Delivery of New Drugs Into Parasitic Nematodes

Stephen Miller and colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in the U.S. will identify and characterize molecular features that can easily penetrate Roundworms (nematodes), which commonly infect humans and can cause disability and death. Current treatment options are limited and toxic, and are losing efficacy due to the development of resistance mechanisms that can prevent the drug from entering the worm. Once molecular features that enhance entry are identified, they will be tested for their ability to promote delivery of a drug they have developed, which is predicted to inhibit the nematode's nervous system, as a potentially effective new treatment.