Frontiers in anthelmintic pharmacology.
Abstract: Research in anthelmintic pharmacology faces a grim future. The parent field of veterinary parasitology has seemingly been devalued by governments, universities and the animal industry in general. Primarily due to the success of the macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics in cattle, problems caused by helminth infections are widely perceived to be unimportant. The market for anthelmintics in other host species that are plagued by resistance, such as sheep and horses, is thought to be too small to sustain a discovery program in the animal health pharmaceutical industry. These attitudes are both alarming and foolish. The recent history of resistance to antibiotics provides more than adequate warning that complacency about the continued efficacy of any class of drugs for the chemotherapy of an infectious disease is folly. Parasitology remains a dominant feature of veterinary medicine and of the animal health industry. Investment into research on the basic and clinical pharmacology of anthelmintics is essential to ensure chemotherapeutic control of these organisms into the 21st century. In this article, we propose a set of questions that should receive priority for research funding in order to bring this field into the modern era. While the specific questions are open for revision, we believe that organized support of a prioritized list of research objectives could stimulate a renaissance in research in veterinary helminthology. To accept the status quo is to surrender.
Publication Date: 1999-08-24 PubMed ID: 10456419DOI: 10.1016/s0304-4017(99)00042-4Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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The research article discusses the decline of research and funding in anthelmintic pharmacology, a field dedicated to the development of drugs used to treat parasitic worm infections in animals. The authors argue for the critical need to prioritize and fund this field, drawing parallels to the recent history of antibiotic resistance.
Concerns in Anthelmintic Pharmacology
- The authors state that anthelmintic pharmacology, a branch of veterinary parasitology, is facing a bleak future due to an apparent devaluation by governments, universities, and the animal industry.
- They assert that this decreasing interest and de-emphasis are mainly because helminth infections, or worm infestations, in cattle are seen as trivial due to the effective use of macrocyclic lactone anthelmintics (a type of deworming drug).
- The research market for anthelmintics for other species, such as sheep and horses, is also considered too small to sustain a discovery program in the animal health pharmaceutical industry.
Side Effects of Complacency and Dire Need for Investment
- The authors warn that complacency regarding the continued effectiveness of a drug class, in this case anthelmintics, for treating an infectious disease is dangerous and unwise. They use the example of recent antibiotic resistance as a cautionary tale.
- They emphasize that parasitology remains a significant aspect of veterinary medicine and the animal health industry, and investing in anthelmintic pharmacology research is vital for the management of these organisms in the future.
A Call for Renaissance in Veterinary Helminthology Research
- In this paper, the authors put forward a series of key research questions that should be prioritized for funding. They believe that doing so could stimulate a resurgence in veterinary helminthology research.
- While they acknowledge that the specific questions listed are open to modification, the authors stress that organized support for these research goals is essential.
- Their core message is that accepting the current state of neglected research in veterinary helminthology could have detrimental effects, akin to a surrender in the battle against these parasitic infections.
Cite This Article
APA
Geary TG, Sangster NC, Thompson DP.
(1999).
Frontiers in anthelmintic pharmacology.
Vet Parasitol, 84(3-4), 275-295.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0304-4017(99)00042-4 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Animal Health Discovery Research, Pharmacia & Upjohn, Kalamazoo, MI 49007-4940, USA. timothy.g.geary@am.pnu.com
MeSH Terms
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B / genetics
- ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B / physiology
- Animals
- Anthelmintics / pharmacokinetics
- Anthelmintics / pharmacology
- Anthelmintics / therapeutic use
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
- Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
- Anti-Infective Agents / therapeutic use
- Biological Availability
- Caenorhabditis elegans / drug effects
- Caenorhabditis elegans / genetics
- Cattle
- Cattle Diseases / drug therapy
- Cattle Diseases / parasitology
- Depsipeptides
- Diketopiperazines
- Drug Resistance
- Helminthiasis, Animal / drug therapy
- Helminths / drug effects
- Ivermectin / analogs & derivatives
- Ivermectin / pharmacology
- Ivermectin / therapeutic use
- Macrolides
- Nitro Compounds
- Peptides, Cyclic / therapeutic use
- Piperazines / therapeutic use
- Sheep
- Sheep Diseases / drug therapy
- Sheep Diseases / parasitology
- Thiazoles / therapeutic use
Citations
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