Considering ivermectin for treatment of schistosomiasis.

Because of recent reports of praziquantel resistance in schistosome infections, there have been suggestions to employ ivermectin as a possible alternative, especially as its chemical composition is different from that of praziquantel, so cross-resistance is not expected. In order to ascertain possible damage and elimination of worms, we used ivermectin by oral gavage in infected mice, at a high dose (30.1 mg/kg, bordering toxicity).

Applicability of Redirecting Artemisinins for New Targets.

Employing new therapeutic indications for drugs that are already approved for human use has obvious advantages, including reduced costs and timelines, because some routine steps of drug development and regulation are not required. This work concentrates on the redirection of artemisinins (ARTS) that already are approved for clinical use, or investigated, for malaria treatment. Several mechanisms of action are suggested for ARTS, among which only a few have been successfully examined in vivo, mainly the induction of oxidant stress and anti-inflammatory effects.