A modified form of the HIV-1 virus can integrate into the genome of the parasitic flatworm that causes the disease schistosomiasis, according to a new study published in PLOS Pathogens. This finding could aid research not only into potential new treatments for schistosomiasis and related neglected tropical diseases, but also into virology of HIV. Schistosomiasis afflicts more than 200 million people worldwide, mostly in developing countries.
To improve the existing medication for schistosomiasis, researchers hope to develop new treatments that target key genes in the parasite. However, a complex life cycle makes parasitic flatworms difficult to maintain in a lab, thwarting efforts to determine the function of specific genes. Sutas Suttiprapa of The George Washington University, Washington DC, and colleagues are working towards new methods to elucidate gene function by manipulating the…
