Decode helminth genes

US scientists have decoded the DNA of a parasitic worm that causes helminths.

'Close up' of helminths - Photo: Science Daily

According to the Daily Science , after analyzing the genome, experts at the Washington University School of Medicine have identified the unique characteristics of parasitic worms Trichinella spiralis, from which they can make their drugs 'handle ' them. more effective.

According to Dr. Makedonka Mitreva, worm larvae take almost 2 weeks to move from the digestive system into the muscle where they live. Because worms invade muscle tissue, the drug cannot be effective. ' People with this disease often experience muscle aches for several months or years until the worms eventually die ,' said Makedonka Mitreva. It is estimated that about 11 million people worldwide (mostly in Asia and Eastern Europe) suffer from helminths each year. Current treatments are only effective when the disease is diagnosed early.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), T.spiralis is just one of thousands of parasitic nematode species called nematodes, which cause disease for 2 billion people worldwide. Other species of this class also cause disease in livestock, causing billions of dollars in damage each year. In nematodes, early branching T.spiralis, about 600-700 million years ago C.elegans, a sample of worms used in the laboratory.

The T.spiralis genome has been identified with 15,808 genes, less than C.elegans with 20,000 genes. Furthermore, about 45% of T.spiralis genes are foreign genes, not yet found in other microorganisms and not listed in the genetic database.

Experts Mitreva said: ' This finding creates opportunities for researchers to delve into the different characteristics of parasites to create new drugs. If the new drug affects only the specific molecular characteristics of parasitic worms, the side effects of human drugs, if any, will be negligible . '