …Zhu, X. (2020). Toxoplasma gondii tkl1 Deletion Mutant Is a Promising Vaccine against Acute, Chronic, and Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Mice. Journal of Immunology, 204(6), 1562-1570. https://doi.org/10.4049/jimmunol.1900410

In this study, we generated a tkl1 deletion mutant in the Toxoplasma gondii type 1 RH (RHΔtkl1) strain and tested the protective efficacies of vaccination using RHΔtkl1 tachyzoites against acute, chronic, and congenital T. gondii infections in Kunmin... Read More about Toxoplasma gondii tkl1 Deletion Mutant Is a Promising Vaccine against Acute, Chronic, and Congenital Toxoplasmosis in Mice.

Novel roles of dense granule protein 12 (GRA12) in Toxoplasma gondii infection (2020)
Journal Article
Cao, X., Wang, J., Bai, M., Elsheikha, H. M., Liang, Q., Li, T., & Zhu, X. (2020). Novel roles of dense granule protein 12 (GRA12) in Toxoplasma gondii infection. FASEB Journal, 34(2), 3165-3178. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201901416rr

Antioxidant enzymes as biomarkers of Cu and Pb exposure in the ground spiders Lycosa terrestris and Pardosa birmanica (2019)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Aziz, N., & Butt, A. (2020). Antioxidant enzymes as biomarkers of Cu and Pb exposure in the ground spiders Lycosa terrestris and Pardosa birmanica. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 190, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.110054

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. Heavy metal exposure induces oxidative stress in terrestrial organisms, which they counteract via activation of antioxidant biomarkers. The present study investigated the effects of copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) on the total antioxid... Read More about Antioxidant enzymes as biomarkers of Cu and Pb exposure in the ground spiders Lycosa terrestris and Pardosa birmanica.

Assessment of bioaccumulation of cu and Pb in experimentally exposed spiders, Lycosa terrestris and Pardosa birmanica, using different exposure routes (2019)
Journal Article
Aziz, N., Butt, A., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2020). Assessment of bioaccumulation of cu and Pb in experimentally exposed spiders, Lycosa terrestris and Pardosa birmanica, using different exposure routes. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 27, 3309–3319. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-07055-0

© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Major concerns exist regarding the environmental and human health risks caused by exposure to heavy metals. Spiders are often used as a model in ecotoxicological studies to assess soil po... Read More about Assessment of bioaccumulation of cu and Pb in experimentally exposed spiders, Lycosa terrestris and Pardosa birmanica, using different exposure routes.

Characterization of the Role of Amylo-Alpha-1,6-Glucosidase Protein in the Infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii (2019)
Journal Article
Cao, X., Wang, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Li, T., Sun, L., Liang, Q., …Lin, R. (2019). Characterization of the Role of Amylo-Alpha-1,6-Glucosidase Protein in the Infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 9, Article 418. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2019.00418

In this study, we characterized the role of amylo-alpha-1,6-glucosidase (Aa16GL) in the biology and infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii, using Aa16GL-deficient parasites of type I RH and type II Prugniaud (Pru) strains. The subcellular localization of A... Read More about Characterization of the Role of Amylo-Alpha-1,6-Glucosidase Protein in the Infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii.

Prevalence, risk factors and genotype distribution of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in soil in China (2019)
Journal Article
Cong, W., Zhang, N., Hu, R., Zou, F., Zou, Y., Zhong, W., …Elsheikha, H. M. (2020). Prevalence, risk factors and genotype distribution of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in soil in China. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, 189, Article 109999. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109999

Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. In the present study, we performed a cross-sectional survey to determine the occurrence and genotype distribution of T. gondii DNA in soil samples collected from different sources from six geographi... Read More about Prevalence, risk factors and genotype distribution of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in soil in China.

Induction and measurement of the early stage of a host-parasite interaction using a combined optical trapping and Raman microspectroscopy system (2019)
Journal Article
Sinjab, F., Elsheikha, H. M., Dooley, M., & Notingher, I. (2020). Induction and measurement of the early stage of a host-parasite interaction using a combined optical trapping and Raman microspectroscopy system. Journal of Biophotonics, 13(2), https://doi.org/10.1002/jbio.201960065

© 2019 The Authors. Journal of Biophotonics published by WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim Understanding and quantifying the temporal acquisition of host cell molecules by intracellular pathogens is fundamentally important in biology. In t... Read More about Induction and measurement of the early stage of a host-parasite interaction using a combined optical trapping and Raman microspectroscopy system.

Label-Free Quantitative Acetylome Analysis Reveals Toxoplasma gondii Genotype-Specific Acetylomic Signatures (2019)
Journal Article
Wang, Z., Hu, R., Zhou, C., He, J., M. Elsheikha, H., & Zhu, X. (2019). Label-Free Quantitative Acetylome Analysis Reveals Toxoplasma gondii Genotype-Specific Acetylomic Signatures. Microorganisms, 7(11), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms7110510

Distinct genotypic and pathogenic differences exist between Toxoplasma gondii genotypes. For example, genotype I is highly virulent, whereas genotype II and genotype III are less virulent. Moreover, Chinese 1 genotype (ToxoDB#9) is also virulent. Her... Read More about Label-Free Quantitative Acetylome Analysis Reveals Toxoplasma gondii Genotype-Specific Acetylomic Signatures.

555 Questions in Veterinary and Tropical Parasitology (2019)
Book
Elsheikha, H., & Zhu, X. (2019). 555 Questions in Veterinary and Tropical Parasitology. CAB International Publishing

Parasites are a major issue affecting animal and human health, welfare, and economic productivity. This book provides 555 questions to test your knowledge of animal and tropical parasitology, to help you study anywhere, with any amount of time. Key f... Read More about 555 Questions in Veterinary and Tropical Parasitology.

Complex and dynamic transcriptional changes allow the helminth Fasciola gigantica to adjust to its intermediate snail and definitive mammalian hosts (2019)
Journal Article
Zhang, X., Cwiklinski, K., Hu, R., Zheng, W., Sheng, Z., Zhang, F., …Zhu, X. (2019). Complex and dynamic transcriptional changes allow the helminth Fasciola gigantica to adjust to its intermediate snail and definitive mammalian hosts. BMC Genomics, 20, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-019-6103-5

Background The tropical liver fluke, Fasciola gigantica causes fasciolosis, an important disease of humans and livestock. We characterized dynamic transcriptional changes associated with the development of the parasite in its two hosts, the snail in... Read More about Complex and dynamic transcriptional changes allow the helminth Fasciola gigantica to adjust to its intermediate snail and definitive mammalian hosts.

