Engaging Worms for Health

Drug discovery on live worms*

helminGuard: Protection against / by parasitic worms (helminths)

Our services

• Discovery of new anthelminthic agents
• Supply of schistosomes, intermediate host snails and materials thereof
• Custom testing for research purposes and vaccine development
• Assessment of immunomodulatory side effects of drugs

Expertise

Culture dish helminGuard is specialized in the in vitro culture of schistosomes. Larvae from S. mansoni und S. haematobium mature under host-like conditions into adults including deposition of viable eggs and hatching of miracidia (more).






High throughput screening on live schistosomes

Employing in vitro-cultured schistosomes for screening compound libraries, the team of helminGuard identified several drug candidates with anthelminthic activity.

Advantages of helminGuard's in vitro approach

• Replacement of mammalian animal experiments according to the 3Rs principles.

• Relevant results, because compounds are tested on live worms in a host-like environment.

• Saving of time and costs for drug discovery (more).
  
  

*supported by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research Program “Alternative Methods to Animal Experiments”, BMBF/PTJ 0315277