Functional genomics of parasitic worms: the dawn of a new era.

The study of gene function in parasitic worms is technically demanding due to difficulties associated with life-cycle propagation and, hence, molecular genetics. Exploitation of the free-living nematode, Caenorhabditis elegans, coupled with recent major advances in molecular studies of parasitic nematodes, have opened up new avenues for understanding the biology of these parasites and present opportunities for novel strategies of therapeutic intervention and control.