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Scientists from the University of Aberystwyth in Wales, United Kingdom, launched an offensive against the parasite responsible for the schistosomiasis a dangerous disease that the 39 commonly found in Africa and South America. North America due to climate change.
In a study published in PLoS Pathogens, scientists conducted a series of experiments on worms of the species 'Schistosoma mansoni & # 39; known as schistosomes, determining that the successful proliferation of these parasites depends on the interaction of two proteins: SmMBD2 / 3 and SmCBX which are found within their cells
To prevent the spread of this parasitic species, the researchers used a technique called RNA that interferes so that the schistosome genes produced a smaller amount of stem cells, which in turn reduced the amount of pathogenic eggs deposited by the worm.
"These results suggest that both proteins play a vital role […] since egg production is a key step in human infection and disease transmission," writes Karl Hoffmann, co – author of the study, in The Con versation. "This is just a step in what could be a path to a new treatment ," he added.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States. (CDC, for its acronym in English), explain that schistosomiasis, also known in other countries as bilharzia, is the second most devastating parasitic disease with malaria being the first. More than 200 million people in the world are infected with the parasite and more than 200,000 deaths occur each year because of this.
and climate change, parasitic worms move slowly but surely to parts of Europe and North America, "says Hoffmann.
WOW. I never knew that people wanted to see #parasite videos so much. Here is a video of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae taken at 500 frames per second. #research #science # ecology #diseaseecology #scicomn #WomenInSTEM pic.twitter.com/1a7omn60Fx
- Karena Nguyen (@ Nguyen_4science) June 3, 2018
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