Roadmap for development of therapeutics for helminths

What are we trying to achieve and why? What is the problem we are trying to solve?

Further knowledge on different aspects of the physiology and biochemical pathways in helminth parasites is needed. The search for novel drug targets in helminths is required. Are there unidentified and critical biochemical pathways in helminths? Could these “unknown” pathways (or biomolecules involved in the pathways) be used as potential drug targets?

What are the scientific and technological challenges (knowledge gaps needing to be addressed)?

• Development of in vitro/ex vivo techniques useful to explore the physiological role of different biochemical pathways in parasites.
• Development of different technologies to assess the effect of drug interferences on “novel biochemical pathways” in parasites.

What approaches could/should be taken to address the research question?

• Mechanistic-based studies to understand the physiological role of different biochemical pathways in parasites.
• Genetic-based studies to understand the physiological role of different biochemical pathways in parasites.
• Evaluation of the differences in those biochemical pathways among different helminth parasites and/or in different stages of the same parasite.

What else needs to be done before we can solve this need?

• In vitro/ex vivo techniques useful to explore the physiological role of different biochemical pathways in parasites.
• In vitro/ex vivo techniques useful to explore the consequences observed after interference of different biochemical pathways in parasites.

Existing knowledge including successes and failures

• Considering the limited existing knowledge, a wide search for novel drug targets based on parasite physiology/biochemistry should be implemented. This is considered a critical issue to be able to identify novel anthelmintic molecules to deal with resistant helminths in the future. Some examples (among many others) are fields such as:
• Characterization of serotoninergic G-protein coupled receptors in cestodes.
• Alternative metabolism and energy-production mechanisms in different helminth parasites.
• Characterization of aquaporins in cestodes and trematodes.