The Journey to Discovering a Flatworm Target of Praziquantel: A Long TRP. Trends Parasitol 2020 Feb;36(2):182-194
Date
12/04/2019Pubmed ID
31787521Pubmed Central ID
PMC6937385DOI
10.1016/j.pt.2019.11.002Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85075830633 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 50 CitationsAbstract
Infections caused by parasitic flatworms impose a considerable worldwide health burden. One of the most impactful is schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic blood flukes. Treatment of schistosomiasis has relied on a single drug - praziquantel (PZQ) - for decades. The utility of PZQ as an essential medication is, however, intertwined with a stark gap in our knowledge as to how this drug works. No flatworm target has been identified that readily explains how PZQ paralyzes and damages schistosomes. Recently, a schistosome ion channel was discovered that is activated by PZQ and displays characteristics which mirror key features of PZQ action on schistosomes. Here, the journey to discovery of this target, properties of this ion channel, and remaining questions are reviewed.
Author List
Park SK, Marchant JSAuthors
Jonathan S. Marchant PhD Chair, Professor in the Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy department at Medical College of WisconsinSang Kyu Park PhD Research Scientist I in the Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AnimalsAnthelmintics
Ion Channels
Praziquantel
Schistosoma
Schistosomiasis