Neurobiology of schistosomes

血吸虫曼氏血吸虫会导致一种叫做血吸虫病的使人衰弱的疾病，全世界有超过2亿人患有这种疾病。目前，用于治疗血吸虫病的药物很少，耐药发生率正在上升。在这项研究中，我们正在研究血吸虫在宿主体内控制运动的过程。寄生虫在血液中表现出复杂的迁移模式，通过心脏和肺部移动到肝脏门静脉系统的最终目的地，成熟的蠕虫通常居住在那里。这种迁移是由寄生虫自身的神经肌肉系统和宿主衍生的影响运动的物质控制的。我们的目标是确定参与这种调节的机制，特别是在寄生虫中介导肌肉收缩的受体。通过这些研究，我们希望更多地了解血吸虫的基本生物学，并发现更有效的治疗这种严重疾病的方法。

The bloodfluke Schistosoma mansoni causes a debilitating disease called schistosomiasis that afflicts over 200 million people worldwide. At present, there are few drugs available for treatment of schistosomiasis and the incidence of drug resistance is rising. In this study, we are studying the process by which schistosomes control movement within the host. The parasites exhibit an intricate pattern of migration in the bloodstream, moving through the heart and lungs towards their final destination in the hepatic portal system, where the mature worms typically reside. This migration is controlled by the parasite's own neuromuscular system and by host-derived substances that influence motility. Our goal is to identify the mechanisms involved in this regulation, in particular the receptors that mediate muscle contraction in the parasite. Through these studies we hope to learn more about the basic biology of schistosomes and to discover more effective forms of treatment against this serious disease.