Abstract
Helminth-mediated immunomodulation has been extensively studied in animal models, demonstrating its potential as both a prophylactic and therapeutic option for inflammatory lung diseases. However, its role in attenuating respiratory virus-induced inflammation remains largely unexplored. In this study, we examined whether pre-existing infection with the helminth Trichinella spiralis confers protection against pulmonary pathology induced by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in mice. Mice with prior T. spiralis infection exhibited reduced pulmonary inflammation and lower viral titers in the lungs compared with RSV-infected controls. Transcriptomic profiling of lung tissue using RNA sequencing identified 407 differentially expressed genes. Among these, enrichment was observed in categories associated with the Gene Ontology (GO) terms "inflammatory response" (GO:0006954) and "defense response to virus" (GO:0051607). Selected genes from these categories were further validated by quantitative real-time PCR. Validation confirmed that co-exposure to T. spiralis and RSV resulted in attenuated expression of inflammation-related genes. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that pre-existing T. spiralis infection can alleviate virus-induced pulmonary pathology and inflammation, highlighting its potential as a novel therapeutic approach for respiratory inflammatory diseases.