In absence of
vaccines for the majority of helminths,
chemotherapy is still the mainstay for controlling human
helminthiases. However, a limited number of drugs are available in the market to combat parasitic helminths in human. Besides, the development and spread of drug resistance have declined the use of most currently available
anthelmintics. Clearly, availability of new
anthelmintic agents will be essential in the next few years. More research into the mechanisms of
drug actions and their targets are eminent for the discovery and development of novel
anthelmintic agents. Recent
drug discovery techniques mostly rely on mechanism-based screening of compounds on heterologously expressed targets in bacterial, mammalian or yeast cells. Although this is usually a successful approach, it is money- and time-consuming; meanwhile,
pharmaceutical companies prefer the tested target that is chosen based on basic research. The nervous system is the site of action of several chemotherapeutics including pesticides and antinematode drugs; accordingly, the nervous system continues to be a promising target. Recent advances in exploring helminths' nervous system,
neurotransmitters and receptors have paved the way for the development of potential agents targeting the nervous system and its components.