Combinations of registered drugs reduce treatment times required to deplete Wolbachia in the Litomosoides sigmodontis mouse model.

ABSTRACT: Filarial parasites can be targeted by antibiotic treatment due to their unique endosymbiotic relationship with Wolbachia bacteria. This finding has led to successful treatment strategies in both, human onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. A 4-6 week treatment course using doxycycline results in long-term sterility and safe macrofilaricidal activity in humans. However, current treatment times and doxycycline contraindications in children and pregnant women preclude widespread administration of doxycycline in public health control programs; therefore, the search for shorter anti-wolbachial regimens is a focus of ongoing research. We have established an in vivo model for compound screening, using mice infected with Litomosoides sigmodontis. We could show that gold standard doxycycline tre

SUBMITTER: Specht S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5771630 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature