This Week in Parasitism
Science & Ideas
About
TWiP is a monthly netcast about eukaryotic parasites. Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier, science Professors from Columbia University, deconstruct parasites, how they cause illness, and how you can prevent infections.
Episodes
- TWiP 279: Tolling for hookworms
This Week in Parasitism episode 279 reviews a Phase 2 clinical trial of a vaccine against a hookworm enzyme essential for blood feeding. The discussion covers the N. americanus glutathione S-transferase-1 enzyme.
- TWiP 278: Trichinella from eating bear eyeballs
Vincent Racaniello, Daniel Griffin, and Christina Naula discuss Trichinella infection in a young man who ate a raw bear eyeball, and a case of appendicitis in a child with a worm in the appendix.
- TWiP 277: Rif-ing on river blindness
This episode of TWiP reviews the burden of Chagas disease and compares doxycycline and rifampicin in the treatment of onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness.
- TWiP 276: Travel history is the key
In TWiP 276, hosts discuss a patient presenting with fatigue, rash, fever, and myalgia after a hunting trip where he and a friend consumed raw Ussuri brown bear eyeballs. This case highlights the importance of travel and dietary history in…
- TWiP 275: Novel malaria vector control
This episode of TWiP reviews research on novel malaria vector control using spatial repellents in Nigerian humanitarian settings and dengue suppression methods involving male Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes.
- TWiP 274: Four tablets for bloating
TWiP solves the case of the 40 year old male who travels to India and develops intestinal bloating and diarrhea. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , em…
- TWiP 273: Intestinal parasites in dogs
TWiP reviews intestinal parasites in dogs and their association with clinical manifestations of canine visceral leishmaniasis. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podca…
- TWiP 272: Don't look and you won't find
TWiP solves the case about the man with positive Strongyloides serology who is waiting for a kidney transplant. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , ema…
- TWiP 271: The silent lesion
TWiP explores female genital schistosomiasis and associated genital infections in Southern Malawi, a neglected tropical disease. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Pod…
- TWiP 270: They bake my noodle
TWiP solves the case about the man with abnormal brain MRI, and presents a new case for your solving about a man with some electrolyte issues related to his end-stage renal disease. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christin…
- TWiP 269: Peripatetic Martin Grobusch
TWiP travels to Toronto, CA for the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene conference where they meet up with Martin Grobusch to discuss his career and his work. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula…
- TWiP 268: A loyal parasite
TWiP discusses a 41-year long human infection with Schistosoma mansoni, and CRISPR screens that reveal genes essential for Cryptosporidium survival in the host intestine. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Sub…
- TWiP 267: It dropped from her scalp
TWiP solves the case about the female who traveled to Brazil and upon returning home felt movements under her scalp on the back of her head, and present another case for your solving, a man with abnormal brain MRI. Hosts: Vincent Racaniell…
- TWiP 266: Wraps and ivermectin for malaria
TWiP explains research showing that treatment of baby wraps with an insect repellent, and oral dosing with ivermectin, are both effective measures to prevent malaria. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscri…
- TWiP 265: Things that jump are cleaner than things that squat
TWiP solves the case about the parasite check in summer camp, and presents a new case about a woman who traveled to Brazil and developed furuncles on the back of her head. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Su…
- TWiP 264: Toxoplasma changes your brain
Vincent and Daniel discuss research showing that Toxoplasma gondii infection of the brain alters extracellular vesicle production and the communication between neurons and astrocytes. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Daniel Griffin Subscribe…
- TWiP 263: Tick-tock
TWiP solves the case of the world travelers with poppy-seed size dots embedded in their skin, then present a new case about parasite check in summer camp. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): A…
- TWiP 262: Do schistosomes affect behavior?
TWiP reviews research suggesting that schistosome infection affect behavior through the gut-brain axis, and Chuck Knirsch joins to reminisce about Dickson Despommier. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Guest:…
- TWiP 261: A case for Dr. Hickam
TWiP solves the case of the pregnant woman from Tanzania with dehydration and 3 weeks of bloody stool, a situation that would confuse Ockam but not Dr. Hickam. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (fre…
- TWiP 260: Daily rhythms
TWiP explains how circadian clocks of parasite and vector circadian mediate efficient malaria transmission. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RSS , email L…
- TWiP 259: Know your knowlesi
TWiP solves the case of the man in the Malaysian city of Kucheng who presents with daily fevers and shaking chills, and serve a new clinical puzzle for you to solve. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscrib…
- TWiP 258: The deeper, the rounder
TWiP describes how a gut commensal protozoan influences respiratory disease outcomes by shaping pulmonary immunity, and body shape variation in lice that parasitize diving hosts. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina N…
- TWiP 257: Malaya and Malaysia
TWiP solves the case of the man in the Malaysian city of Kucheng who presents with left arm swelling, and presents a new case for you to decipher. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Pod…
- TWiP 256: Amazing antimalarial drug resistance
TWiP explains a study that carries out selection of Plasmodium falciparum in the presence of inhibitors to identify determinants of drug resistance, and a paleoparasitological analysis of a 5th–16th c. CE latrine. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello…
- TWiP 255: Katayama fever
Michelle Labrunda joins TWiP to solve the case of the Georgian in Guinea with fever and dry cough, and describe a new case for you to solve. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Guest: Michelle Labrunda Subscrib…
- TWiP 254: Our hero Dickson
