title: Protease Inhibitors of Parasitic Flukes: Emerging Roles in Parasite Survival and Immune Defence.
abstract: Protease inhibitors play crucial roles in parasite development and survival, counteracting the potentially damaging immune responses of their vertebrate hosts. However, limited information is currently available on protease inhibitors from schistosomes and food-borne trematodes. Future characterization of these molecules is important not only to expand knowledge on parasitic fluke biology but also to determine whether they represent novel vaccine and/or drug targets. Moreover, protease inhibitors from flukes may represent lead compounds for the development of a new range of therapeutic agents against inflammatory disorders and cancer. This review discusses already identified protease inhibitors of fluke origin, emphasizing their biological function and their possible future development as new intervention targets.
authors.affiliation: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: shiwanthi.ranasinghe@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
authors.forename: Shiwanthi L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Ranasinghe
authors.affiliation: QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Australia. Electronic address: don.mcmanus@qimrberghofer.edu.au.
authors.forename: Donald P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: McManus
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055808:Drug Discovery; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014200:Trematoda / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D011480:Protease Inhibitors
keywords: food-borne trematodes; parasitic flukes; protease inhibitors; proteases; schistosomes