Ivermectin

Ivermectin is a broad-spectrum antiparasitic drug used against certain parasitic worms and arthropods in humans and animals. It acts mainly by disrupting parasite nerve and muscle signaling.

Glutamate-gated chloride channel: A ligand-gated ion channel found in invertebrates that controls chloride flow across cell membranes. Ivermectin binds these channels in many parasites, causing paralysis and death.
Onchocerciasis: A parasitic disease caused by the filarial worm Onchocerca volvulus and transmitted by blackflies. Ivermectin is used in mass treatment to reduce skin and eye disease by killing larval worms.
Satoshi Ōmura: A Japanese biochemist who discovered and isolated numerous bioactive compounds produced by soil microorganisms. Ōmura isolated the Streptomyces strain that led to ivermectin's discovery.
Moxidectin: A long-acting macrocyclic lactone antiparasitic used against several parasitic worms. Moxidectin treats some of the same infections as ivermectin but has distinct pharmacokinetics and uses.
Mass drug administration: The distribution of medicines to an entire population at risk, without requiring individual diagnosis first. Ivermectin enables community-wide treatment campaigns against onchocerciasis and other neglected infections.
GABA receptor: A receptor activated by gamma-aminobutyric acid that mediates inhibitory signaling in the nervous system. Ivermectin can affect invertebrate GABA-gated channels, adding to its paralysis-inducing effects.
Strongyloidiasis: An intestinal infection caused by the parasitic roundworm Strongyloides stercoralis. Ivermectin is a first-line treatment for many cases of this potentially persistent infection.
William C. Campbell: An Irish-born parasitologist whose research helped establish the antiparasitic activity of avermectins. Campbell and colleagues showed that compounds from Ōmura's bacterial strain protected animals from parasites.
Albendazole: A benzimidazole antiparasitic drug used to treat infections caused by several kinds of worms. Albendazole is an alternative for selected worm infections, with a different molecular target and spectrum.
Onchocerciasis control: Public-health efforts to reduce transmission and illness caused by Onchocerca volvulus. Repeated ivermectin distribution has reduced disease burden across regions where the parasite is endemic.

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