Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 13, 2026

Analysis of Group IV Viral SSHHPS Using In Vitro and In Silico Methods
Published on: December 21, 2019
Synthetic and natural protease inhibitors provide insights into parasite development, virulence and pathogenesis
1Department of Pathology and the CDIPD, QB3, Byers Hall 509, 1700 4th St., University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA. Alberto.Rascon@ucsf.edu
Abstract:
Protease function is essential to many biological systems and processes. In parasites, proteases are essential for host tissue degradation, immune evasion, and nutrition acquisition. Helminths (worms) depend on several classes of proteases for development, host tissue invasion and migration, and for degradation of host hemoglobin and serum proteins. The protozoa, which cause malaria, depend on both cysteine and aspartic proteases to initiate host hemoglobin digestion. Other types of proteases are involved in erythrocyte cell invasion and cell exit. Surface metalloproteases in kinetoplastids are implicated in the evasion of complement-mediated cell lysis and cell entry. Cysteine proteases in Entamoeba facilitate invasion of the host colon. Giardia utilizes a cysteine protease for both encystation and excystation. This review will summarize published data using protease inhibitors as tools to identify the function of parasite proteases in the development, virulence, and pathogenesis of parasites; as well as the role of endogenous parasite protease inhibitors in regulation.
More Related Videos
09:13Understanding the Development of Compensatory Pathways in a Mutant Malaria Parasite Harbouring Hypomorphic Allele of Plant-Like Kinases
Published on: November 22, 2024
08:48Development of a Backbone Cyclic Peptide Library as Potential Antiparasitic Therapeutics Using Microwave Irradiation
Published on: January 26, 2016
Related Concept Videos
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
Microbial Interactions: Parasitism
Enzyme Inhibition
Anthelminthic Agents
Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis
Antimicrobial Proteins
Interferons
Interferons (IFNs) are proteins produced by lymphocytes, macrophages, and fibroblasts infected with viruses. While IFNs cannot prevent viruses from entering and...