Roadmap for development of therapeutics for helminths

What are we trying to achieve and why? What is the problem we are trying to solve?

• A deeper knowledge of the host-helminth parasite interaction is a critical issue for developing novel therapeutic
  strategies to improve parasite control in livestock. The response to the following questions should guide research in this field:
• What are the main factors that influence the host-parasite dynamic?
• Can we achieve a better understanding of host immune reactions responsible for protection against helminths in
  livestock animals?
• Can we further identify the parasite molecules (antigens) that induce the immune responses in the host?
• How do different parasite species interact within the host? Can one affect the survival of other parasite species?
• Does an anthelmintic treatment affect the immune response of the host?
• How do host immunity and different parasite species influence the response (efficacy) of an anthelmintic
  treatment?

What are the scientific and technological challenges (knowledge gaps needing to be addressed)?

• To determine parasite and host factors leading to persistent infection in the host.
• Poor understanding of parasite-host interactions at the molecular level.
• Lack of knowledge about mechanisms of immunity against parasites in livestock animals (particularly in in cattle).
• What are the factors that influence co-infection among different helminthspecies?
• To determine how the host immunity status influences the efficacy of an anthelmintictreatment.
• To what extent does the interaction with the gut microbiome effect the host-immune response to parasites and how does this impact the overall immune state of the host?

What approaches could/should be taken to address the research question?

• Investigation of the main factors that influence the host-parasite dynamic under natural field conditions.
• Field studies of host immune responses(innate and acquired) in animals exposed tonatural parasite infection (co-infection with different parasite species).
• Evaluation of the efficacy of an anthelmintic treatment in livestock animals with different immunity status under field conditions.
• Study the interactions of the ‘nemabiome’ and the microbiome

What else needs to be done before we can solve this need?

• Improvement of tools to measure immune responses in livestock animals.
• Better understanding of parasite-host interactions at the molecular level.
• Better description of interactions between field parasite populations through molecular tools to identify helminth species.
• Better understanding of nemabiome-microbiome interactions at the molecular level

Existing knowledge including successes and failures

• Ability to maintain immune responses against helminths is different between livestock animals.
• Existing knowledge about the complexity of parasite immunity in livestock animals.
• Lack of studies under field conditions with animals naturally parasitised.