A team consisting of 11 institutions from six countries including BGI presented the whole-genome sequence of Trichuris suis a parasitic worm in pig. Understanding the genetics mechanisms underlying the pig parasite may aid to modify the human immune response that could result in better treatments for autoimmune diseases including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and multiple sclerosis.(Read: New drug to counter auto-immune diseases) The human whipworm (Trichuris) infects around 1 billion people worldwide and causes a disease (trichuriasis) that results in major socioeconomic loses. In contrast the pig whipworm causes disease and losses in livestock but it does not cause disease
