Pathogens such as Plasmodium, Babesia, and Theileria invade and multiply within host red blood cells, leading to the pathological consequences of malaria, babesiosis and theileriosis. Establishing continuous in vitro culture systems and suitable animal models is crucial for studying these pathogens. This review spotlights the B. duncani “in culture-in mouse (ICIM)” model as a promising resource for advancing research on the biology, pathogenicity, and virulence of intraerythrocytic parasites. The model offers practical benefits, encompassing well-defined culture conditions, ease of manipulation and a well-annotated genome. Moreover, B. duncani serves as a surrogate system for drug discovery, facilitating the evaluation of new antiparasitic drugs in vitro and in animals, elucidating their modes of action, and uncovering potential resistance mechanisms. The B. duncani ICIM model thus emerges as a multifaceted tool with profound implications, promising advancements in our understanding of parasitic biology and shaping the development of future therapies.

中文翻译：

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邓肯巴贝斯虫，一种研究红细胞内寄生和新型抗寄生虫治疗策略的模型生物

疟原虫、巴贝斯虫和泰勒虫等病原体侵入宿主红细胞并在其内繁殖，导致疟疾、巴贝斯虫病和泰勒虫病的病理后果。建立连续的体外培养系统和合适的动物模型对于研究这些病原体至关重要。这篇综述重点介绍了邓肯伯氏杆菌“小鼠培养（ICIM）”模型作为推进红细胞内寄生虫的生物学、致病性和毒力研究的有前途的资源。该模型提供了实际的好处，包括明确的培养条件、易于操作和注释良好的基因组。此外，邓肯伯氏杆菌还可以作为药物发现的替代系统，促进新的抗寄生虫药物在体外和动物体内的评估，阐明其作用模式，并揭示潜在的耐药机制。因此，邓肯伯氏杆菌 ICIM 模型成为一种具有深远意义的多方面工具，有望在我们对寄生生物学的理解和塑造未来疗法的发展方面取得进展。