Assistant Professor Texas A&M University College Station, Texas
Tick-borne diseases have been increasing in incidence, and their geographic range has doubled in recent years. This has become a concern to public health specialists. The success of ticks is partially explained by their ability to secrete hemostatic, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory biomolecules within their saliva. Extracellular vesicles are lipid-rich blebs involved in cell-cell communication, which are involved in several pathologies and physiological processes. Our research focuses on investigating this novel mechanism for the secretion of bioactive molecules by ticks and their effect on pathogen transmission.
