Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 12, 2026

Author Spotlight: Identifying Compensatory Pathways in Malaria Parasites Containing Hypomorphic Allele of Essential Protein Kinases
Published on: November 22, 2024
Re-positioning protein-kinase inhibitors against schistosomiasis
Verena Gelmedin1, Colette Dissous, Christoph G Grevelding
1BFS, Institute for Parasitology, Justus-Liebig-University, 35392 Giessen, Germany.
Abstract:
For decades, Praziquantel (PZQ) is the drug of choice against one of the most afflicting helminthic diseases worldwide, schistosomiasis. With respect to the fear of upcoming PZQ resistance, efforts are needed to find new chemotherapeutic options. Protein kinases (PKs) are essential molecules in signaling processes and indispensable to life. Aberrant PK functions take distinctive roles in human diseases and represent targets in chemotherapies. In schistosomes, conserved PKs were found to possess similar pivotal roles contributing not only to reproduction processes, but also to the pathology of schistosomiasis, which is closely associated to egg production. Exploiting the similarity of PKs of humans and schistosomes, PK inhibitors designed to treat human diseases may serve as lead compounds for new drugs against schistosomiasis.
Related Concept Videos
Anthelminthic Agents
Inhibitors of Viral Protein Synthesis
The JAK-STAT Signaling Pathway
Inhibition of Cdk Activity

