Worms as a Service

Supply of worm materials / snails and antibodies

Custom testing of in vitro schistosomes for research purposes and vaccine development

Most high-throughput screening procedures are based on biochemical assays focusing on isolated interactions between single molecules. This artificial scenario, however, can only distantly reflect what is going on in a live organism. helminGuard's in vitro-cultured worms, by contrast, represent a MINI ANIMAL MODEL that delivers highly relevant in vivo information.

  • Schistosoma mansoni (Puerto Rican strain or Liberian strain) are treated according to customers' demands.
  • Mixed sex / couples or single sex (males, females).
  • Testing can be performed on every developmental stage of the parasites.

Assessment of immunomodulatory side effects of drugs

  • Effects on human blood cells present in the culture such as promotion or suppression of immune cell proliferation and cluster formation reveal immunomodulatory drug properties: see effects of praziquantel or antineoplastic drugs. This information helps predicting side effects of ANY kind of drug.
  • Effects on phylogenetically conserved biological pathways in the worms can point at possible consequences of treatment with the respective compound in higher animals / humans.

Price List Prices on request. Delivery methods and timings by agreement.