Parasites: a Novel Treatment for Rheumatoid Arthritis
The 2021 Lister Science Chats: The World of Parasites.
Supported by the Lister Family Engaged Science Initiative, the Lister Science Chats connects members of the community through live science talks with researchers from the McGill Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. These chats feature Macdonald Campus graduate students giving an engaging 10-minute talk on their research and conclude with a Q&A period.
Ana Madrigal, PhD candidate, Institute of Parasitology
Parasitic infections have been linked to lower incidences of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. More specifically, Helminths have been proven to have anti-inflammatory immune regulation capabilities. We want to test whether H. polygyrus and its products can lower inflammation in a mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Through the extracting of these products, we could find a component that could be used as treatment against RA.