title: Culture of Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes: an alternative to animal use.
abstract: This article reviews the use of an in vitro culture model for the maintenance and proliferation of Echinococcus multilocularis metacestodes and the formation of protoscoleces. This model has been used to identify and characterize parasite molecules involved in host-parasite interactions, and is a suitable tool to perform in vitro drug-screening assays. The development of a simple and easy-to-handle assay to determine the effects of drugs on parasite viability, without the need for time-consuming animal experimentation, has opened the way for larger-scale in vitro drug screening.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, University of Bern, Länggass-Strasse 122, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland. hemphill@ipa.unibe.ch
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hemphill
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stettler
authors.forename: Mirjam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siles-Lucas
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fink
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gottstein
mesh_terms: D000826:Animal Testing Alternatives / Q000379:methods*; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D004446:Echinococcus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D015801:Helminth Proteins