Parasite’s genes offer many targets
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
A one-celled parasite called Trichomonas vaginalis, which causes an itchy and smelly genital infection especially dangerous to women, has nearly as many genes as a human being, researchers reported Friday in the journal Science.
The parasite affects at least 170 million people globally. A team of 66 researchers in 10 countries led by Dr. Jane Carlton of the New York University School of Medicine found the protozoan has close to 26,000 genes. The team identified some genes that could be targets for new drugs against the parasite.
