TY - JOUR
T1 - Applications of artificial membrane feeding for ixodid ticks
AU - González, Julia
AU - Bickerton, Mathew
AU - Toledo, Alvaro
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank Lars Eisen for his feedback and comments on the manuscript.
PY - 2021/3
Y1 - 2021/3
N2 - Ticks are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites that feed on a large variety of vertebrates. In the laboratory, animals (mainly mice and rabbits) are used to maintain tick colonies. However, the use of animals to rear ticks can be expensive and requires dedicated animal facilities. In addition, research institutions are committed to the principle of 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement), which encourages the use of alternatives to animals when possible. The development of artificial membrane systems has provided an alternative to animals, at least for some tick species. Over the years, different modifications in artificial feeding systems have led to new applications, including acaricide testing, tick-pathogen interaction, and novel approaches to study tick physiology. Although artificial membrane feeding still has some limitations, the method can provide numerous advantages, including the standardization of acaricide treatments under controlled conditions, an alternative to animals for tick rearing, and reduction of cost associated with animals and animal housing facilities. In this review, we summarized the evolution of tick feeding membranes and their applications over time, explaining the modifications incorporated to study tick physiology, tick-pathogen interactions, and acaricide testing.
AB - Ticks are obligatory hematophagous ectoparasites that feed on a large variety of vertebrates. In the laboratory, animals (mainly mice and rabbits) are used to maintain tick colonies. However, the use of animals to rear ticks can be expensive and requires dedicated animal facilities. In addition, research institutions are committed to the principle of 3Rs (Replacement, Reduction and Refinement), which encourages the use of alternatives to animals when possible. The development of artificial membrane systems has provided an alternative to animals, at least for some tick species. Over the years, different modifications in artificial feeding systems have led to new applications, including acaricide testing, tick-pathogen interaction, and novel approaches to study tick physiology. Although artificial membrane feeding still has some limitations, the method can provide numerous advantages, including the standardization of acaricide treatments under controlled conditions, an alternative to animals for tick rearing, and reduction of cost associated with animals and animal housing facilities. In this review, we summarized the evolution of tick feeding membranes and their applications over time, explaining the modifications incorporated to study tick physiology, tick-pathogen interactions, and acaricide testing.
KW - Artificial feeding
KW - Feeding
KW - Rearing
KW - Tick
KW - Tick-borne pathogens
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U2 - 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105818
DO - 10.1016/j.actatropica.2020.105818
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85098889820
VL - 215
JO - Acta Tropica
JF - Acta Tropica
SN - 0001-706X
M1 - 105818
ER -