Octopamine signaling in the metazoan pathogen Schistosoma mansoni: localization, small-molecule screening and opportunities for drug development.

ABSTRACT: Schistosomiasis is a tropical disease caused by a flatworm trematode parasite that infects over 200 million people worldwide. Treatment and control of the disease rely on just one drug, praziquantel. The possibility of drug resistance coupled with praziquantel's variable efficacy encourages the identification of new drugs and drug targets. Disruption of neuromuscular homeostasis in parasitic worms is a validated strategy for drug development. In schistosomes, however, much remains to be understood about the organization of the nervous system, its component neurotransmitters and potential for drug discovery. Using synapsin as a neuronal marker, we map the central and peripheral nervous systems in the Schistosoma mansoni adult and schistosomulum (post-infective larva). We discover the

SUBMITTER: El-Sakkary N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6078403 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature