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Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2021() infection can induce serious organ damage and cause schistosomiasis japonica which is mainly prevalent in Asia and currently one of the most seriously neglected... (Review)
Review
() infection can induce serious organ damage and cause schistosomiasis japonica which is mainly prevalent in Asia and currently one of the most seriously neglected tropical diseases. Treatment of schistosomiasis largely depends on the drug praziquantel (PZQ). However, PZQ exhibits low killing efficacy on juvenile worms and the potential emergence of its drug resistance is a continual concern. Protein kinases (PKs) are enzymes that catalyze the phosphorylation of proteins and can participate in many signaling pathways . Recent studies confirmed the essential roles of PKs in the growth and development of , as well as in schistosome-host interactions, and researches have screened drug targets about PKs from (SjPKs), which provide new opportunities of developing new treatments on schistosomiasis. The aim of this review is to present the current progress on SjPKs from classification, different functions and their potential to become drug targets compared with other schistosomes. The efficiency of related protein kinase inhibitors on schistosomes is highlighted. Finally, the current challenges and problems in the study of SjPKs are proposed, which can provide future guidance for developing anti-schistosomiasis drugs and vaccines.
Topics: Animals; Asia; Pharmaceutical Preparations; Protein Kinases; Schistosoma japonicum; Schistosomiasis
PubMed: 34277472
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.691757 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2021
Topics: Animals; Biomedical Research; Congresses as Topic; Host-Parasite Interactions; Humans; Infectious Disease Medicine; Prognosis; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis; Tropical Medicine
PubMed: 34899729
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.774311 -
Clinical Medicine (London, England) Oct 2011
Topics: Animals; Anthelmintics; Endemic Diseases; Humans; Life Cycle Stages; Praziquantel; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis; Travel
PubMed: 22034712
DOI: 10.7861/clinmedicine.11-5-479 -
Parasites & Vectors Nov 2019Many parasites migrate through different tissues during their life-cycle, possibly with the aim to enhance their fitness. This is true for species of three parasite... (Review)
Review
Many parasites migrate through different tissues during their life-cycle, possibly with the aim to enhance their fitness. This is true for species of three parasite genera of global importance, Ascaris, Schistosoma and Plasmodium, which cause significant global morbidity and mortality. Interestingly, these parasites all incorporate the liver in their life-cycle. The liver has a special immune status being able to preferentially induce tolerance over immunity. This function may be exploited by parasites to evade host immunity, with Plasmodium spp. in particular using this organ for its multiplication. However, hepatic larval attrition occurs in both ascariasis and schistosomiasis. A better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in hepatic infection could be useful in developing novel vaccines and therapies for these parasites.
Topics: Animals; Ascaris; Humans; Life Cycle Stages; Liver; Plasmodium; Schistosoma
PubMed: 31703729
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3791-2 -
Future Medicinal Chemistry 2015The sirtuins form a superfamily of evolutionarily conserved NAD(+)-dependent protein N-ϵ-acyl-lysine (AcK) deacylases with roles in a variety of key cellular processes.... (Review)
Review
The sirtuins form a superfamily of evolutionarily conserved NAD(+)-dependent protein N-ϵ-acyl-lysine (AcK) deacylases with roles in a variety of key cellular processes. Sirtuins have a broadly conserved overall structure with a catalytic site formed by a hydrophobic channel between the NAD(+)-binding Rossmann fold domain and a smaller Zn(2+)-binding domain. Schistosomes express five members of the sirtuin family and generic sirtuin inhibitors induce apoptosis and death in schistosome larvae, the disruption of adult worm pairs, inhibition of egg laying and damage to the male and female worm reproductive systems. Sirtuins in schistosomes and other parasitic flatworms present structural differences from their human orthologues that should allow the development of selective inhibitors that can be developed as drug leads.
Topics: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Anthelmintics; Drug Discovery; Helminth Proteins; Humans; Models, Molecular; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis; Sequence Alignment; Sirtuins
PubMed: 25996069
DOI: 10.4155/fmc.15.24 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2014Schistosomes, a class of parasitic trematode worms, cause schistosomiasis. Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs)-small, non-coding RNAs that are known... (Review)
Review
Schistosomes, a class of parasitic trematode worms, cause schistosomiasis. Accumulating evidence suggests that microRNAs (miRNAs)-small, non-coding RNAs that are known to play critical regulatory roles in many organisms-may be involved in schistosome development and sexual maturation, as well as the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis. Schistosoma miRNAs, such as Bantam and miR-10, may be involved in the pathological processes of schistosomiasis, and recent studies suggest that schistosome-specific miRNAs (e.g., Bantam, miR-3479-3p) in the bloodstream of a final host could be used as biomarkers for schistosomiasis diagnosis. Furthermore, aberrant miRNAs, such as miR-223 and miR-454, can be produced by a host in response to schistosome infection, and these miRNAs may contribute to the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis-associated liver injury. Here, we summarize recent progress evaluating the relationship between schistosome miRNAs and schistosomiasis and discuss how these miRNAs can mediate the pathogenesis of schistosomiasis and be used as biomarkers for schistosomiasis diagnosis.
