Heritage to Innovation: How Classical Czech Parasitology Can Fuel Protease-Based Drug Discovery

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60077344%3A_____%2F25%3A00641437" target="_blank" >RIV/60077344:_____/25:00641437 - isvavai.cz</a>

Result on the web

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DOI - Digital Object Identifier

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Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Heritage to Innovation: How Classical Czech Parasitology Can Fuel Protease-Based Drug Discovery

Original language description

Czech parasitology has a distinguished heritage, originating with the work of Professor Otto Jírovec and other early pioneers who established the field as a cornerstone of biomedical research in Central Europe. Over the decades, this tradition has fostered a strong and collaborative community, notable for embracing diverse and sometimes less traditional parasite models. By studying ticks, coccidia, trypanosomatids, and helminths, Czech researchers uncovered unique molecular adaptations that mediate host–parasite interactions and pathogenesis. Among these adaptations, proteases and their naturally evolved inhibitors stand out as molecules of exceptional specificity and potency. They regulate processes such as blood feeding, immune evasion, invasion, and transmission, and represent an underexplored resource for translational research. Current Czech projects integrate classical parasitological expertise with modern proteomics, structural biology, and inhibitor screening to functionally dissect parasite protease networks. This work not only illuminates parasite physiology but also identifies novel druggable targets with relevance for both veterinary and human medicine. By connecting historical strengths with cutting-edge technologies, Czech parasitology demonstrates how heritage can continue to fuel innovation, bridging fundamental discovery and the development of protease-based therapeutic strategies against parasitic diseases.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

O - Miscellaneous

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

10606 - Microbiology

Project

<a href="/en/project/EH23_020%2F0008499" target="_blank" >EH23_020/0008499: Biology of hyaluronic acid</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2025

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů