The complete genome for tapeworm has been mapped and the push to find targeted drugs for the condition has come into full swing, says a team of researchers from Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute.
For their search, lead researcher Dr. Matthew Berriman and his team compared the tapeworm genome to that of human host DNA. This focuses specifically on cell activities in humans that are known to be affected by drugs, and looking for similarities with tapeworms. This will hopefully allow for researchers to fight tapeworms with drugs that have already been developed and are approved for public use.
"Tapeworm infections are prevalent across the world and their devastating burden is comparable to that of multiple sclerosis or malignant melanoma," says Berriman in a news release.
"These genome sequences are helping us to immediately identify new targets for much-needed drug treatment. In addition, exploring the parasites' full DNA sequences is driving our understanding of its complex biology, helping the research community to focus on the most effective drug candidates."
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