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Review
. 2018 Jan 9;11(1):26.
doi: 10.1186/s13071-017-2572-z.

Combating Acanthamoeba spp. cysts: what are the options?

Ayaz Anwar  1 , Naveed Ahmed Khan  2 , Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui  1
Affiliations
Review

Combating Acanthamoeba spp. cysts: what are the options?

Ayaz Anwar et al. Parasit Vectors. .

Abstract

Acanthamoeba spp. are protist pathogens and causative agents of serious infections including keratitis and granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. Its ability to convert into dormant and highly resistant cysts form limits effectiveness of available therapeutic agents and presents a pivotal challenge for drug development. During the cyst stage, Acanthamoeba is protected by the presence of hardy cyst walls, comprised primarily of carbohydrates and cyst-specific proteins, hence synthesis inhibition and/or degradation of cyst walls is of major interest. This review focuses on targeting of Acanthamoeba cysts by identifying viable therapeutic targets.

Keywords: Acanthamoeba; Cyst; Encystation; Excystation; Therapeutic targets.

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Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Life cycle of Acanthamoeba. Under harsh conditions, Acanthamoeba trophozoites transform into a resistant cyst form, while favourable conditions permit vegetative growth. a Transmission electron micrograph of trophozoite stage of Acanthamoeba. b Transmission electron micrograph of Acanthamoeba cyst. Abbreviations: Nu, nucleus; V, vacuoles; M, mitochondria; PM, plasma membrane; OU, outer membrane; IM, inner membrane
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cyst wall biosynthesis involves polysaccharides and cyst-specific protein synthesis
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Types, examples, properties and biomedical applications of common nanomaterials. Abbreviations: nm, nanometer; SWCNT, single-walled carbon nanotube; MWCNT, multi-walled carbon nanotube
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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