Parasitic diseases: Opportunities and challenges in the 21st century

The opportunities and challenges for the study and control of parasitic dis eases in the 21st century are both exciting and daunting. Based on the cont ributions from this field over the last part of the 20th century, we should expect new biologic concepts will continue to come from this discipline to enrich the general area of biomedical research. The general nature of such a broad category of infections is difficult to distill, but they often dep end on well-orchestrated, complex life cycles and they often involve chroni c, relatively well-balanced host/parasite relationships. Such characteristi cs force biological systems to their limits, and this may be why studies of these diseases have made fundamental contributions to molecular biology, c ell biology and immunology. However, if these findings are to continue apac e, parasitologists must capitalize on the new findings being generated thou gh genomics, bioinformatics, proteomics, and genetic manipulations of both host and parasite. Furthermore, they must do so based on sound biological i nsights and the use of hypothesis-driven studies of these complex systems. A major challenge over the next century will be to capitalize on these new findings and translate them into successful sustainable strategies for cont rol, elimination and eradication of the parasitic diseases that pose major public health threats to the physical and cognitive development and health of so many people worldwide.