Page "Apicomplexa" Paragraph 98

As noted above, many of the apicomplexan parasites are important pathogens of human and domestic animals.

In contrast to bacterial pathogens, these apicomplexan parasites are eukaryote and share many metabolic pathways with their animal hosts.

This fact makes therapeutic target development extremely difficult – a drug that harms an apicomplexan parasite is also likely to harm its human host.

Currently there are no effective vaccines available for most diseases caused by these parasites.

Biomedical research on these parasites is challenging because it is often difficult, if not impossible, to maintain live parasite cultures in the laboratory and to genetically manipulate these organisms.

In the recent years, several of the apicomplexan species have been selected for genome sequencing.

The availability of genome sequences provides a new opportunity for scientists to learn more about the evolution and biochemical capacity of these parasite.

One prominent source of this genomic information is the EuPathDB family of websites, which currently provide specialised services for Plasmodium species ( PlasmoDB ), coccidians ( ToxoDB ), piroplasms ( PiroplasmaDB ), and Cryptosporidium species ( CryptoDB ).

One possible target for drugs is the plastid, and in fact existing drugs such as tetracyclines which are effective against apicomplexans seem to operate against the plastid.