Yu Cui
Research
Intestinal helminth parasites, like schistosomes and hookworms, have evolved various mechanisms to evade and counteract host immune responses, enabling long-term parasitism. These advanced immunoregulatory strategies may also confer additional health benefits as a ‘side-effect’. In regions endemic to helminths, populations tend to exhibit lower rates of allergies, asthma, and chronic inflammatory conditions. This phenomenon has been linked to helminth molecules that play crucial roles in modulating the host immune system. For example, schistosomes produce excretory and secretory (ES) products, which include bioactive molecules and extracellular vesicles (EVs). My research aims to investigate how helminth infection influences respiratory mucosal immune responses, leading to downstream regulation of type 2 inflammation, such as asthma. These effects may involve enhancing or suppressing cytokine production, modulation of enzymatic reactions (such as oxidative stress), and the regulation of inflammatory antibodies. To explore these mechanisms, I study immune responses and inflammatory antibodies in nasal lining fluid of schoolchildren living in helminth-endemic areas (Sulawesi, Indonesia), as well as the impact of recombinant schistosome-derived molecules in vitro models consisting of human primary bronchial epithelial cells and monocyte-derived dendritic cells in collaboration with the PulmoScience group (https://www.pulmosciencelableiden.com/) at LUMC.
Curriculum vitae
I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Medicine from Soochow University (2012-2017) and a Master’s degree in General Surgery from Qinghai University (2018-2021). During my master's studies, I completed 33 months of residency training and did an internship focused on the effect of autophagy on macrophage polarization in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis, under the supervision of Prof. Haining Fan and Dr. Shengjun Fan. In November 2022, I started my PhD training in the Department of Parasitology at LUMC, where I am currently supervised by Prof. Hermelijn Smits and Prof. Ron Hokke, with Dr. Willianne Hoepel as my co-supervisor.