Serum metabolomic alterations in Beagle dogs experimentally infected with Toxocara canis (2019)
Journal Article
Zou, Y., Zheng, W., Elsheikha, H. M., Liu, G., Hu, M., Wang, S., & Zhu, X. (2019). Serum metabolomic alterations in Beagle dogs experimentally infected with Toxocara canis. Parasites and Vectors, 12(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3703-5

Background Toxocara canis, a globally distributed roundworm, can cause debilitating disease in dogs and humans; however, little is known about the metabolomic response of the hosts to T. canis infection. There is an increasing need to understand the... Read More about Serum metabolomic alterations in Beagle dogs experimentally infected with Toxocara canis.

Sulfadiazine Sodium Ameliorates the Metabolomic Perturbation in Mice Infected with Toxoplasma gondii (2019)
Journal Article
Zhu, X., Zhou, C., Liu, Q., Gan, Y., Cong, H., Elsheikha, H. M., & Chen, X. (2019). Sulfadiazine Sodium Ameliorates the Metabolomic Perturbation in Mice Infected with Toxoplasma gondii. Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 63(10), Article e00312-19. https://doi.org/10.1128/AAC.00312-19

In this study, we analyzed the global metabolomic changes associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in mice in the presence or absence of sulfadiazine sodium (SDZ) treatment. BALB/c mice were infected with T. gondii GT1 strain and treated orally wi... Read More about Sulfadiazine Sodium Ameliorates the Metabolomic Perturbation in Mice Infected with Toxoplasma gondii.

Metabolomic signature of mouse cerebral cortex following Toxoplasma gondii infection (2019)
Journal Article
Ma, J., He, J., Hou, J., Zhou, C., Zhang, F., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhu, X. (2019). Metabolomic signature of mouse cerebral cortex following Toxoplasma gondii infection. Parasites and Vectors, 12, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3623-4

Background: The protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii infects and alters the neurotransmission in cerebral cortex and other brain regions, leading to neurobehavioral and neuropathologic changes in humans and animals. However, the molecules that contri... Read More about Metabolomic signature of mouse cerebral cortex following Toxoplasma gondii infection.

The multitasking Fasciola gigantica Cathepsin B interferes with various functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro (2019)
Journal Article
Chen, D., Tian, A., Hou, J., Li, J., Tian, X., Yuan, X., …Zhu, X. (2019). The multitasking Fasciola gigantica Cathepsin B interferes with various functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro. Frontiers in Immunology, 10, Article 1707. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01707

Cathepsin B, a lysosomal cysteine protease, is thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of Fasciola gigantica infection, but its exact role remains unclear. In the present study, a recombinant F. gigantica cathepsin B (rFgCatB) protein was expresse... Read More about The multitasking Fasciola gigantica Cathepsin B interferes with various functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro.

Global Transcriptome Profiling of Multiple Porcine Organs Reveals Toxoplasma gondii-Induced Transcriptional Landscapes (2019)
Journal Article
He, J., Ma, J., Wang, J., Zhang, F., Li, J., Zhai, B., …Zhu, X. (2019). Global Transcriptome Profiling of Multiple Porcine Organs Reveals Toxoplasma gondii-Induced Transcriptional Landscapes. Frontiers in Immunology, 10, Article 1531. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01531

© 2019 He, Ma, Wang, Zhang, Li, Zhai, Wang, Elsheikha and Zhu. We characterized the porcine tissue transcriptional landscapes that follow Toxoplasma gondii infection. RNAs were isolated from liver, spleen, cerebral cortex, lung, and mesenteric lymph... Read More about Global Transcriptome Profiling of Multiple Porcine Organs Reveals Toxoplasma gondii-Induced Transcriptional Landscapes.

Global serum proteomic changes in water buffaloes infected with Fasciola gigantica (2019)
Journal Article
Zhang, F., Hu, R., Elsheikha, H. M., Sheng, Z., Zhang, W., Zheng, W., …He, J. (2019). Global serum proteomic changes in water buffaloes infected with Fasciola gigantica. Parasites and Vectors, 12(1), Article 281. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-019-3533-5

Background: The liver fluke Fasciola gigantica modulates several signaling pathways in infected buffaloes to facilitate its survival and establishment of persistent infection. In response to the parasite invasion, buffaloes activate innate and adapti... Read More about Global serum proteomic changes in water buffaloes infected with Fasciola gigantica.

New insights into the mechanical properties of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts as revealed by phonon microscopy (2019)
Journal Article
Pérez-Cota, F., Smith, R. J., Elsheikha, H. M., & Clark, M. (2019). New insights into the mechanical properties of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts as revealed by phonon microscopy. Biomedical Optics Express, 10(5), 2399-2408. https://doi.org/10.1364/BOE.10.002399

The single cell eukaryotic protozoan Acanthamoeba castellanii exhibits a remarkable ability to switch from a vegetative trophozoite stage to a cystic form, in response to stressors. This phenotypic switch involves changes in gene expression and synth... Read More about New insights into the mechanical properties of Acanthamoeba castellanii cysts as revealed by phonon microscopy.

Label-free characterization of biochemical changes within human cells under parasite attack using synchrotron based micro-FTIR (2019)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Elsaied, N. A., Chan, K. L. A., Brignell, C., Harun, M. S. R., Wehbe, K., & Cinquee, G. (2019). Label-free characterization of biochemical changes within human cells under parasite attack using synchrotron based micro-FTIR. Analytical Methods, 11(19), 2518-2530. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8ay02777c

© 2019 The Royal Society of Chemistry. The protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is responsible for severe, potentially life-threatening, infection in immunocompromised individuals and when acquired during pregnancy. In the meantime, there is no available vacc... Read More about Label-free characterization of biochemical changes within human cells under parasite attack using synchrotron based micro-FTIR.

Prevalence of feline lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in England (2019)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Wright, I., Wang, B., & Schaper, R. (2019). Prevalence of feline lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in England. Veterinary parasitology (Amsterdam), 16, 100271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2019.100271

Infection of cats with lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus has recentlbeen documented in the UK. Here, we aimed to study the prevalence of A. abstrusus in fecal samples from cats across England. A total of 950 fecal samples were collected from cats t... Read More about Prevalence of feline lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in England.

