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Parasites Week A Way In
27 June 2014

A Way In

Causing fever, sleep disruption, neurological damage and, if untreated eventual death, sleeping sickness or African trypanosomiasis is caused by the parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei. The majority of cases are in western and central Africa; while over 7000 cases were reported in 2012, the World Health Organisation believes the actual number to be nearer 30,000 per year. Although increased drug availability has led to a reduction in reported cases over the last 50 years, still little is known about how these parasites cross the blood-brain barrier and infect the central nervous system (CNS). Pictured are trypanosomes (in yellow) interacting with four insect cells via a protein called claudin-11 on the cells’ surface. Claudin proteins have an important role in CNS function and researchers have found that trypanosomes may be attracted to them and use them to gain entry into the cells allowing them ultimately to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Written by Katie Panteli

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BPoD stands for Biomedical Picture of the Day. Managed by the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences until Jul 2023, it is now run independently by a dedicated team of scientists and writers. The website aims to engage everyone, young and old, in the wonders of biology, and its influence on medicine. The ever-growing archive of more than 4000 research images documents over a decade of progress. Explore the collection and see what you discover. Images are kindly provided for inclusion on this website through the generosity of scientists across the globe.

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