Parasites vs. Humans: The Last 50 Years

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Allen Press, Inc.

Apr 27, 2015, 16:35 ET

Lawrence, Kansas (PRWEB) April 27, 2015 -- The Journal of Parasitology – The battle between humanity and parasites is a constant struggle. As parasites grow stronger by developing immunities, new treatments must be created in response. On the frontlines of this struggle are parasitologists, scientists who specialize in studying various parasites (including insects, worms, viruses, and bacteria) and their hosts.

The article “Anthelmintic Drug Discovery: Into the Future,” in The Journal of Parasitology surveys both the history and the future of developing antiparasitic drugs, focusing on those that destroy or expel intestinal worms. The authors believe that the current paths taken by many researchers and drug companies are lacking in direction; they need new methods to get ahead of the struggle instead of reacting to each new case as it arises.

Learning more about the fundamental biology, biochemistry, and physiology of parasites will aid in more precisely targeted screenings when searching for illnesses. Another goal is to include more quality checks during the drug discovery phase; such procedures would allow ineffective compounds to be rejected earlier and research to proceed on those with real value. Researchers are hindered by the lack of acceptable life-cycle stages of parasites for drug research and would like to develop an egg-to-egg culture system. Such a development could revolutionize the understanding of host-parasite relationships and lead to developing stronger and more useful medicines.

Full text of the article, “Anthelmintic Drug Discovery: Into the Future,” Journal of Parasitology, Vol. 101, No. 2, 2015, is available at http://www.journalofparasitology.org.

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About The Journal of Parasitology The Journal of Parasitology is the official journal of the American Society of Parasitologists (ASP). It is a medium for the publication of new original research, primarily on parasitic animals, and official business of the ASP. The journal is intended for all with interests in basic or applied aspects of general, veterinary, medical parasitology, and epidemiology. For more information, visit http://www.journalofparasitology.org.

Taylor Fulton, Allen Press, Inc., +1 8006270326 Ext: 410, [email protected]