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Bill Sullivan, Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Indiana University

A common parasite could one day deliver drugs to the brain − how scientists are turning ‘Toxoplasma gondii’ from foe into friend

_Toxoplasma_ is often transmitted to people from contaminated food or cat feces. Dr_Microbe/iStock via Getty Images Plus

Parasites take an enormous toll on human and veterinary health. But researchers may have found a way for patients with brain disorders and a common brain parasite to become frenemies.

A new study published in Nature Microbiology has pioneered the use of a single-celled parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, to inject therapeutic proteins into brain cells. The brain is very picky about what it lets in, including many drugs, which limits treatment options for neurological conditions.

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