title: Treatment of echinococcosis: albendazole and mebendazole--what else?
abstract: The search for novel therapeutic options to cure alveolar echinococcosis (AE), due to the metacestode of Echinococcus multilocularis, is ongoing, and these developments could also have a profound impact on the treatment of cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the closely related Echinococcus granulosus s.l. Several options are being explored. A viable strategy for the identification of novel chemotherapeutically valuable compounds includes whole-organism drug screening, employing large-scale in vitro metacestode cultures and, upon identification of promising compounds, verification of drug efficacy in small laboratory animals. Clearly, the current focus is targeted towards broad-spectrum anti-parasitic or anti-cancer drugs and compound classes that are already marketed, or that are in development for other applications. The availability of comprehensive Echinococcus genome information and gene expression data, as well as significant progress on the molecular level, has now opened the door for a more targeted drug discovery approach, which allows exploitation of defined pathways and enzymes that are essential for the parasite. In addition, current in vitro and in vivo models that are used to assess drug efficacy should be optimized and complemented by methods that give more detailed information on the host-parasite interactions that occur during drug treatments. The key to success is to identify, target and exploit those parasite molecules that orchestrate activities essential to parasite survival.
authors.affiliation: Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hemphill
authors.affiliation: Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Stadelmann
authors.affiliation: Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Reto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rufener
authors.affiliation: Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spiliotis
authors.affiliation: Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ghalia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boubaker
authors.affiliation: Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Clinical Radiology, Bremgartenstrasse 109a, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gorgas
authors.affiliation: Vetsuisse Faculty, Institute of Parasitology, University of Berne, Länggass-Strasse 122, 3012 Berne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gottstein
mesh_terms: D015766:Albendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D017291:Clarithromycin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D054697:Cytostatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015195:Drug Design; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004443:Echinococcosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D048210:Echinococcus multilocularis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005544:Forecasting; D006146:Guanidines / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015801:Helminth Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects; D008463:Mebendazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015767:Mefloquine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051379:Mice; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D013844:Thiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013876:Thiophenes / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics; D054697:Cytostatic Agents; C570443:DB1127; D006146:Guanidines; D015801:Helminth Proteins; D007093:Imidazoles; D009574:Nitro Compounds; D013844:Thiazoles; D013876:Thiophenes; D008463:Mebendazole; D015766:Albendazole; D017291:Clarithromycin; C041747:nitazoxanide; D015767:Mefloquine