Advances in the Development of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Vaccines: Challenges, Opportunities and Perspectives (2019)
Journal Article
Wang, J., Zhang, N., Li, T., He, J., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhu, X. (2019). Advances in the Development of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Vaccines: Challenges, Opportunities and Perspectives. Trends in Parasitology, 35(3), 239-253. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2019.01.005

Important progress has been made in understanding how immunity is elicited against Toxoplasma gondii - a complex pathogen with multiple mechanisms of immune evasion. Many vaccine candidates have been tested using various strategies in animal models.... Read More about Advances in the Development of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Vaccines: Challenges, Opportunities and Perspectives.

Haemoproteus minutus is highly virulent for Australasian and South American parrots (2019)
Journal Article
Ortiz-Catedral, L., Brunton, D., Stidworthy, M. F., Elsheikha, H. M., Pennycott, T., Schulze, C., …Olias, P. (2019). Haemoproteus minutus is highly virulent for Australasian and South American parrots. Parasites and Vectors, 12(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-3255-0

Background: Haemoproteus and Plasmodium species are widespread avian blood parasites. Several Plasmodium species are known for their high virulence and have caused significant declines in naïve bird populations. The impact of closely related Haemopro... Read More about Haemoproteus minutus is highly virulent for Australasian and South American parrots.

Transcriptomic insights into the early host-pathogen interaction of cat intestine with Toxoplasma gondii (2018)
Journal Article
Wang, M., Zhang, F., Elsheikha, H. M., Zhang, N., He, J., Luo, J., & Zhu, X. (2018). Transcriptomic insights into the early host-pathogen interaction of cat intestine with Toxoplasma gondii. Parasites and Vectors, 11(1), Article 592. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-3179-8

Background: Although sexual reproduction of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii exclusively occurs in the cat intestine, knowledge about the alteration of gene expression in the intestine of cats infected with T. gondii is still limited. Here, we investig... Read More about Transcriptomic insights into the early host-pathogen interaction of cat intestine with Toxoplasma gondii.

The pervasive effects of recombinant Fasciola gigantica Ras-related protein Rab10 on the functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (2018)
Journal Article
Tian, A., Lu, M., Zhang, F., Calderón-Mantilla, G., Petsalaki, E., Tian, X., …Zhu, X. (2018). The pervasive effects of recombinant Fasciola gigantica Ras-related protein Rab10 on the functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Parasites and Vectors, 11, Article 579. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-3148-2

Background: Fasciola gigantica-induced immunomodulation is a major hurdle faced by the host for controlling infection. Here, we elucidated the role of F. gigantica Ras-related protein Rab10 (FgRab10) in the modulation of key functions of peripheral b... Read More about The pervasive effects of recombinant Fasciola gigantica Ras-related protein Rab10 on the functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Survey-based pilot study into the chosen therapy and prophylaxis used by UK primary care veterinary surgeons against canine angiostrongylosis (2018)
Journal Article
Shuttleworth, A., Dunning, M., Wright, I., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2018). Survey-based pilot study into the chosen therapy and prophylaxis used by UK primary care veterinary surgeons against canine angiostrongylosis. Veterinary parasitology (Amsterdam), 14, 144-149. doi:10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.10.010

Canine Angiostrongylosis (CA), a gastropod-borne parasitic infection caused by the metastrongyloid nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum, is an important cause of significant morbidity to domestic dogs across the UK as well as in other European countries.... Read More about Survey-based pilot study into the chosen therapy and prophylaxis used by UK primary care veterinary surgeons against canine angiostrongylosis.

Acute Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats induced tissue-specific transcriptional response dominated by immune signatures (2018)
Journal Article
Cong, W., Dottorini, T., Khan, F., Emes, R. D., Zhang, F., Zhou, C., …Zhu, X. (2018). Acute Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats induced tissue-specific transcriptional response dominated by immune signatures. Frontiers in Immunology, 9, Article 2403. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.02403

RNA-sequencing was used to detect transcriptional changes in six tissues of cats, seven days after T. gondii infection. A total of 737 genes were differentially expressed (DEGs), of which 410 were up-regulated and 327 were down-regulated. The liver e... Read More about Acute Toxoplasma gondii infection in cats induced tissue-specific transcriptional response dominated by immune signatures.

Differential brain microRNA expression profiles after acute and chronic infection of mice with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts (2018)
Journal Article
Hu, R., He, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Zhang, F., Zou, Y., Zhao, G., …Zhu, X. (2018). Differential brain microRNA expression profiles after acute and chronic infection of mice with Toxoplasma gondii oocysts. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9, Article 2316. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2018.02316

Metallome of cerebrovascular endothelial cells infected with Toxoplasma gondii using ?-XRF imaging and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (2018)
Journal Article
Al-sandaqchi, A. T., Brignell, C., Collingwood, J. F., Geraki, K., Mirkes, E. M., Kong, K., …Elsheikha, H. M. (2018). Metallome of cerebrovascular endothelial cells infected with Toxoplasma gondii using μ-XRF imaging and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Metallomics, 1401-1414. https://doi.org/10.1039/C8MT00136G

In this study, we measured the levels of elements in human brain microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) infected with T. gondii. ECs were infected with tachyzoites of the RH strain, and at 6, 24, and 48 hours post infection (hpi), the intracellular co... Read More about Metallome of cerebrovascular endothelial cells infected with Toxoplasma gondii using ?-XRF imaging and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry.

Parasites and pets: a veterinary nursing guide (2018)
Book
Elsheikha, H., Wright, I. G., & McGarry, J. W. (2018). H. M. Elsheikha (Ed.). Parasites and pets: a veterinary nursing guide. CAB International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1079/9781786394040.0000

This book, primarily focussing on parasitic diseases of cats and dogs, is designed specifically for veterinary nurses and students and adopts an enquiry based approach essential for consolidating knowledge and a deep practical understanding of this i... Read More about Parasites and pets: a veterinary nursing guide.

Prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in pets and their owners in Shandong province, Eastern China (2018)
Journal Article
Cong, W., Elsheikha, H. M., Zhou, N., Peng, P., Qin, S., Meng, Q., & Qian, A. (2018). Prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in pets and their owners in Shandong province, Eastern China. BMC Infectious Diseases, 18(1), Article 430. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-018-3307-2

Background: Pet ownership in China has been steadily increasing over recent years. However, the risk of pet-associated zoonotic infection with the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii remains poorly defined. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, we... Read More about Prevalence of antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii in pets and their owners in Shandong province, Eastern China.

