Protection against arthropod parasites using purinergic receptor antagonists
This development concerns stopping arthropod ectoparasites such as mosquitoes, biting flies, ticks and mites from attaching and feeding on man, farmed animals and companion animals. These ectoparasites cause considerable distress to man and animals, and are also important vectors of disease. Blood-feeding arthropods employ purinergic receptors on their mouthparts to sense human and animal skin and blood constituents. The selective set of purinergic receptor (PR) antagonists at the core of this development block ectoparasite mouthpart PR neurophysiological responses. This serves to inhibit probing and feeding by arthropod parasites using extremely low doses of the antagonists. The PR antagonists include natural products with biological and physicochemical characterises suitable for formulation in personal care and animal care preparations. The PR antagonists are also amenable for inclusion in animal feedstuffs to prevent parasite infestation at livestock production sites as well as in aquaculture.
About University of Neuchâtel
The University of Neuchâtel is a small, comprehensive public research university with about 4,550 students and an international character. Located between Geneva, Bern and Zurich, it sits within a Swiss innovation network that includes CSEM, EPFL and HE-Arc; Microcity connects research and education with start-ups, SMEs and multinationals. Industry-facing support helps companies identify academic partners and engage with university expertise and technologies. Research draws on competitive funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, Innosuisse, the European Union and other sources. A dedicated Technology Transfer Office supports partnerships, intellectual-property protection and commercialization.
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