Abstract
The discovery that schistosomes possess adult stem cells could explain the long-term persistence of these parasitic worms in humans. Targeting a protein produced by the cells might damage schistosome defences. See Letter p.476 Adult stem cells (or neoblasts) are found in free-living planarians and parasitic tapeworms and can support impressive feats of tissue regeneration. Phillip Newmark and colleagues now report the identification of adult stem cells in the human parasite Schistosoma mansoni. This trematode flatworm, also known as the blood fluke, infects millions of people worldwide. The schistosomal stem cells proliferate and differentiate into derivatives of multiple germ layers, and express a fibroblast growth factor receptor orthologue. Using RNA interference, the authors showed that this gene is required for the maintenance of the neoblast-like cells. These findings might help to elucidate the mechanisms that promote the parasite's longevity and so could be relevant for medical treatment.
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