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A.G.Maule, D.W Halton, T.A. Day, R.A. Pax and C. Shaw
Chapter 6, Analytical Parasitology, Eds: M.T. Rogan & P.S. Craig, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag
Neurobiology embraces the study of nerves and the muscles they innervate, and in helminth parasites it is a subject which is very much in its infancy. This may seem somewhat surprising, considering the immense potential that neuromuscular systems in parasites provide as targets for chemotherapeutic intervention. However, it has to be appreciated that most parasitic organisms are small and their study is often technically challenging, and that when separated from their hosts in vitro, they present unique problems in studies of their neuromuscular physiology, Nevertheless, significant advances have been made in the last 5 years from immunochemical investigations of parasites which have laid the foundations for a better understanding of helminth neurochemistry and which, through improved means of physiological testing, analysis and screening, may help promote the discovery of more effective anthelmintics.