Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences; Laboratory of Medical Gerontology, Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
  • 2 Liverpool Brain Infection Group, Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
  • 3 Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences; Laboratory of Medical Gerontology, Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
  • 4 Laboratory of Medical Gerontology, Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
  • 5 Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
  • 6 Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Malaysian Research Institute on Ageing, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia
Indian J Med Res, 2019 06;149(6):706-714.
PMID: 31496523 DOI: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_454_17

Abstract

Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are human filarial diseases belonging to the group of neglected tropical diseases, leading to permanent and long-term disability in infected individuals in the endemic countries such as Africa and India. Microfilaricidal drugs such as ivermectin and albendazole have been used as the standard therapy in filariasis, although their efficacy in eliminating the diseases is not fully established. Anti-Wolbachia therapy employs antibiotics and is a promising approach showing potent macrofilaricidal activity and also prevents embryogenesis. This has translated to clinical benefits resulting in successful eradication of microfilarial burden, thus averting the risk of adverse events from target species as well as those due to co-infection with loiasis. Doxycycline shows potential as an anti-Wolbachia treatment, leading to the death of adult parasitic worms. It is readily available, cheap and safe to use in adult non-pregnant patients. Besides doxycycline, several other potential antibiotics are also being investigated for the treatment of LF and onchocerciasis. This review aims to discuss and summarise recent developments in the use of anti-Wolbachia drugs to treat onchocerciasis and LF.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.