Scientists are investigating whether the invasive capabilities of toxoplasmic parasites could be put to good use. One team engineered Toxoplasma to include protein that regulates gene activity in the brain, effectively then delivering that protein to neurons grown in a petri dish as well as in the brains of infected mice. While the methodology will take time to refine for human use– as toxoplasma infection can cause serious damage to critical organs—the approach has promise to overcome the challenge of delivering drugs through the blood-brain barrier, which typically blocks most foreign materials from penetrating.
