Exposure to hycanthone alters chromatin structure around specific gene functions and specific repeats in Schistosoma mansoni.

ABSTRACT: Schistosoma mansoni is a parasitic plathyhelminth responsible for intestinal schistosomiasis (or bilharzia), a disease affecting 67 million people worldwide and causing an important economic burden. The schistosomicides hycanthone, and its later proxy oxamniquine, were widely used for treatments in endemic areas during the twentieth century. Recently, the mechanism of action, as well as the genetic origin of a stably and Mendelian inherited resistance for both drugs was elucidated in two strains. However, several observations suggested early on that alternative mechanisms might exist, by which resistance could be induced for these two drugs in sensitive lines of schistosomes. This induced resistance appeared rapidly, within the first generation, but was metastable (not stably inherited). E

SUBMITTER: Roquis D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4099960 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature