The anthelmintic praziquantel is a human serotoninergic G-protein-coupled receptor ligand

John D. Chan, Pauline M. Cupit, Gihan S. Gunaratne, John D. McCorvy, Yang Yang, Kristen Stoltz, Thomas R. Webb, Peter I. Dosa, Bryan L. Roth, Ruben Abagyan, Charles Cunningham and Jonathan S. Marchant ()
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John D. Chan: University of Minnesota
Pauline M. Cupit: University of California San Diego
Gihan S. Gunaratne: University of Minnesota
John D. McCorvy: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Yang Yang: University of Minnesota
Kristen Stoltz: University of Minnesota
Thomas R. Webb: SRI International
Peter I. Dosa: University of Minnesota
Bryan L. Roth: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Ruben Abagyan: University of California San Diego
Charles Cunningham: University of New Mexico
Jonathan S. Marchant: University of Minnesota

Nature Communications, 2017, vol. 8, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Schistosomiasis is a debilitating tropical disease caused by infection with parasitic blood flukes. Approximately 260 million people are infected worldwide, underscoring the clinical and socioeconomic impact of this chronic infection. Schistosomiasis is treated with the drug praziquantel (PZQ), which has proved the therapeutic mainstay for over three decades of clinical use. However, the molecular target(s) of PZQ remain undefined. Here we identify a molecular target for the antischistosomal eutomer — (R)-PZQ — which functions as a partial agonist of the human serotoninergic 5HT2B receptor. (R)-PZQ modulation of serotoninergic signaling occurs over a concentration range sufficient to regulate vascular tone of the mesenteric blood vessels where the adult parasites reside within their host. These data establish (R)-PZQ as a G-protein-coupled receptor ligand and suggest that the efficacy of this clinically important anthelmintic is supported by a broad, cross species polypharmacology with PZQ modulating signaling events in both host and parasite.

Date: 2017
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02084-0

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