Of mice, cattle, and humans: the immunology and treatment of river blindness.

River blindness is a seriously debilitating disease caused by the filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus, which infects millions in Africa as well as in South and Central America. Research has been hampered by a lack of good animal models, as the parasite can only develop fully in humans and some pri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Main Authors: Judith E Allen, Ohene Adjei, Odile Bain, Achim Hoerauf, Wolfgang H Hoffmann, Benjamin L Makepeace, Hartwig Schulz-Key, Vincent N Tanya, Alexander J Trees, Samuel Wanji, David W Taylor
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2008
Subjects:
Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine
RC955-962
Public aspects of medicine
RA1-1270
Arctic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0000217
https://doaj.org/article/9d1f33605a1b4e62a09a3c957b063a9e
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Summary:River blindness is a seriously debilitating disease caused by the filarial parasite Onchocerca volvulus, which infects millions in Africa as well as in South and Central America. Research has been hampered by a lack of good animal models, as the parasite can only develop fully in humans and some primates. This review highlights the development of two animal model systems that have allowed significant advances in recent years and hold promise for the future. Experimental findings with Litomosoides sigmodontis in mice and Onchocerca ochengi in cattle are placed in the context of how these models can advance our ability to control the human disease.

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