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Olfactory behaviors of skin-penetrating, human-infective nematodes

Award Number: R01DC024175
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/14/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2031

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Olfactory behaviors of skin-penetrating, human-infective nematodes - PROJECT SUMMARY Skin-penetrating nematodes, including the threadworm Strongyloides stercoralis, infect over half a billion people and are a major source of morbidity worldwide. Infections can cause chronic gastrointestinal distress, stunted growth and cognitive impairment in children, and even death in the case of S. stercoralis infection. S. stercoralis and other skin-penetrating nematodes have a soil-dwelling infective larval stage that actively searches for hosts to infect and then invades hosts by penetrating directly through the skin. In previous work, we showed that S. stercoralis infective larvae navigate toward human-emitted odorants, suggesting an important role for olfaction in host seeking. However, the role of olfaction during host invasion has not been investigated, and nothing is known about the neural basis of olfaction in S. stercoralis or any other human-parasitic nematode. Here, we propose to investigate behavioral and neural mechanisms of olfaction in S. stercoralis. In Aim 1, we will examine the role of olfaction in driving host invasion, and we will determine whether distinct olfactory cues mediate host seeking vs. host invasion. We will also determine whether the olfactory cues that mediate host invasion are host- specific by conducting comparative studies with the closely related rat-parasitic nematode Strongyloides ratti. In Aim 2, we will elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying odor-driven behavior in S. stercoralis. We will identify the olfactory neurons of S. stercoralis that respond to host-associated odors, determine their role during host invasion and/or host seeking, and analyze their functional properties. A comparison of olfactory neuron response properties in S. stercoralis, S. ratti, and the free-living model worm Caenorhabditis elegans will illuminate how the S. stercoralis olfactory system has evolved to support human parasitism. Together, our results will provide critical insight into how olfaction shapes host seeking and host invasion, two essential but poorly understood steps of the parasitic nematode life cycle.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $621,457 )
2026	2026	UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES	10889 WILSHIRE BLVD STE 700	LOS ANGELES	CA	90024	LOS ANGELES	USA	Research Related to Deafness and Communication Disorders	000	1	8/12/2026	NEW	$621,457
														Subtotal = $621,457

Grand Total All Awards = $621,457

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Olfactory behaviors of skin-penetrating, human-infective nematodes

Award Number: R01DC024175

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DEAFNESS AND OTHER COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/14/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 05/31/2031

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