[ad_1]
The largest genomic study on parasitic worms to date has identified hundreds of thousands of new genes and predicts many new targets and potential drugs. Research conducted by the University of Washington's Wellcome Sanger Institute at St. Louis, the University of Edinburgh and their collaborators will help scientists understand how these parasites invade us, escape the immune system and cause disease.
Reported in Nature Genetics Today (November 5), the study could lead to new deworming treatments to help prevent and treat diseases caused by parasitic worms worldwide.
Parasitic worms cause some of the most neglected tropical diseases, including river blindness, schistosomiasis and hookworm, and destroy the lives of more than a billion people worldwide. Infections can last for years to decades, resulting in severe pain, severe physical disability, delayed development in children, and social stigma associated with a malformation. Despite the enormous health burden placed on many of the world's poorest countries, research on parasitic worms has not been heavily invested.
To understand how worms can infest and live inside people, the researchers compared the genomes of 81 species of roundworms and tapeworms, including 45 never sequenced. Their analysis revealed nearly one million new genes never seen, belonging to thousands of new gene families and whose distribution among species varied enormously.
The researchers found that some worm species had huge gene families that helped them colonize the host's intestine, migrate through host tissues or digest them. Food. Other species have many gene families that affect the immune system of the host to keep the worm hidden.
Dr. Matt Berriman, lead author of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said: "Little is known about the biology of many species of parasitic worms, so we used a broad comparison of their genomes to discover the most striking genetic differences between We have discovered many new genes and gene families to help understand how worms live and migrate in us and other animals, and this data set will catapult research into earthworms in a new era of discovery. "
Anti-worm treatments have remained unchanged for years and are often inadequate. In addition, excessive reliance on some existing drugs can lead to drug resistance. To search for new interventions, the researchers exploited the dataset of 800,000 worm gene sequences to predict new targets for worm-based drugs and anti-worm drugs. Using the existing ChEMBL * database of drugs and chemicals, they have reduced the list to 40 high-priority drug targets in worms and hundreds of existing drugs or compounds.
Dr. Avril Coghlan, Senior Analyst of the Wellcome Sanger Institute, said, "The spectrum of drugs available to treat worm infections is still very limited, and we have focused our research on existing drugs for the treatment of human diseases. could be a quick way to identify existing drugs that could be reused for deworming. "
Further research could lead to new treatment options to improve the lives of millions of people suffering from the neglected tropical diseases caused by these worms.
In addition to discovering new genes and deworming opportunities, the 81 genome sequences allow researchers to place each worm in the evolutionary tree of life, to better understand the evolution of parasites.
Professor Mark Blaxter, author at the University of Edinburgh, said: "All parasites have been created by free ancestors, and the comparison of their genomes has shown the changes that occur when a species becomes a parasite. Parasites affect most of the natural world, and these genomes keep track of the birth of these fascinating animals – and their amazing biology. "
Parasite genomes also provide clues as to how worms avoid being attacked by our immune system. This could help us better understand the immune system itself and, ultimately, use the natural power of the immune system to improve human health.
Associate Professor Makedonka Mitreva, principal author of the McDonnell Genome Institute at the University of Washington, said: "Parasitic worms are among our oldest enemies and have evolved over millions of years to become experts in immune system manipulation This study will provide understanding of the biology of these important organisms, but could also help us better understand how our immune system can be operated or controlled. "
Source link
