Cysteine proteases during larval migration and development of helminths in their final host.

Neglected tropical diseases caused by metazoan parasites are major public health concerns, and therefore, new methods for their control and elimination are needed. Research over the last 25 years has revealed the vital contribution of cysteine proteases to invasion of and migration by (larval) helmi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
Main Authors: Alexandra Grote, Conor R Caffrey, Karina M Rebello, David Smith, John P Dalton, Sara Lustigman
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2018
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0005919
https://doaj.org/article/ea3f94ec13a44f4a91d91db003272792
Description
Summary:Neglected tropical diseases caused by metazoan parasites are major public health concerns, and therefore, new methods for their control and elimination are needed. Research over the last 25 years has revealed the vital contribution of cysteine proteases to invasion of and migration by (larval) helminth parasites through host tissues, in addition to their roles in embryogenesis, molting, egg hatching, and yolk degradation. Their central function to maintaining parasite survival in the host has made them prime intervention targets for novel drugs and vaccines. This review focuses on those helminth cysteine proteases that have been functionally characterized during the varied early stages of development in the human host and embryogenesis.