In additional to being an important pathogen, Leucocytozoon can
be a valuable model for studying host-parasite interaction. For
example, the parasites can transform the host blood cells into
spindle-shaped cells. It would be interesting to investigate whether
the infected cells can still function properly during infection.
Elucidating the mechanism and signaling pathways during host
cell transformation by the parasite may provide important
information for disease control and for understanding host cell
differentiation and development. The availability of large numbers
of parasite strains with unique genotypes will provide plentiful
resources of parasite clones for genetic crosses and for genetic
mapping genes controlling important parasite traits. Finally, the
presence of merozoites in the liver for a long period of time and
the ‘relapse’ of gametocytemia could be explored as an in vivo
system for testing drugs against tissue stages or gametocytes of
Apicomplexan parasites.