TWiP explains a study which finds that tissue spaces are reservoirs of antigenic diversity for Trypanosoma brucei, then remembers our departed colleague Dickson Despommier. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula C…
- TWiP 253: Sub-Saharan somnolence
TWiP solves the case of the man with somnolence and something extra-erythrocytic, and presents a new puzzle for you to solve. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcas…
- TWiP 252: For malaria vaccine, mosquito is the needle
TWiP discusses a study of the safety and immunogenicity of a late liver-stage attenuated malaria parasite delivered by mosquito bite. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Googl…
- TWiP 251: Case of the facial ulcer
TWiP solves the case of the woman who went to Belize and notices a lesion on her face, and presents a new clinical case for you to solve. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , G…
- TWiP 250: Gut bacteria help Trichinella suppress colitis
TWiP reviews a study showing that the gut microbiota is essential for suppression of colitis by Trichinella spiralis . Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RS…
- TWiP 249: A virus and a parasite
TWiP solves the case of the middle-aged man with eosinophilia and a history of sexual activity with paid sex workers in Okinawa, and presents a new case for you to solve. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Sub…
- TWiP 248: Toxoplasma reduces Alzheimer's disease
TWiP reviews the observation that infection of Azlheimer's disease mice with Toxoplasma gondii reduces brain amyloid density globally and regionally. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Sub…
- TWiP 247: Manhattan mystery malady
TWiP solves the case of the Manhattan man with pain on urination or ejaculation, and presents a new case for you to solve. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcas…
- TWiP 246: Everything spiral: a worm in a hurry
TWiP taps into Dickson's knowledge of Trichinella to discuss an outbreak in humans who consumed rare bear meat, and the impact of globalization and climate change on the epidemiology of the species. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Desp…
- TWiP 245: Flying purple people eater with Ben LaBrot
Founder of Floating Doctors Ben LaBrot joins TWiP to solve the case of the 1 year old in northeastern Panama with a fatal leg infection, followed by a discussion of the history and mission of Floating Doctors. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , D…
- TWiP 244: Engineering Toxoplasma
Lilach Sheiner joins TWiP to talk about her career and her work on engineering Toxoplasma gondii secretion systems for intracellular delivery of multiple large therapeutic proteins to neurons. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier…
- TWiP 243: Don't blame it on Mexico
TWiP solves the case of the Woman with White Worms, and submits a new case involving a 1 year old in northeastern Panama with a fatal leg infection. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subs…
- TWiP 242: Worms impair COVID vaccines
TWiP reviews a study showing that intestinal helminth infection impairs vaccine-induced T cell responses through an IL-10 pathway, which compromised protection against antigenically drifted SARS-CoV-2 variants. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello ,…
- TWiP 241: There once was a patient from China
- TWiP 240: A daily history of malaria with Sean Murphy
Sean Murphy joins TWiP to discuss his career and the work of his laboratory to assess the daily natural history of asymptomatic Plasmodium infections in adults and older children in Katakwi, Uganda. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Desp…
- TWiP 239: Cryptosporidiosis from NYC tap water in an AIDS patient
TWiP solves the case of the AIDS patient who developed fever and watery diarrhea after drinking NYC tap water, and present a new case for your sleuthing. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello and Daniel Griffin Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Googl…
- TWiP 238: Eliminating sleeping sickness
Michael Barrett joins TWiP to discuss progress in the elimination of human African trypanosomiasis caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense . Hosts: Daniel Griffin , Dickson Despommier and Christina Naula Guest: Michael Barrett Subscribe (fr…
- TWiP 237: Pass the venison, deer with Marilyn Fabbri
Marilyn Fabbri joins TWiP to reveal the case of a patient who became very ill after he and a number of friends attended a large dinner where venison and boar were served. Hosts: Daniel Griffin , Dickson Despommier and Christina Naula Guest…
- TWiP 236: Prime-and-trap vaccine for malaria
Marion Avril of MalarVx, Inc. joins TWiP to discuss an accelerated prime-and-trap regimen using repRNA-based circumsporozoite vaccine. Hosts: Dickson Despommier and Christina Naula Guest: Marion Avril Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Goo…
- TWiP 235: The case of the regurgitated wriggler
TWiP solves the case of a man in his 50s reporting months of abdominal discomfort, who takes mebendazole and some time afterwards vomits a worm into the sink. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Daniel Griffin , and Christina…
- TWiP 234: Hookworms and a leech - parasites suck!
TWiP discusses hookworm infection and the phase 1 clinical trial for a hookworm vaccine that could one day protect children from the hookworm anaemia, and reduce transmission of this infection. Hosts: Dickson Despommier , Daniel Griffin ,…
- TWiP 233: Cryptosporidium not cryptocurrency
TWiP solves the case of the physician with no significant previous medical history who is currently doing their fellowship training develops diarrhea, and presents a new clinical case for our astute listeners to solve. Hosts: Vincent Racan…
- TWiP 232: Lives of Wolbachia
TWiP reviews the cellular lives of Wolbachia, a gram-negative bacteria that infects many arthropods and filarial nematodes with very different outcomes – parasitism or mutualism. Hosts: Dickson Despommier , Daniel Griffin , and Christina N…
- TWiP 231: Scotch in drink and tape
TWiP solves the case of the Woman With White Worms, and presents a new clinical case to decipher. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula Subscribe (free): Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , RS…
- TWiP 230: Healing cutaneous leishmaniasis with Maria Adelaida Gomez
Maria Adelaida Gomez joins TWiP to discuss her career and the work of her laboratory on understanding the healing process during cutaneous leishmaniasis. Hosts: Vincent Racaniello , Dickson Despommier , Daniel Griffin , and Christina Naula…