Proteomics of foodborne trematodes

Food-borne trematodiases are among the most neglected tropical diseases, not only in terms of research funding, but also in the public media. The Trematoda class contains several species identified as the causal agents of these diseases whose biological cycle, geographical distribution and epidemiology have been well characterised. The diagnosis of these diseases is based on parasitological techniques and only a limited number of drugs are currently available for treatments, most of which are unspecific. Therefore, in-depth studies to identify new and specific targets for both effective diagnosis and treatments are urgently needed. Currently, little molecular information is available regarding the host-parasite interaction. In this regard, proteomic studies have the potential to identify diagnostic biomarkers for the early detection of the diseases, as well as new vaccine targets. In this review, a description of the biology, clinical features and current diagnostic tools of the main groups of trematodes and the corresponding diseases they cause is followed by a discussion of the available studies using proteomic techniques to identify key parasite proteins involved in the pathogenesis of food-borne trematodiases.