Anti-inflammatory proteins from ticks
- Post by: CIPPS
- 12 June 2020
- Comments off
What’s one good thing about ticks? That question may not seem to have a logical answer, but Charlotte Franck and Professor Richard Payne’s research may transform tick saliva into novel treatments for inflammatory disease!
Tick saliva contains a mix of proteins that prevent inflammation and reduce pain. This complex protein mix is why a host doesn’t feel a hungry tick latched on tight. This might not sound like a good thing, but researchers are investigating the power of these anti-inflammatory proteins called evasins. Evasin proteins in the saliva allow ticks to “evade” a host’s inflammatory immune response. Researchers hope to use evasins to “evade” the inflammation and pain caused by human diseases as well. Surprising as it may be, researchers are harnessing the power of tick saliva for good! More details available on the UNSW website.