It's No Fluke: The Planarian as a Model for Understanding Schistosomes

Schistosomiasis is among the most prevalent human parasitic diseases, affecting more than 200 million people in the developing world [1]. Indeed, some estimates suggest the global disease-associated disability resulting from schistosomiasis may reach levels on par with global killers including malaria, tuberculosis, or HIV/AIDS [2], [3]. The causative agents of this disease are flatworms (Schistosoma or blood flukes) that feed on blood in the veins surrounding the host's intestine or bladder. These worms produce hundreds to thousands of eggs per day, many of which lodge in host tissues and cause diverse pathologies, including hepatic fibrosis, splenomegaly, and in some cases, perhaps cancer. Despite the grim statistics, only a single therapeutic agent (praziquantel) is currently used to treat schistosome infection. With the looming possibility that praziquantel-resistant Schistosoma strains could arise, an urgent need exists to identify novel therapeutic agents to combat these parasites.