{
  "id": 3554194,
  "title": "Chagas parasite's survival trick offers antimalarial-style target",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/chagas-parasites-survival-trick-offers-antimalarial-style-target",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-26T17:40:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-08-chagas-parasite-survival-antimalarial-style.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chagas disease, a parasitic infection spread by kissing bugs across Central and South America and increasingly in the United States, poses a significant threat. The disease often remains undiagnosed, leading to fatal complications that claim about 12,000 lives annually, according to health officials. UC Assistant Professor Noelia Lander describes Chagas as a \"silent killer\" because many individuals remain unaware of their infection until it is too late.\n\nChagas is caused by the parasite T. cruzi, which resides within the digestive system of kissing bugs. Biologists discovered that the parasite relies on compartmentalized messenger molecules to manage its survival and infection processes. One molecule helps cells adapt to environmental stress during transitions between hosts, while another enables the parasite to resist the human immune system and reproduce. These distinct functions offer potential targets for interrupting the parasite's deadly life cycle.\n\nThe research, published in the journal PLOS Pathogens, utilized advanced techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing, immunofluorescence analysis, and electron microscopy to study how T. cruzi survives extreme environmental variations during its transitions between insect hosts, the environment, and mammalian hosts. UC doctoral student and lead author Milad Ahmed emphasized the significance of this research, stating that it could lead to effective health interventions and improve people's lives.",
  "summary": "Researchers at the University of Cincinnati have identified a potential new target to prevent the spread of Chagas disease. The parasitic infection is transmitted through the bite of the kissing bug in Central and South America and, more recently, in the United States.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Medical Xpress",
        "title": "How the Chagas disease parasite 'activates' its infectious form",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/how-the-chagas-disease-parasite-activates-its-infectious-form",
        "published": "2026-08-24T15:20:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}