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Published online 9 January 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.424
News: Briefing
Can weedkillers whack human parasites?
A paper in Nature shows that herbicides can attack the parasite that causes the tropical disease toxoplasmosis. Kerri Smith explores the history of wielding weedkiller against human disease.
What’s toxoplasmosis?
It’s a common infection caused by a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, related to the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. More than a quarter of the world’s population are infected with Toxoplasma, but it only causes disease if a person’s immune system is compromised.
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This is hardly the first case where the potential of herbicides to curb mammalian diseases was discovered. Plant and trypanosome tubulins are similar to each other and different from mammalian tubulin. The dinitroaniline herbicides known affect plant tubulin formation then proved to be effective trypanocides. see: Chan MMY, Grogl M, Chen CC, Bienen EJ, Fong D (1993) Herbicides to curb human parasitic infections in vitro and in vivo effects of trifluralin on the trypanosomatid protozoans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 90: 5657-5661, and Gressel, J (2002) Molecular Biology of Weed Control - Taylor and Francis.