Necator americanus
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Necator americanus |
Host-finding and penetrating behaviour of the dog-hookworm Ancylostoma caninum, the human hookworms Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus and, possibly, other skin-penetrating nematode species.
Ancylostoma caninum identifies it's host through hydrophilic small molecular weight dog-serum components. The parasite can easily differentiate between sera of dogs and humans. We further found out that small peptides are the factors of main importance for the identification of the natural host of this nematode.
Hookworm-infections belong to the most severe medical problems in the developing countries, 1.3 billion people are infected. The 2 nematode species Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale invade humans by active skin penetration of their larvae, which develop in the soil. Despite the great medical importance, little is known on how the infective larvae enter human skin, and weather A. duodenale may enter humans also by oral infections. In this project an extensive array of methods will be used to analyze in every detail the sequences of physical and chemical signals, which are used by the parasites to find, recognize and penetrate the human skin (or mucous membrane?) and to orientate within the tissues. We expect a new understanding of the transmission mechanisms of these parasites and an impact on their control.
The project is an Indonesian-German research cooperation and is carried out at the Hasanuddin University, Makassar, Sulawesi, Indonesia. It integrates the experience of the Indonesian partners with the parasites and molecular-biological techniques and the biochemical-physiological techniques of the German partners.
The cooperation is funded by the German research Foundation (DFG)(travel expenses of the german team) and by the German Ministry of Economic (formerly Technical) Cooperation and Development (BMZ): Laboratory equipment and chemicals (donation from Germany to the Hasanuddin University), travel expenses and some personnel of the Indonesian partners.
Therefore the cooperation is highly suitable to support the Indonesian partners to increase their research capacities.
The common research can be carried out only in defined, very tense time windows, as the German team has a high working burden in the German University. The common work must be limited to the following periods: In 2001 at 2 occasions 07.02 - 20.04 and 28.07-14.10, and in 2002 from the 05.02-20.04.
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