title: Overcoming drug resistance for macro parasites.
abstract: Helminth infections impose burden on human and livestock populations, and their control predominantly relies on periodic mass administration of anthelmintic drugs. However, recent emergence of drug resistance among parasites to currently available drugs raises serious problems for continuation of control strategies and achievement of elimination of parasitic diseases. This review discusses the problem of anthelmintic resistance in humans and livestock, and suggests steps that can be taken to overcome this problem. To achieve the goals of morbidity reduction or elimination of infection we need to develop novel tools, including more efficacious drugs, vaccines and/or antivectorial agents; new diagnostics for infection and assessment of drug efficacy; and markers for possible anthelmintic resistance. Harnessing the knowledge generated from sequencing of parasite genome sequences is the key to identify genes responsible for drug resistance, which can be used as a starting point for discovery of target-specific pharmacological or genetic modulation to test the functional importance of individual genes and pathways. Involvement of chemical genetic screens and Caenorhabditis elegans as a model system for drug discovery needs to be explored in greater detail. Collective effort from several quarters is needed to think of a world that is free of parasitic infections.
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India.|Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi 110025, India.
authors.forename: Mrigank
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.affiliation: Division of Parasitology, CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Sitapur Road, Lucknow 226031, UP, India.|Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi 110025, India.
authors.forename: Shailja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Misra-Bhattacharya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000871:Anthelmintics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001681:Biological Assay; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000187:drug effects; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006373:Helminthiasis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006376:Helminths / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000871:Anthelmintics
keywords: anthelmintic; drug resistance; helminths; vaccines