Functional characterization of dense granule proteins in Toxoplasma gondii RH strain using CRISPR-Cas9 system (2018)
Journal Article
Bai, M., Wang, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Liang, Q., Chen, K., Nie, L., & Zhu, X. (2018). Functional characterization of dense granule proteins in Toxoplasma gondii RH strain using CRISPR-Cas9 system. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 8, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcimb.2018.00300

Infection with the apicomplexan protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is an ongoing public health problem. The parasite's ability to invade and replicate within the host cell is dependent on many effectors, such as dense granule proteins (GRAs) releas... Read More about Functional characterization of dense granule proteins in Toxoplasma gondii RH strain using CRISPR-Cas9 system.

Immunization with plasmid DNA expressing Heat Shock Protein 40 confers prophylactic protection against chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection in Kunming mice (2018)
Journal Article
Li, Z., Lu, J., Zhang, N., Elsheikha, H. M., Hou, J., Guo, H., & Zhu, X. (2018). Immunization with plasmid DNA expressing Heat Shock Protein 40 confers prophylactic protection against chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection in Kunming mice. Parasite, 25, Article 37. https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2018040

Toxoplasma gondii causes one of the most common protozoal diseases of humans and animals worldwide. With the aim of designing an effective vaccine against T. gondii infection, we examined the immunogenicity of a DNA vaccine expressing heat shock prot... Read More about Immunization with plasmid DNA expressing Heat Shock Protein 40 confers prophylactic protection against chronic Toxoplasma gondii infection in Kunming mice.

Optical sectioning in multi-foci Raman hyperspectral imaging (2018)
Journal Article
Liao, Z., Sinjab, F., Elsheikha, H. M., & Notingher, I. (2018). Optical sectioning in multi-foci Raman hyperspectral imaging. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 49(10), 1660-1667. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5450

In this study, we compared the depth-discrimination and speed performance of multi-foci Raman hyperspectral imaging with the reference standard of a single laser point confocal Raman mapping. A liquid crystal spatial light modulator (LC-SLM) was empl... Read More about Optical sectioning in multi-foci Raman hyperspectral imaging.

Immunization with a DNA vaccine cocktail encoding TgPF, TgROP16, TgROP18, TgMIC6, and TgCDPK3 genes protects mice against chronic toxoplasmosis (2018)
Journal Article
Zhang, N., Gao, Q., Wang, M., Elsheikha, H. M., Wang, B., Wang, J., …Zhu, X. (in press). Immunization with a DNA vaccine cocktail encoding TgPF, TgROP16, TgROP18, TgMIC6, and TgCDPK3 genes protects mice against chronic toxoplasmosis. Frontiers in Immunology, 9, https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2018.01505

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the intracellular protozoan Toxoplasma gondii; and a major source of infection in humans is via ingestion of T. gondii tissue cysts. Ultimately, the goal of anti-toxoplasmosis vaccines is to elicit a sust... Read More about Immunization with a DNA vaccine cocktail encoding TgPF, TgROP16, TgROP18, TgMIC6, and TgCDPK3 genes protects mice against chronic toxoplasmosis.

Transcriptomic analysis reveals Toxoplasma gondii strain-specific differences in host cell response to dense granule protein GRA15 (2018)
Journal Article
Liu, Q., Gao, W., Elsheikha, H. M., He, J., Li, F., Yang, W., & Zhu, X. (2018). Transcriptomic analysis reveals Toxoplasma gondii strain-specific differences in host cell response to dense granule protein GRA15. Parasitology Research, 117(9), 2785–2793. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5966-8

Growth and replication of the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii within host cell entail the production of several effector proteins, which the parasite exploits for counteracting the host’s immune response. Despite considerable research to define... Read More about Transcriptomic analysis reveals Toxoplasma gondii strain-specific differences in host cell response to dense granule protein GRA15.

Toxocariasis: a silent threat with a progressive public health impact (2018)
Journal Article
Chen, J., Liu, Q., Liu, G., Zheng, W., Hong, S., Sugiyama, H., …Elsheikha, H. M. (in press). Toxocariasis: a silent threat with a progressive public health impact. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 7(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-018-0437-0

Background: Toxocariasis is a neglected parasitic zoonosis that afflicts millions of the pediatric and adolescent populations worldwide, especially in impoverished communities. This disease is caused by infection with the larvae of Toxocara canis and... Read More about Toxocariasis: a silent threat with a progressive public health impact.

Hepatic metabolomics investigation in acute and chronic murine toxoplasmosis (2018)
Journal Article
Chen, X., Elsheikha, H. M., Hu, R., Hu, G., Guo, S., Zhou, C., & Zhu, X. (2018). Hepatic metabolomics investigation in acute and chronic murine toxoplasmosis. Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology, 8, doi:10.3389/fcimb.2018.00189

Toxoplasma gondii poses a great threat to human health, with no approved vaccine available for the treatment of T. gondii infection. T. gondii infections are not limited to the brain, and may also affect other organs especially the liver. Identificat... Read More about Hepatic metabolomics investigation in acute and chronic murine toxoplasmosis.

A novel recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for the rapid isothermal detection of Neospora caninum in aborted bovine fetuses (2018)
Journal Article
Tian, A., Elsheikha, H. M., Zhou, D., Wu, Y., Chen, M., Wang, M., …Zhu, X. (2018). A novel recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for the rapid isothermal detection of Neospora caninum in aborted bovine fetuses. Veterinary Parasitology, 258, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2018.06.004

The development of a method to rapidly diagnose Neospora caninum infection is highly desirable. Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), combined with lateral flow (LF) strips, is a novel approach to rapidly amplify and visualize DNA. We have deve... Read More about A novel recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay for the rapid isothermal detection of Neospora caninum in aborted bovine fetuses.

