Efficient drug screening of advanced larval stages of S. mansoni generated in human serum.

NTS were cultured in HM supplemented with 200 U/ml Penicillin and 200 μg/ml Streptomycin and 20% HSe for 1 week to generate LuS (B, D, F and H) and 6 weeks to obtain LiS (A, C, E, G) schistosomula. (A, B) Praziquantel (PZQ), (C, D) Oxamniquine (OXM), (E, F) Mefloquine (MFQ) and (G, H) Artemether (ART) were dissolved in DMSO and added at indicated concentrations for the entire duration of the experiment. 1% DMSO in culture medium served as control. Viability was scored before treatment (0 h) and 3 hours, 1, 2, 3 and 7 days a.t. Each data point is shown as a mean ± SD of three independent experiments with at least three biological replicates each. ××× p ≤ 0.001, ×× p ≤ 0.01, × p ≤ 0.05 comparing control with 1 μg/ml drug; ┴┴┴ p ≤ 0.001 ┴┴ p ≤ 0.01 ┴ p ≤ 0.05 control with 10 μg/ml drug; ***p ≤ 0.001, **p ≤ 0.01 *p ≤ 0.05 control with 100 μg/ml drug. LuS, lung stage; LiS, liver stage; s.p., score points; a.t., after treatment. (PZFX)