{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,3]],"date-time":"2026-05-03T03:07:39Z","timestamp":1777777659211,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]],"date-time":"2025-10-22T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1761091200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100010679","name":"Pasteur Institute of Iran","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100010679","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL), caused by\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>Leishmania major<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    , is a neglected tropical disease affecting impoverished populations. Current treatments are limited by cost, resistance, and side effects, highlighting the need for affordable, sustainable interventions.\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>Lucilia sericata<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    larvae, used in maggot therapy, effectively treat chronic wounds through debridement, antimicrobial activity, and healing promotion. This study explores how\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. sericata<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    processes\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. major<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    and proposes its potential application in ZCL treatment. The life cycles of\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. sericata<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    and\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. major<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    were maintained in laboratory conditions. Larval-parasite interactions were tested across substrates [hen liver, rat spleen, Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) 1640 cell culture medium] and time intervals (30\u2013240 minutes). Extracorporeal effects were evaluated using trypan blue exclusion and MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assays; intracorporeal interactions via microscopy and nested-PCR targeting\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. major<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    rRNA genes.\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. sericata<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    excretion\/secretion products and microbiota exhibited strong anti-leishmanial activity. Promastigotes were deformed within 1 hour post-exposure (hpe), fully inactivated at 4 hpe, and lysed by 6 hpe. In RPMI medium, the treatment group (\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. sericata<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    \u2009+\u2009\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. major<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    ) showed significant reductions in active parasites and viable cells compared to controls after 4 hours. Microscopy revealed no parasites in larval guts, but PCR detected\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. major<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    DNA in all specimens, suggesting partial digestion. This study demonstrates that\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. sericata<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    can eliminate\n                    <jats:italic>\n                      <jats:italic>L. major<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:italic>\n                    through intra- and extra-oral digestion, supporting its potential as a biotherapeutic agent for ZCL-associated wounds. These findings offer a foundation for developing larval therapy protocols in dermatology. Further studies in animal models and clinical trials are required to validate this approach for managing ZCL.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0334553","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,22]],"date-time":"2025-10-22T17:32:03Z","timestamp":1761154323000},"page":"e0334553","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["From pre-oral secretions to gut digestion: How do Lucilia sericata (Diptera: Calliphoridae) larvae handle Leishmania 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