Live-attenuated Pru: Δcdpk2 strain of Toxoplasma gondii protects against acute, chronic and congenital toxoplasmosis (2018)
Journal Article
Wang, J., Li, T., Elsheikha, H. M., Chen, K., Cong, W., Yang, W., …Zhu, X. (2018). Live-attenuated Pru: Δcdpk2 strain of Toxoplasma gondii protects against acute, chronic and congenital toxoplasmosis. Journal of Infectious Diseases, 218(5), 768–777. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiy211

Background: The threat of Toxoplasma gondii infection in immunocompromised individuals and pregnant women necessitates the development of a safe and effective vaccine. Here, we examined the immune protection conferred by live-attenuated strain of T.... Read More about Live-attenuated Pru: Δcdpk2 strain of Toxoplasma gondii protects against acute, chronic and congenital toxoplasmosis.

Holographic optical trapping Raman micro-spectroscopy for interacting live cells (2018)
Working Paper
Sinjab, F., Elsheikha, H. M., Awuah, D., Gibson, G., Padgett, M., Ghaemmaghami, A. M., & Notingher, I. Holographic optical trapping Raman micro-spectroscopy for interacting live cells

We present a combined holographic optical tweezers and confocal Raman spectroscopy instrument which allows fast, flexible, and interactive manipulation with molecular measurement of interacting live cell systems. Multiple laser foci created using a s... Read More about Holographic optical trapping Raman micro-spectroscopy for interacting live cells.

A recombinant Fasciola gigantica 14-3-3 epsilon protein (rFg14-3-3e) modulates various functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (2018)
Journal Article
Tian, A., Lu, M., Calderón-Mantilla, G., Petsalaki, E., Dottorini, T., Tian, X., …Zhu, X. (2018). A recombinant Fasciola gigantica 14-3-3 epsilon protein (rFg14-3-3e) modulates various functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Parasites and Vectors, 11(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-018-2745-4

Background The molecular structure of Fasciola gigantica 14-3-3 protein has been characterized. However, the involvement of this protein in parasite pathogenesis remains elusive and its effect on the functions of innate immune cells is unknown. We... Read More about A recombinant Fasciola gigantica 14-3-3 epsilon protein (rFg14-3-3e) modulates various functions of goat peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Identification of two novel host proteins interacting with Toxoplasma gondii 14-3-3 protein by yeast two-hybrid system (2018)
Journal Article
Li, F., Liu, Q., Elsheikha, H. M., Yang, W., Hou, J., & Zhu, X. (in press). Identification of two novel host proteins interacting with Toxoplasma gondii 14-3-3 protein by yeast two-hybrid system. Parasitology Research, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5812-z

Toxoplasma gondii deploys many effector proteins in order to hijack and manipulate host cell signaling pathways, allowing parasite colonization, subversion of immune responses, and disease progression. T. gondii effector protein 14-3-3 (Tg14-3-3) pro... Read More about Identification of two novel host proteins interacting with Toxoplasma gondii 14-3-3 protein by yeast two-hybrid system.

Current status of feline lungworm in the UK (2018)
Journal Article
Gunn-Moore, D., & Elsheikha, H. M. (in press). Current status of feline lungworm in the UK. Veterinary Record, 182(4), https://doi.org/10.1136/vr.k357

Novel Entamoeba findings in nonhuman primates (2018)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Regan, C. S., & Clark, C. G. (2018). Novel Entamoeba findings in nonhuman primates. Trends in Parasitology, 34(4), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2017.12.008

In addition to well-known human-infecting species, Entamoeba species not found in humans have been identified recently in nonhuman primates (NHPs). Importantly, it has become clear that the organism identified as Entamoeba histolytica in NHPs is usua... Read More about Novel Entamoeba findings in nonhuman primates.

Serum metabolic profiling of oocyst-induced Toxoplasma gondii acute and chronic infections in mice using mass-spectrometry (2018)
Journal Article
Zhou, C., Cong, W., Chen, X., He, S., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhu, X. (2018). Serum metabolic profiling of oocyst-induced Toxoplasma gondii acute and chronic infections in mice using mass-spectrometry. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.02612

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite causing severe diseases in immunocompromised individuals and congenitally infected neonates, such as toxoplasmosis encephalitis and toxoplasmic chorioretinitis. This study aimed to determine whe... Read More about Serum metabolic profiling of oocyst-induced Toxoplasma gondii acute and chronic infections in mice using mass-spectrometry.

Expression profiles of genes involved in TLRs and NLRs signaling pathways of water buffaloes infected with Fasciola gigantica (2017)
Journal Article
Zhang, F., Hou, J., Guo, A., Tian, A., Shi, W., Sheng, Z., …Zhu, X. (2018). Expression profiles of genes involved in TLRs and NLRs signaling pathways of water buffaloes infected with Fasciola gigantica. Molecular Immunology, 94, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molimm.2017.12.007

Infection of ruminants and humans with Fasciola gigantica is attracting increasing attention due to its economic impact and public health significance. However, little is known of innate immune responses during F. gigantica infection. Here, we invest... Read More about Expression profiles of genes involved in TLRs and NLRs signaling pathways of water buffaloes infected with Fasciola gigantica.

Dynamic expression of cytokine and transcription factor genes during experimental Fasciola gigantica infection in buffaloes (2017)
Journal Article
Shi, W., Wei, Z., Elsheikha, H. M., Zhang, F., Sheng, Z., Lu, K., …Zhu, X. (2017). Dynamic expression of cytokine and transcription factor genes during experimental Fasciola gigantica infection in buffaloes. Parasites and Vectors, 10(1), Article 602. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-017-2538-1

Background Determining the mechanisms involved in the immune-pathogenesis of the tropical liver fluke, Fasciola gigantica, is crucial to the development of any effective therapeutic intervention. Here, we examined the differential gene expression... Read More about Dynamic expression of cytokine and transcription factor genes during experimental Fasciola gigantica infection in buffaloes.

Visualizing the interaction of Acanthamoeba castellanii with human retinal epithelial cells by spontaneous Raman and CARS imaging (2017)
Journal Article
Naemat, A., Sinjab, F., McDonald, A., Downes, A., Elfick, A., Elsheikha, H. M., & Notingher, I. (2018). Visualizing the interaction of Acanthamoeba castellanii with human retinal epithelial cells by spontaneous Raman and CARS imaging. Journal of Raman Spectroscopy, 49(3), 412-423. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrs.5296

Improved understanding of the mechanism of nutrient’s uptake can enable targeted manipulation of nutrient sensing pathways in medically important pathogens to a greater degree than is currently possible. In this context, we present the use of spontan... Read More about Visualizing the interaction of Acanthamoeba castellanii with human retinal epithelial cells by spontaneous Raman and CARS imaging.

