Polymorphism in ion channel genes of Dirofilaria immitis: Relevant knowledge for future anthelmintic drug design.

ABSTRACT: Dirofilaria immitis, a filarial parasite, causes cardiopulmonary dirofilariasis in dogs, cats and wild canids. The macrocyclic lactone (ML) class of drugs has been used to prevent heartworm infection. There is confirmed ML resistance in D. immitis and thus there is an urgent need to find new anthelmintics that could prevent and/or control the disease. Targeting ion channels of D. immitis for drug design has obvious advantages. These channels, present in the nematode nervous system, control movement, feeding, mating and respond to environmental cues which are necessary for survival of the parasite. Any new drug that targets these ion channels is likely to have a motility phenotype and should act to clear the worms from the host. Many of the successful anthelmintics in the past have targeted

SUBMITTER: Mani T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5196487 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature