Ray M. Kaplan talks with
ScienceWatch.com and answers a few questions about
this month's Emerging Research Front in the field of
Microbiology. The author has also sent along images of
their work.
Article: Drug resistance in nematodes of veterinary
importance: a status report
Authors:
Kaplan,
RM
Addresses: TRENDS PARASITOL, 20 (10): 477-481 OCT
2004
Univ Georgia, Coll Vet Med, Dept Infect Dis, Athens, GA
30602 USA.
Univ Georgia, Coll Vet Med, Dept Infect Dis, Athens, GA
30602 USA.
Why do you think your paper is highly
cited?
Drug resistance in nematode parasites of grazing livestock is one of the
most significant issues facing animal production systems across much of the
world. The problem is most severe in sheep and goats, where extremely high
prevalences of multidrug resistance (MDR) threaten the viability of
small-ruminant industries. Consequently, a great deal of research is being
done to address this problem. My paper provides a concise and in-depth
review of this subject; therefore, it is readily applicable as a citation
in many research studies addressing drug resistance in parasites.
Does it describe a new discovery, methodology, or
synthesis of knowledge?
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2:
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3:
This paper synthesizes knowledge regarding the biology and epidemiology of
drug resistance in nematode parasites and offers perspectives for
addressing these problems, both now and in the future.
How did you become involved in this research and were
any particular problems encountered along the way?
Prior to studying drug resistance in nematode parasites of livestock, I
worked at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, where I did research
on malaria parasites. Drug resistance is a very severe problem in malaria,
and my work in this area prompted me to continue this line of research when
I came to University of Georgia, where I was hired as a livestock
parasitologist.
The most significant problems encountered were the lack of research
reagents, and difficulty in acquiring research funding support for studying
parasites of livestock. Additionally, nematode parasites are extremely
complex organisms, and when studying molecular mechanisms of resistance and
populating genetics, everything turns out to be much more complex than it
would appear on the surface.
Where do you see your research leading in the
future?
My research program is currently heading in several different directions.
We continue to investigate the molecular basis of drug resistance in
nematodes, we are developing and optimizing new in vitro methods
for diagnosing resistance, we are developing statistical models and
performing data simulations in order to improve our ability to diagnose
resistance in the field, we are testing and optimizing novel non-chemical
approaches to parasite control, and we are expanding our work into the
effects of nematode parasites of humans.
Do you foresee any social or political implications for
your research?
The past decade has seen a resurgence of interest in the implementation of
chemotherapy-based control programs to reduce the morbidity associated with
helminth infections in humans. These programs, targeting lymphatic
filariasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and intestinal helminths, all
share a strategy based on mass drug administration (MDA).
This strategy carries with it a severe risk for the emergence of drug
resistance, and there are increasing reports of drug inefficacy or
sub-optimal responses to treatment in parasitic helminths of humans, which
suggest that drug resistance is emerging. It is hoped that the lessons and
knowledge gained over the past 20+ years in addressing the problem of drug
resistance in parasites of veterinary importance can now be applied to
human medicine in order to prevent the same fate from occurring.
Ray M. Kaplan, D.V.M., Ph.D., DipEVPC
Associate Professor
Department of Infectious Diseases
College of Veterinary Medicine
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, USA