Development and validation of a quantitative, high-throughput, fluorescent-based bioassay to detect schistosoma viability.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Schistosomiasis, caused by infection with the blood fluke Schistosoma, is responsible for greater than 200,000 human deaths per annum. Objective high-throughput screens for detecting novel anti-schistosomal targets will drive 'genome to drug' lead translational science at an unprecedented rate. Current methods for detecting schistosome viability rely on qualitative microscopic criteria, which require an understanding of parasite morphology, and most importantly, must be subjectively interpreted. These limitations, in the current state of the art, have significantly impeded progress into whole schistosome screening for next generation chemotherapies.

Methodology/principal findings

We present here a microtiter plate-based method for reproducibly detecting schistosom

SUBMITTER: Peak E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2910722 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature