![]() “This genome sequence catapults schistosomiasis research into a new era. Today’s publication provides the first steps. Currently, there is only one drug treatment that is used to treat schistosomiasis and – with mounting fears that the parasites will become resistant – researchers have been looking at ways to find new drug targets. In part, this is due to the huge challenges that biologists face when studying the organism. Schistosomiasis has devastating global impact, yet research has been neglected for years. The international team has identified several potential new drug targets and the genome sequence will be invaluable to scientists searching for new methods to treat and eradicate the disease. The World Health Organization ranks schistosomiasis as a neglected disease of the poor, affecting 210 million people in 76 countries, and each year causing 280,000 deaths in sub-Saharan Africa alone. ![]() Researchers have today published the complete genome sequence of the Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic worm – commonly known as a blood fluke – that causes devastating disease. The adult worm lives in the veins of its host. The schistosome parasite enters the body through the skin of persons coming in contact with infested waters. Bruce Wetzel and Harry Schaefer, National Cancer Institute Scanning Elecron Micrograph: Schistosome Parasite.
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