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in arthritis patients in eastern China (2017)
Journal Article
Tian, A., Gu, Y., Zhou, N., Cong, W., Liu, G., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhu, X. (in press). Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in arthritis patients in eastern China. Infectious Diseases of Poverty, 6, Article 153. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40249-017-0367-2

Background: There is accumulating evidence for an increased susceptibility to infection in patients with arthritis. We sought to understand the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in arthritis patients in eastern China, given the paucity of d... Read More about Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in arthritis patients in eastern China.

Cell imaging by phonon microscopy: sub-optical wavelength ultrasound for non-invasive imaging (2017)
Journal Article
Perez-Cota, F., Smith, R. J., Moradi, E., Leija, A. L., Velickovic, K., Marques, L., …Clark, M. (2017). Cell imaging by phonon microscopy: sub-optical wavelength ultrasound for non-invasive imaging

The mechanical properties of cells play an important role in cell function and behavior. This paper presents recent developments that have enabled the use of laser-generated phonons (ultrasound) with sub-optical wavelengths to look inside living cell... Read More about Cell imaging by phonon microscopy: sub-optical wavelength ultrasound for non-invasive imaging.

Serum levels of cytokines in water buffaloes experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica (2017)
Journal Article
Zhang, F., Guo, A., Hou, J., Sun, M., Sheng, Z., Zhang, X., …Zhu, X. (2017). Serum levels of cytokines in water buffaloes experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica. Veterinary Parasitology, 244, 97-101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.07.028

Fasciola gigantica infection in water buffaloes causes significant economic losses especially 27 in developing countries. Although modulation of the host immune response by cytokine 28 neutralization or vaccination is a promising approach to control... Read More about Serum levels of cytokines in water buffaloes experimentally infected with Fasciola gigantica.

Illustrated Dictionary of Parasitology in the Post-Genomic Era (2017)
Book
Elsheikha, H., & Jarroll, E. L. (2017). Illustrated Dictionary of Parasitology in the Post-Genomic Era. Caister Academic Press Limited. https://doi.org/10.21775/9781910190678

This illustrated dictionary provides concise definitions and explanations of parasitology terms and related molecular processes presented in an easy-to-use, A-Z order with particular emphasis on terms that are of relevance to parasite biotechnology a... Read More about Illustrated Dictionary of Parasitology in the Post-Genomic Era.

Profiling of the perturbed metabolomic state of mouse spleen during acute and chronic toxoplasmosis (2017)
Journal Article
Chen, X., Zhou, C., Elsheikha, H. M., He, S., Hu, G., & Zhu, X. (2017). Profiling of the perturbed metabolomic state of mouse spleen during acute and chronic toxoplasmosis. Parasites and Vectors, 10(1), Article 339. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-017-2282-6

Background Toxoplasma gondii, a common opportunistic protozoan, is a leading cause of illness and mortality among immunosuppressed individuals and during congenital infections. Current therapeutic strategies for toxoplasmosis are not fully effecti... Read More about Profiling of the perturbed metabolomic state of mouse spleen during acute and chronic toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasma gondii infection in farmed wild boars (Sus scrofa) in three cities of northeast China (2017)
Journal Article
Bai, M., Zou, Y., Elsheikha, H. M., Ma, J., Zheng, W., Zhao, Q., …Zhu, X. (2017). Toxoplasma gondii infection in farmed wild boars (Sus scrofa) in three cities of northeast China. Foodborne Pathogens and Disease, 14(7), 379-385. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2016.2260

The apicomplexan protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii is a widely distributed etiological agent of foodborne illness. This parasite can cause production losses in livestock and serious disease in humans through consumption of contaminated meat. Pig m... Read More about Toxoplasma gondii infection in farmed wild boars (Sus scrofa) in three cities of northeast China.

Comparative proteomic analysis of virulent and avirulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii reveals strain-specific patterns (2017)
Journal Article
Zhou, D., Wang, Z., Zhou, C., He, S., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhu, X. (2017). Comparative proteomic analysis of virulent and avirulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii reveals strain-specific patterns. Oncotarget, 8(46), https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.19077

Research exploring the proteome of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts has gained momentum over the past few years. However, little is known about the oocyst’s protein repertoires that contribute to differential virulence among T. gondii strains. Here, we used... Read More about Comparative proteomic analysis of virulent and avirulent strains of Toxoplasma gondii reveals strain-specific patterns.

Immunization with Toxoplasma gondii GRA17 deletion mutant induces partial protection and survival in challenged mice (2017)
Journal Article
Wang, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Zhu, W., Chen, K., Li, T., Yue, D., …Zhu, X. (2017). Immunization with Toxoplasma gondii GRA17 deletion mutant induces partial protection and survival in challenged mice. Frontiers in Immunology, 8, Article 730. https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2017.00730

Toxoplasmosis remains a world-threatening disease largely because of the lack of a fully effective vaccine. Here, we created a ΔGRA17 mutant by disrupting the virulence factor GRA17 using CRISPR-Cas9 method. Then, we tested whether ΔGRA17 tachyzoites... Read More about Immunization with Toxoplasma gondii GRA17 deletion mutant induces partial protection and survival in challenged mice.

Proteomic differences between developmental stages of Toxoplasma gondii revealed by iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics (2017)
Journal Article
Wang, Z., Zhou, C., Elsheikha, H. M., He, S., Zhou, D., & Zhu, X. (in press). Proteomic differences between developmental stages of Toxoplasma gondii revealed by iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00985

Toxoplasma gondii has a complex two-host life-cycle between intermediate host and definitive host. Understanding proteomic variations across the life-cycle stages of T. gondii may improve the understanding of molecular adaption mechanism of T. gondii... Read More about Proteomic differences between developmental stages of Toxoplasma gondii revealed by iTRAQ-based quantitative proteomics.

Global miRNA expression profiling of domestic cat livers following acute Toxoplasma gondii infection (2017)
Journal Article
Cong, W., Zhang, X., He, J., Li, F., Elsheikha, H. M., & Zhu, X. (2017). Global miRNA expression profiling of domestic cat livers following acute Toxoplasma gondii infection. Oncotarget, 8(15), https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.16108

Although microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in liver homeostasis, the extent to which they can be altered by Toxoplasma gondii infection is unknown. Here, we utilized small RNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses to characterize miRNA expres... Read More about Global miRNA expression profiling of domestic cat livers following acute Toxoplasma gondii infection.

