--- title: "Scientists Surprised by DNA in Worms That Control Hosts’ Brains" description: "We know that parasitic worms called hairworms can \"mind control\" their host. But as it turns out, they're also missing huge amounts of genes." date: "2023-07-20" modified: "2023-07-20" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/weird-dna-found-worms-control-hosts-brains" categories: - "DNA" - "Genetics" - "Health & Medicine" tags: - "parasites" - "parasitic worm" - "the digest" --- # Scientists Surprised by DNA in Worms That Control Hosts’ Brains ![We know that parasitic worms called hairworms can "mind control" their host. But as it turns out, they're also missing huge amounts of genes.]() *\Image: Andreas Schmidt-Rhaesa via Wikimedia Commons\* ## Spaghetti Yeerk For years, researchers have known about a species of parasitic critters called hairworms that can "mind control" their host by [hijacking their cognitive functions](). Now, it turns out the spaghetti-like organisms that spend almost their entire lives inside other animals' bodies have yet another peculiar claim to fame. As detailed in a [new paper]() published in the journal *Current Biology*, hairworms lack a startling proportion of the genes researchers expected them to have — which only adds to their already mystifying nature. "What we found, which was very surprising, was that both hairworm genomes were missing about 30 percent of a set of genes that are expected to be present across basically all groups of animals," said Tauana Cunha, a postdoctoral researcher at Chicago's Field Museum and lead author of the study, in a [statement]() about the findings. ## Worm Bodies Hairworms were already a bit of an oddball in the animal kingdom. "One of the coolest things, maybe the thing that they are most known for, is that they can affect the behavior of their hosts and make them do things that they wouldn't do otherwise," Cunha enthused. But as it turns out, that isn't the only quality that sets them apart. After analyzing and sequencing DNA samples from two hairworm species, Cunha and her colleagues found something astonishing. "Cilia are organelles, small structures at the cellular level, that are basically present across all animals and even more broadly, in protists and some plants and fungi," Cunha explained. "So they're present across a large diversity of life on Earth." The researchers concluded that hairworms likely don't have any cilia, since they don't have the "machinery to make cilia in the first place," as Cunha explained. That means the researchers are now left with even more questions. How can hairworms survive without these near-ubiquitous biological features? Do they get by without them since they spend most of their lives living off their host? It's a significant puzzle that'll require further research to solve. Cunha suggests we could compare the genes of these hairworms to other mind-controlling parasites to see if we can find some "similarities" — a grisly subject matter that's as fascinating as it is gruesome. **More on parasites:** *[Terrifying Parasite Can Actually Triple an Ant's Lifespan]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()