Adaptive metabolic reprogramming of the brain tissue during late-stage Trypanosoma brucei infection maintains host learning and memory.

Stage II infection in a bioluminescent murine model of human African trypanosomiasis shows an unprecedented 1.8-fold decrease in global brain glucose metabolism.

• Why it matters: This addresses how central nervous system infection alters brain energy use while neurological symptoms progress, yet learning and memory may remain intact.
• What they did: The study tracked parasite localization and measured host brain gene expression, metabolism, and behaviour across infection, including an 18-fold decrease in brain insulin transcripts and time-varying mitochondrial programmes.
• The result: Brain metabolic reprogramming diverts energy away from glycolysis toward fatty acids and lipids during stage II, while anxiety-like behaviour is unchanged and episodic learning and memory are not impaired.