De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the juvenile and adult stages of Fasciola gigantica (2017)
Journal Article
Zhang, X., Cong, W., Elsheikha, H. M., Liu, G., Ma, J., Huang, W., …Zhu, X. (2017). De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the juvenile and adult stages of Fasciola gigantica. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 51, 33-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.meegid.2017.03.007

Fasciola gigantica is regarded as the major liver fluke causing fasciolosis in livestock in tropical countries. Despite the significant economic and public health impacts of F. gigantica there are few studies on the pathogenesis of this parasite and... Read More about De novo transcriptome sequencing and analysis of the juvenile and adult stages of Fasciola gigantica.

Transcriptomic responses of water buffalo liver to infection with the digenetic fluke Fasciola gigantica (2017)
Journal Article
Zhang, F., Zhang, X., Elsheikha, H. M., He, J., Sheng, Z., Zheng, W., …Zhu, X. (2017). Transcriptomic responses of water buffalo liver to infection with the digenetic fluke Fasciola gigantica. Parasites and Vectors, 10(1), Article 56. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-017-1990-2

Background Fasciola gigantica, the tropical liver fluke, infects buffaloes in Asian and African countries and causes significant economic losses and poses public health threat in these countries. However, little is known of the transcriptional respo... Read More about Transcriptomic responses of water buffalo liver to infection with the digenetic fluke Fasciola gigantica.

Functional characterization of rhoptry kinome in the virulent toxoplasma gondii RH strain (2017)
Journal Article
Wang, J., Li, T., Elsheikha, H. M., Chen, K., Zhu, W., Yue, D., …Huang, S. (in press). Functional characterization of rhoptry kinome in the virulent toxoplasma gondii RH strain. Frontiers in Microbiology, 8, Article 84. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2017.00084

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligatory intracellular apicomplexan protozoan which can infect any warm-blooded animal and causes severe diseases in immunocompromised individuals or infants infected in utero. The survival and success of this parasite requi... Read More about Functional characterization of rhoptry kinome in the virulent toxoplasma gondii RH strain.

Identification of host proteins interacting with Toxoplasma gondii GRA15 (TgGRA15) by yeast two-hybrid system (2017)
Journal Article
Liu, Q., Li, F., Elsheikha, H. M., Sun, M., & Zhu, X. (2017). Identification of host proteins interacting with Toxoplasma gondii GRA15 (TgGRA15) by yeast two-hybrid system. Parasites and Vectors, 10(1), https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-016-1943-1

Background Toxoplasma gondii, an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite, possesses the remarkable ability to co-opt host cell machinery in order to maintain its intracellular survival. This parasite can modulate signaling pathways of its host t... Read More about Identification of host proteins interacting with Toxoplasma gondii GRA15 (TgGRA15) by yeast two-hybrid system.

STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways (2016)
Journal Article
Ho, J., Pelzel, C., Begitt, A., Mee, M., Elsheikha, H. M., Scott, D. J., & Vinkemeier, U. (2016). STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways. PLoS Biology, 14(10), 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.2000117

STAT2 is the quintessential transcription factor for type 1 interferons (IFNs), where it functions as a heterodimer with STAT1. However, the human and murine STAT2-deficient phenotypes suggest important additional and currently unidentified type 1 IF... Read More about STAT2 is a pervasive cytokine regulator due to its inhibition of STAT1 in multiple signaling pathways.

Acanthamoeba castellanii : A new high-throughput method for drug screening in vitro (2016)
Journal Article
Ortega-Rivas, A., Padrón, J. M., Valladares, B., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2016). Acanthamoeba castellanii : A new high-throughput method for drug screening in vitro. Acta Tropica, 164, 95-99. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2016.09.006

Despite significant public health impact, there is no specific antiprotozoal therapy for prevention and treatment of Acanthamoeba castellanii infection. There is a need for new and efficient anti-Acanthamoeba drugs that are less toxic and can reduce... Read More about Acanthamoeba castellanii : A new high-throughput method for drug screening in vitro.

Transcriptomic analysis of mouse liver reveals a potential hepato-enteric pathogenic mechanism in acute Toxoplasma gondii infection (2016)
Journal Article
He, J., Ma, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Song, H., Huang, S., & Zhu, X. (2016). Transcriptomic analysis of mouse liver reveals a potential hepato-enteric pathogenic mechanism in acute Toxoplasma gondii infection. Parasites and Vectors, 9(1), Article 427. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-016-1716-x

Background Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide spread pathogen which can infect all tissues of its host. The transcriptomic responses of infected brain and spleen have been reported. However, our knowledge of the global transcriptomic change in infec... Read More about Transcriptomic analysis of mouse liver reveals a potential hepato-enteric pathogenic mechanism in acute Toxoplasma gondii infection.

Global iTRAQ-based proteomic profiling of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts during sporulation (2016)
Journal Article
Zhou, C., Zhu, X., Elsheikha, H. M., He, S., Li, Q., Zhou, D., & Suo, X. (2016). Global iTRAQ-based proteomic profiling of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts during sporulation. Journal of Proteomics, 148, 12-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jprot.2016.07.010

Toxoplasma gondii is a medically and economically important protozoan parasite. However, the molecular mechanisms of its sporulation remain largely unknown. Here, we applied iTRAQ coupled with 2D LC–MS/MS proteomic analysis to investigate the proteom... Read More about Global iTRAQ-based proteomic profiling of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts during sporulation.

Updates on feline aelurostrongylosis and research priorities for the next decade (2016)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., Schnyder, M., Traversa, D., Di Cesare, A., Wright, I., & Lacher, D. W. (2016). Updates on feline aelurostrongylosis and research priorities for the next decade. Parasites and Vectors, 9, https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-016-1671-6

Feline aelurostrongylosis, caused by the metastrongyloid nematode Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, is an important gastropod-borne parasitic lung disease in cats. Infection with A. abstrusus is widespread globally, but the increasing awareness of this par... Read More about Updates on feline aelurostrongylosis and research priorities for the next decade.

