Presentation Type
Oral/Paper Presentation
Abstract
Over 1.5 billion of the poorest people are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) such as whipworm, hookworm, and Ascaris which have devastating effects on human growth, nutrition, and cognition, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The World Health Organization only approves four anthelmintic drugs to treat STH for mass drug administration (MDA), with Albendazole being the drug of choice. Due to these drugs only having two mechanisms of action, resistance to these drugs has been reported over the years. We aim to better understand STH susceptibility to drugs at multiple points in their life stage. Previously, the effects of Albendazole and anthelmintic drugs like Pyrantel, Nitazoxanide, and Ivermectin were tested on L4 and L1 (manuscript submitted) of C. elegans and using a health rating system it showed a health decline, confirming C. elegans as good model organism for parasitic worms (Weaver et al., 2017). In order to investigate how intoxication affected C. elegans at the egg stage, we utilized hatch rates at 5, 10, and 24 hours and LT50 assays with Albendazole in which their health was observed over a seven-day period. It was shown that Albendazole affected hatching rates of C. elegans eggs at the highest dose (100 ug/mL), and using the health rating system from Weaver et al., showed a general decrease in health of worms in all doses. We hypothesize that because the C. elegans are susceptible to drugs at the egg stage, soil could be treated with drugs to control the populations of helminths, even before infection.
Faculty Mentor
Brian Ellis
Recommended Citation
Domingo Diaz, Giselle, "Early Intervention in Helminth Infections: Investigating Albendazole’s Effects on C. elegans Egg Hatch Rate and Health" (2025). Student Scholar Symposium. 177.
https://digitalcollections.lipscomb.edu/student_scholars_symposium/2025/Full_schedule/177
Early Intervention in Helminth Infections: Investigating Albendazole’s Effects on C. elegans Egg Hatch Rate and Health
Over 1.5 billion of the poorest people are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) such as whipworm, hookworm, and Ascaris which have devastating effects on human growth, nutrition, and cognition, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The World Health Organization only approves four anthelmintic drugs to treat STH for mass drug administration (MDA), with Albendazole being the drug of choice. Due to these drugs only having two mechanisms of action, resistance to these drugs has been reported over the years. We aim to better understand STH susceptibility to drugs at multiple points in their life stage. Previously, the effects of Albendazole and anthelmintic drugs like Pyrantel, Nitazoxanide, and Ivermectin were tested on L4 and L1 (manuscript submitted) of C. elegans and using a health rating system it showed a health decline, confirming C. elegans as good model organism for parasitic worms (Weaver et al., 2017). In order to investigate how intoxication affected C. elegans at the egg stage, we utilized hatch rates at 5, 10, and 24 hours and LT50 assays with Albendazole in which their health was observed over a seven-day period. It was shown that Albendazole affected hatching rates of C. elegans eggs at the highest dose (100 ug/mL), and using the health rating system from Weaver et al., showed a general decrease in health of worms in all doses. We hypothesize that because the C. elegans are susceptible to drugs at the egg stage, soil could be treated with drugs to control the populations of helminths, even before infection.