Killer parasites' genes decoded-Schistosoma mansoni

[Venetia]

BBC NEWS | Health | Killer parasites' genes decoded


Page last updated at 03:19 GMT, Thursday, 16 July 2009 04:19 UK

Killer parasites' genes decoded


Fair use

Schistosoma mansoni





The smaller female parasite lives inside the thicker male



Scientists have decoded the genetic blueprint of two parasitic flatworms responsible for thousands of deaths worldwide every year.

Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma japonicum both cause the debilitating disease schistosomiasis, otherwise known as Bilharzia.

The work has already uncovered targets for new treatments for the disease, which causes fever and fatigue.

The international study features in the journal Nature.

Schistosomiasis cases top 200 million every year, with 20 million people are seriously disabled by severe anaemia, chronic diarrhoea, internal bleeding and organ damage caused by the worms and their eggs, or the immune system reactions they provoke.

In sub-Saharan Africa alone it kills 280,000 people each year.


SCHISTOSOMIASIS
People become infected with Schistosoma when they wade or bathe in water inhabited by tiny snails that host the parasites
The parasites are released into the water, and use fork tails to burrow into the skin
They travel to blood vessels that supply urinary and intestinal organs, including the liver, where they mature
Female worms, which live inside the thicker males, release many thousands of eggs each day
Eggs shed in urine and faeces may make their way into snail-inhabited water, where they hatch to release parasites that seek out snails to begin the cycle again

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said: "Chronic infection with Schistosoma parasites makes life miserable for millions of people in tropical countries around the globe, and can lead to death.

"New drugs and other interventions are badly needed to reduce the impact of a disease that lowers quality of life and slows economic development."

Since the 1980s, a cheap drug, praziquantel has been widely distributed to areas where the disease is common.

However, although the drug is effective, it does not prevent a person becoming re-infected. There is also a risk that the parasites will become resistant to it.

Therefore, developing new drug targets is important.

Enzyme targets

Researchers working on the genetic blueprint of S. masoni, the most widespread of the schistosomiasis parasites, found that it was made up of 11,809 genes - about 10 times the size of the malaria parasite genome.

In particular, they identified a large number of genes which produce enzymes that break down proteins, giving the parasite its ability bore through tissue.

Subsequent analysis revealed 120 enzymes that could potentially be targeted with drugs to disrupt the worm's metabolism.

The researchers also identified 66 drugs already on the market which might also be effective against schistosomiasis.

The analysis also found that S. mansoni lacks a key enzyme needed to make essential fats, and must rely on its host to provide these - revealing a potential Achilles' heel that could be exploited for drug development.

Researcher Dr Matthew Berriman, of the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, said: "This genome sequence catapults schistosomiasis research into a new era.

"It provides a foundation for understanding aspects of the parasite's complex biology as well as a vehicle to immediately identify new targets for drug treatment."

Fellow researcher Dr Najib El-Sayed, of the University of Maryland, said: "The genome sequence has given us, for the first time, a comprehensive view of the engines that drive the parasite, the strategies that allow it to survive in us, its human host.

"It is a catalogue of opportunities."

In a separate study, scientists discovered that S. japonicum, which is largely confined to Asia, had even more genes.

[Katinka]

Venetia, thanks for posting...I find this quite interesting that there is a snail involved here since some members are having symptoms with snail/slug looking specimens....hmm...
Kat

[Venetia]

You are welcome, Katinka.

V

[Kritters]

Hi V~ Yes...thanks for posting that. It's amazing how many people have this yet the average person would never have heard of it.

Interestingly, I see many things under my scope which look like a female within a male 'worm' only they are brown (ish) gray (ish) I've often wondered about that worm within a worm thingie.

Is that actually red, do you know, or was it filtered or stained with color?

thanks,
Kritts

[Venetia]

Hi Kritters-

I have some info- Klapow- and HIS worm- the worm above could be same in terms of colors?


patent: (1995) Treatment

Lyme-Fiber-Disease - Klapow- Remedy -Intestinal -Lung worm


Another- Red/clear= male- blue/clear= female


Lyme-Fiber-Disease - Dr Klapow- CFS Roundworm-Red/Blue


Excerpt:

In certain conditions, the bright red colour of the male C. Pulmoni will be lost, leaving it clear and translucent, as Dr. Klapow has documented the female. This loss of colour of the male occurs when it is placed in a straight alcohol preservative. The bright red colour can also be washed out of the male specimen (by the sputum) when it fragments. The chances of obtaining a relatively short, stocky male in a whole form are far greater than the chance of recovering a comparatively long thin female in a whole form.

end

Staninger mentions the C pulmoni:

Lyme-Fiber-Disease - Dr Staninger


Lawrence A Klapow spoke at the Lia conference- in AZ- June 26th this year:

L.I.A. Foundation

Looks like he renamed the parasite AGAIN Varestongylus klapowi- a new Zoonitic parasite from grazing animals found in CFS (Chronic Fatigue) and Lyme Patients (was the hidden lung worm- then c pulmoni)


They are selling DVDs here:

LIA 2009 Conference


$17 #27507 Dr. Lawrence A. Klapow, PhD A New Zoonotic Parasite from Grazing Animals Found in CFIDS and Lyme Patients

V

[Kritters]

Hey V~

So, now it's VARESTO...not CRYPTO???? chit, I was just getting really good at spelling it without looking it up. Is this guy Italian?

