GPCRs and Other Targets for Neglected Tropical Diseases

One-in-six people, worldwide, are infected with a neglected tropical disease (NTD) (~1.4 billion people)!

NTDs are a group of ~20 diseases caused by various viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and helminths (parasitic worms). Though they are incredibly common across the globe, they are notoriously understudied (by definition). We aim to learn more about the organisms causing these diseases, and to discover new ways to treat them.

Publications

Meclonazepam sensitivity of parasitic flatworms correlates with TRPMMCLZ sensitivity to meclonazepam

Claudia M. Rohr, Paul McCusker, Marc Kaethner, Rebecca Armstrong, Emily Robb, Sang-Kyu Park, Daniel J. Sprague, Aaron G. Maule, Mostafa Zamanian, Britta Lundström-Stadelmann, John D. Chan, Jonathan S. Marchant

International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance, 2026 Jan 20

Target-Based Design of Praziquantel Analogs at Cestode TRPMPZQ

Daniel J. Sprague, Sang-Kyu Park, Marc Kaethner, Claudia M. Rohr, Mina R. Ghobrial, D. Connor Barth, David Maillard, Thomas Spangenberg, Britta Lundstrom-Stadelmann, Jonathan S. Marchant

ACS Infectious Diseases, 2025 Aug 3

Target-based discovery of a broad spectrum flukicide

Daniel J. Sprague, Sang-Kyu Park, Svenja Gramberg, Lisa Bauer, Claudia M. Rohr, Evgeny G. Chulkov, Emery Smith, Louis Scampavia, Timothy P. Spicer, Simone Haeberlein, Jonathan S. Marchant

Nature Structural and Molecular Biology, 2024 May 7