Topics: Animals; Gene Expression Regulation; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Humans; MicroRNAs; RNA, Helminth; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis
PubMed: 25426450
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2014.00165 -
Infectious Diseases of Poverty Mar 2016Schistosomiasis is an important zoonotic parasitic disease that causes serious harms to humans and animals. Surveillance and diagnosis play key roles in schistosomiasis... (Review)
Review
Schistosomiasis is an important zoonotic parasitic disease that causes serious harms to humans and animals. Surveillance and diagnosis play key roles in schistosomiasis control, however, current techniques for surveillance and diagnosis of the disease have limitations. As genome data for parasites are increasing, novel techniques for detection incorporating nucleotide sequences are receiving widespread attention. These sensitive, specific, and rapid detection methods are particularly important in the diagnosis of low-grade and early infections, and may prove to have clinical significance. This paper reviews the progress of nucleic acid detection in the diagnosis and prevention of schistosomiasis, including such aspects as the selection of target genes, and development and application of nucleic acid detection methods.
Topics: Animals; DNA, Helminth; Feces; Humans; Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis
PubMed: 27025210
DOI: 10.1186/s40249-016-0116-y -
Frontiers in Immunology 2021Schistosomes infect about 250 million people globally causing the devastating and persistent disease of schistosomiasis. These blood flukes have a complicated life cycle... (Review)
Review
Schistosomes infect about 250 million people globally causing the devastating and persistent disease of schistosomiasis. These blood flukes have a complicated life cycle involving alternating infection of freshwater snail intermediate and definitive mammalian hosts. To survive and flourish in these diverse environments, schistosomes transition through a number of distinct life-cycle stages as a result of which they change their body plan in order to quickly adapt to each new environment. Current research suggests that stem cells, present in adults and larvae, are key in aiding schistosomes to facilitate these changes. Given the recent advances in our understanding of schistosome stem cell biology, we review the key roles that two major classes of cells play in the different life cycle stages during intramolluscan and intramammalian development; these include the germinal cells of sporocysts involved in asexual reproduction in molluscan hosts and the neoblasts of adult worms involved in sexual reproduction in human and other mammalian hosts. These studies shed considerable new light in revealing the stem cell heterogeneity driving the propagation of the schistosome life cycle. We also consider the possibility and value of establishing stem cell lines in schistosomes to advance schistosomiasis research. The availability of such self-renewable resources will provide new platforms to study stem cell behavior and regulation, and to address fundamental aspects of schistosome biology, reproductive development and survival. In turn, such studies will create new avenues to unravel individual gene function and to optimize genome-editing processes in blood flukes, which may lead to the design of novel intervention strategies for schistosomiasis.
Topics: Animals; Biomedical Research; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis; Stem Cells
PubMed: 33746946
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.599014 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Apr 2022Schistosomiasis, a major cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) worldwide, is most clearly described complicating infection by one species, Schistosoma mansoni....
BACKGROUND
Schistosomiasis, a major cause of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) worldwide, is most clearly described complicating infection by one species, Schistosoma mansoni. Controlled exposure of mice can be used to induce Type 2 inflammation-dependent S. mansoni pulmonary hypertension (PH). We sought to determine if another common species, S. japonicum, can also cause experimental PH.
METHODS
Schistosome eggs were obtained from infected mice, and administered by intraperitoneal sensitization followed by intravenous challenge to experimental mice, which underwent right heart catheterization and tissue analysis.
RESULTS
S. japonicum sensitized and challenged mice developed PH, which was milder than that following S. mansoni sensitization and challenge. The degree of pulmonary vascular remodeling and Type 2 inflammation in the lungs was similarly proportionate. Cross-sensitization revealed that antigens from either species are sufficient to sensitize for intravenous challenge with either egg, and the degree of PH severity depended on primarily the species used for intravenous challenge. Compared to a relatively uniform distribution of S. mansoni eggs, S. japonicum eggs were observed in clusters in the lungs.
CONCLUSIONS
S. japonicum can induce experimental PH, which is milder than that resulting from comparable S. mansoni exposure. This difference may result from the distribution of eggs in the lungs, and is independent of which species is used for sensitization. This result is consistent with the clearer association between S. mansoni infection and the development of schistosomiasis-associated PAH in humans.
Topics: Animals; Hypertension, Pulmonary; Inflammation; Mice; Schistosoma japonicum; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis
PubMed: 35417453
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010343 -
Microbiology Spectrum Jul 2019While disease and outbreaks are mainly clonal for bacteria and other asexually reproducing organisms, sexual reproduction in schistosomes and other helminths usually... (Review)
Review
While disease and outbreaks are mainly clonal for bacteria and other asexually reproducing organisms, sexual reproduction in schistosomes and other helminths usually results in unique individuals. For sexually reproducing organisms, the traits conserved in clones will instead be conserved in the group of organisms that tends to breed together, the population. While the same tools are applied to characterize DNA, how results are interpreted can be quite different at times (see another article in this collection, http://www.asmscience.org/content/journal/microbiolspec/10.1128/microbiolspec.AME-0002-2018). It is difficult to know what the real effect any control program has on the parasite population without assessing the health of this population, how they respond to the control measure, and how they recover, if they do. This review, part of the Curated Collection: Advances in Molecular Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases, concentrates on one approach using pooled samples to study schistosome populations and shows how this and other approaches have contributed to our understanding of this parasite family's biology and epidemiology. *This article is part of a curated collection.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Molecular Epidemiology; Reproduction, Asexual; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis
PubMed: 31325285
DOI: 10.1128/microbiolspec.AME-0009-2019