Anyway, check this out I just cut/pasted from the site (interview):

Dr. Klapow Well, I think the mechanism may involve the cell marker CD23 which suppresses IgE. There are a couple of other things that activate CD23, the IgE suppresser and those are active herpes viruses and some of the TH1 cytokines, particularly interferon-gamma and the 2'-5'A, the activator of the latent RNase enzyme. Both herpes viruses and 2'-5'A, as you know, are highly elevated in CFS patients. In fact, it looks like some roundworms may be using chronic viruses as cofactors to help perpetuate their own survival.Dr. Mazlen That certainly rings true from what I've seen clinically and that leads us to another question. If a lot of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients have allergies, they should have elevated IgE levels but a lot of them, as we were just saying, don't. It seems to fit the model you propose of a suppresser.
notice this below.....shocker.


Source: Transcribed by Carolyn Viviani; carolynv@inx.net.
(Note: The CFS Radio Show has once again lost its sponsor so this will be the last show
until a new sponsor can be found.)

I realize this is what Jo was talking about. Crypto...er....VARESTO...strongylus as being the critter that inactivates the immune system (killer or T cells If I recall correctly)

and it implicates the herpes virus!!!! huh? huh? yeaaaahhhh...this old broad ain't so dumb ya know???



Kritts

[Venetia]

Hey, Kritters- thanks for the info. I see why the Herpes aspect holds your interest.


I sure would like to buy Klapows latest on the new worm- his is a roundworm- C pulmoni now V whatever...

Anyway- just wanted to point out - the first post- Schistosoma is a Flatworm- a Blood Fluke whereas Klapows- is a nematode.

Should have done that sooner but was in a rush-

In any case, my point is that maybe the S mansoni is the same- as Klapows' worm- Red/clear male- Blue/clear female?

The appendage on the red male (post#1) looked a lot like that of the traditional Nematode that has been posted everywhere for years....

(the curly appendage near the top of the worm)




Worms are not priority for me- I'm engrossed in the Strontium and the work of Mark Purdey at the moment. Just thought the new info would be of value to someone....

In any case, there are worm meds available and more to come per the article above.

-V-

[Kritters]

Originally Posted by Venetia

Hey, Kritters- thanks for the info. I see why the Herpes aspect holds your interest.


I sure would like to buy Klapows latest on the new worm- his is a roundworm- C pulmoni now V whatever...

Anyway- just wanted to point out - the first post- Schistosoma is a Flatworm- a Blood Fluke whereas Klapows- is a nematode.

Should have done that sooner but was in a rush-

In any case, my point is that maybe the S mansoni is the same- as Klapows' worm- Red/clear male- Blue/clear female?

The appendage on the red male (post#1) looked a lot like that of the traditional Nematode that has been posted everywhere for years....

(the curly appendage near the top of the worm)




Worms are not priority for me- I'm engrossed in the Strontium and the work of Mark Purdey at the moment. Just thought the new info would be of value to someone....

In any case, there are worm meds available and more to come per the article above.

-V-

S Mansoni? so....everything is ITALIAN?!!! so, let's get everyone together and drink some wine and hash this out!!!

Seriously, V...aren't worms nematodes? I'm really going to have to go back and peruse and study all this stuff before injecting my stupid thoughts.

xoxoKritts (this is MORE than becoming a full time job....)

[Venetia]

You know Kritters- they named Lyme (Borrelia burgdorferi) after Willy
Burgdorfer- and his name has no 'i' on the end- so I guess it's one of those things.... Scientists just like the letter 'i' !

You ask are worms Nematodes? Yes -

And you didn't ask- but Lyme and Nematodes are a given. Lymephotos.com
did a great job of educating us on that fact.

I like the wine idea- but since I started using wine as a mouthwash (rinse) I don't look at it in the same way....

As to the Schistosoma mansoni (1st article), here is a page of them- and note that at some stages they do resemble Nematodes: Schistosoma mansoni- (Flatworms)

Schistosoma mansoni - Bing Images

Nematodes: (Roundworms)

nematodes - Bing Images

The difference being- they market Nematodes and so far- I can't find the S mansoni on sale anywhere....

Great link- Nematodes that eat Fleas:

Fleabusters |Biobuster Nematode Flea Treatment Kills Fleas in Your Yard

-V-

[Kritters]

thanks V~

Speaking of lymephotos.com.......

Any chance you know anyone from that site?

I need some inside information. Like....how they know those photos are the real thing?

I'm desperate to know why my samples match up to their photos, but no one will get back to me.

Kritts