Scientists sequence, explore the genome of the river blindness parasite
Monday, November 21, 2016 - 16:51
in Biology & Nature
Scientists have sequenced the genome of the parasitic worm responsible for causing onchocerciasis—an eye and skin infection more commonly known as river blindness. Through their work, researchers have gained insight into the workings of the parasite and identified proteins that potentially could be targeted with existing drugs or provide areas for developing new treatments and a preventive vaccine. The research, which is described in a pair of papers published this week in Nature Microbiology, was conducted in part by scientists employed or supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health.