Tracking amino acid’s uptake into the protozoan Acanthamoeba castellanii by stable-isotope labelling and Raman spectral imaging (2016)
Journal Article
Naemat, A., Elsheikha, H. M., & Notingher, I. (2016). Tracking amino acid’s uptake into the protozoan Acanthamoeba castellanii by stable-isotope labelling and Raman spectral imaging. Proceedings of SPIE, 9887, Article 988715. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2227070

The capacity of pathogens to acquire nutrients from their host cells is one of the most fundamental aspects of infection biology. Hence, measuring the patterns of nutrients’ uptake by pathogens is essential for understanding the interactions of patho... Read More about Tracking amino acid’s uptake into the protozoan Acanthamoeba castellanii by stable-isotope labelling and Raman spectral imaging.

Proteomic profiling of mouse liver following acute Toxoplasma gondii infection (2016)
Journal Article
He, J., Ma, J., Elsheikha, H. M., Song, H., Zhou, D., & Zhu, X. (2016). Proteomic profiling of mouse liver following acute Toxoplasma gondii infection. PLoS ONE, 11(3), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0152022

© 2016 He et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credite... Read More about Proteomic profiling of mouse liver following acute Toxoplasma gondii infection.

Tracing amino acid exchange during host-pathogen interaction by combined stable-isotope time-resolved Raman spectral imaging (2016)
Journal Article
Naemat, A., Elsheikha, H. M., Boiter, R., & Notingher, I. (2016). Tracing amino acid exchange during host-pathogen interaction by combined stable-isotope time-resolved Raman spectral imaging. Scientific Reports, 6, Article 20811. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep20811

This study investigates the temporal and spatial interchange of the aromatic amino acid phenylalanine (Phe) between human retinal pigment epithelial cell line (ARPE-19) and tachyzoites of the apicomplexan protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii (T. gond... Read More about Tracing amino acid exchange during host-pathogen interaction by combined stable-isotope time-resolved Raman spectral imaging.

Metabolomic Profiling of Mice Serum during Toxoplasmosis Progression Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (2016)
Journal Article
Zhou, C. X., Zhou, D. H., Elsheikha, H., Zhao, Y., Suo, X., & Zhu, X. (2016). Metabolomic Profiling of Mice Serum during Toxoplasmosis Progression Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry. Scientific Reports, 6, https://doi.org/10.1038/srep19557

Better understanding of the molecular changes associated with disease is essential for identifying new routes to improved therapeutics and diagnostic tests. The aim of this study was to investigate the dynamic changes in the metabolic profile of mous... Read More about Metabolomic Profiling of Mice Serum during Toxoplasmosis Progression Using Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.

Global Metabolomic Profiling of Mice Brains following Experimental Infection with the Cyst-Forming Toxoplasma gondii (2015)
Journal Article
Zhou, C., Elsheikha, H., Zhou, D., Liu, G., Suo, X., & Zhu, X. (2015). Global Metabolomic Profiling of Mice Brains following Experimental Infection with the Cyst-Forming Toxoplasma gondii. PLoS ONE, 10(10), https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0139635

© 2015 Zhou et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credi... Read More about Global Metabolomic Profiling of Mice Brains following Experimental Infection with the Cyst-Forming Toxoplasma gondii.

Analysis of interaction between the apicomplexan protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and host cells using label-free Raman spectroscopy (2014)
Journal Article
Naemat, A., Elsheikha, H. M., Al-sandaqchib, A., Kong, K., Ghita, A., & Notingher, I. (2015). Analysis of interaction between the apicomplexan protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and host cells using label-free Raman spectroscopy. Analyst, 140(3), 756-764. https://doi.org/10.1039/c4an01810a

Label-free imaging using Raman micro-spectroscopy (RMS) was used to characterize the spatio-temporal molecular changes of T. gondii tachyzoites and their host cell microenvironment. Raman spectral maps were recorded from isolated T. gondii tachyzoite... Read More about Analysis of interaction between the apicomplexan protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and host cells using label-free Raman spectroscopy.

Adverse effects of antipsychotics on micro-vascular endothelial cells of the human blood-brain barrier (2014)
Journal Article
Elmorsy, E., Elzalabany, L. M., Elsheikha, H. M., & Smith, P. A. (2014). Adverse effects of antipsychotics on micro-vascular endothelial cells of the human blood-brain barrier. Brain Research, 1583(1), 255-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2014.08.011

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Although the mechanisms of action of antipsychotics (APs) on neuronal function are well understood, very little is known about their effects on cells of the blood-brain barrier (BBB); one function of which is... Read More about Adverse effects of antipsychotics on micro-vascular endothelial cells of the human blood-brain barrier.

Prevalence of Entamoeba species in captive primates in zoological gardens in the UK (2014)
Journal Article
Regan, C. S., Yon, L., Hossain, M., & Elsheikha, H. M. (2014). Prevalence of Entamoeba species in captive primates in zoological gardens in the UK. PeerJ, 2, https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.492

Effects of Neospora caninum infection on brain microvascular endothelial cells bioenergetics (2013)
Journal Article
Elsheikha, H. M., McKinlay, C. L., Elsaied, N. A., & Smith, P. A. (2013). Effects of Neospora caninum infection on brain microvascular endothelial cells bioenergetics. Parasites and Vectors, 6(24), https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-3305-6-24

Background: The brain is the most commonly affected organ during Neospora caninum infection but the mechanisms utilized by this protozoan parasite for traversal of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) are not yet understood. Herein, we investigate the cellu... Read More about Effects of Neospora caninum infection on brain microvascular endothelial cells bioenergetics.

Essentials of Veterinary Parasitology (2011)
Book
Elsheikha, H. M., & Khan, N. A. (Eds.). (2011). Essentials of Veterinary Parasitology. Caister Academic Press

Essentials of Veterinary Parasitology provides an up-to-date resource for students and practicing veterinarians on how to recognize, diagnose and treat parasitic diseases in livestock and companion animals. Featuring full-colour illustrations and a u... Read More about Essentials of Veterinary Parasitology.

Lipidomic analysis of serum from horses with strongyle infection
Journal Article
Lamb, J., Hallowell, G. D., Harris, P., Xing-Quan, Z., & Elsheikha, H. M. Lipidomic analysis of serum from horses with strongyle infection. Journal of Veterinary Science and Technology, 3(6), Article 122. https://doi.org/10.4172/2157-7579.1000122

The development of techniques capable of accurate diagnosis of strongyle infections is at the forefront of research in equine parasitology. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential, for using lipidomics in the diagnosis of strongyle infect... Read More about Lipidomic analysis of serum from horses with strongyle infection.