2024-03-25 17:38:13
A new drug shows promising results in treating schistosomiasis
An American study revealed the development of a drug compound that showed promising results in treating human schistosomiasis, or schistosomiasis.
The researchers explained that schistosomiasis is a tropical disease caused by parasitic worms, and has not been adequately studied. The study, the results of which were presented on Monday at the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the US state of Texas, considered schistosomiasis a disease responsible for the death of nearly 12,000 people worldwide annually, and its spread has been documented in 78 countries around the world.
People become infected during routine agricultural, domestic, occupational and recreational activities in which they are exposed to contaminated water.
Although transmission of schistosomiasis occurs mostly in tropical and subtropical regions, climate changes can lead to its transmission to new regions such as southern Europe.
There is currently no vaccine available for this disease, which presents with severe clinical symptoms, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and blood in the stool.
The drug “praziquantel” is used to treat schistosomiasis, however, resistant mutations reduce its effectiveness, and the drug does not kill the parasites in the larval stage.
The study showed that each pair of schistosomiasis worms produces about 300-500 eggs per day, and egg production is responsible for the severe symptoms of schistosomiasis.
The researchers tested 350 drug compounds, and found that 5 of them were effective in targeting schistosomiasis, with a strain resistant to “praziquantel.” Among the effective compounds, the experiments showed that the compound called “CIDD-0149830” killed larvae in cells cultured in the laboratory, and in mice infected with schistosomiasis.
In groups of mice, the number of worm larvae decreased by 71.7 percent using the new compound, compared to 21.1 percent using “praziquantel.”
Schistosomiasis may be transmitted during various professional activities (Reuters)
The new compound effectively reduced the production of schistosoma worm eggs, reducing the clinical symptoms of the disease. It was developed as part of the team’s efforts to design and synthesize new derivatives of the drug “oxamniquine”, which was previously used to treat parasites, but lost its effectiveness due to drug resistance and its limited effectiveness.
For her part, the lead researcher of the study at the University of Texas, Dr. Sifan Alwan, said: “Schistosome infection can be reactivated when the larvae develop into adult parasites, and they come with more serious symptoms and higher rates of transmission of the disease.”
Alwan added on the university’s website, explaining, “The drug compound developed by the team overcomes the limitations of praziquantel because it is effective against the larval stage and resistant strains of schistosomiasis.”
Despite the promising results, researchers warn that it is necessary to determine human doses and conduct safety and toxicity studies before the treatment can be used on a large scale.
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