Prof Karl Hoffmann

PhD

Prof Karl Hoffmann

Additional Information

PROJECT WEBPAGES:

Flatworm Functional Genomics Initiative (FUGI): www.sanger.ac.uk/science/collaboration/flatworm-functional-genomics-initiative-fugi

Barrett Centre for Helminth Control (BCHC): https://bchc.aber.ac.uk

Teaching

Moderator
Lecturer
Grader
Tutor

Research

My research revolves around trying to answer this question: How can fundamental studies of developmental biology & gene regulation guide our search for next generation anthelmintic solutions?

Parasitic worms cause some of the most disfiguring, debilitating & chronic infectious diseases of human & animal populations across the globe. Reliance on limited drug classes to treat affected individuals & the lack of available vaccines to induce protective immunity suggests that current experimental approaches in identifying urgently needed anthelmintics have yet to deliver sustainable solutions.

Utilising both hypothesis-led & discovery driven research approaches my laboratory is developing new strategies for controlling parasitic helminths of biomedical importance. Our area of expertise is Schistosoma mansoni, one of the three main trematode species responsible for the neglected tropical disease Schistosomiasis. More than 200 million people suffer from this chronic & debilitating disease, with 90% of all worldwide cases found in poverty-stricken areas of sub-Saharan Africa where up to 300,000 individuals die each year. Praziquantel is currently used to treat schistosomiasis, but the need for repetitive treatment in endemic communities, concerns over the development of resistance & an unknown mechanism of action all have contributed to the active search for new chemotherapeutic agents or a prophylactic vaccine.

To identify next generation anthelmintics we look for solutions in the interrelated disciplines of helminth developmental biology, epigenetics & gene regulation. Our research includes individual-gene & (epi) genome-wide investigations, supported by experimental models of schistosome infection & objective analyses of helminth viability & phenotype. We envision that our integrated approach will enable progress to be made against an intractable disease affecting some of the most disadvantaged populations of the developing world.

Research Groups

  • Parasitology and Helminth Control
  • One Health
  • Epidemiology

Publications

Stark, KA, Rinaldi, G, Costain, A, Clare, S, Tolley, C, Almeida, A, McCarthy, C, Harcourt, K, Brandt, C, Lawley, TD, Berriman, M, MacDonald, AS, Forde-Thomas, JE, Hulme, BJ, Hoffmann, KF, Cantacessi, C & Cortés, A 2024, 'Gut microbiota and immune profiling of microbiota-humanised versus wildtype mouse models of hepatointestinal schistosomiasis', Animal Microbiome, vol. 6, no. 1, 36. 10.1186/s42523-024-00318-3
Rawat, M, Padalino, G, Yeo, T, Brancale, A, Fidock, DA, Hoffmann, KF & Lee, MCS 2024 'Quinoxaline-Based Anti-Schistosomal Compounds Have Potent Anti-Malarial Activity' bioRxiv. 10.1101/2024.04.23.590861
Padalino, G, Celatka, C, Rienhoff Jr., HY, Kalin, JH, Cole, PA, Lassalle, D, Forde-Thomas, J, Chalmers, I, Brancale, A, Grunau, C & Hoffmann, K 2023, 'Chemical modulation of Schistosoma mansoni lysine specific demethylase 1 (SmLSD1) induces wide-scale biological and epigenomic changes', Wellcome Open Research, vol. 8, no. 146, 146. 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18826.1
Chakroborty, A, Pritchard, D, Bouillon, ME, Cervi, A, Kraehenbuehl, R, Wild, C, Fenn, C, Holdsworth, PA, Capner, C, Padalino, G, Forde-Thomas, J, Payne, J, Smith, BG, Fisher, M, Lahmann, M, Baird, MS & Hoffmann, K 2023, 'Modified Hederagenin Derivatives Demonstrate Ex Vivo Anthelmintic Activity against Fasciola hepatica', Pharmaceutics, vol. 15, no. 7, 1869. 10.3390/pharmaceutics15071869
Caldwell, N, Afshar, R, Baragaña, B, Bustinduy, AL, Caffrey, CR, Collins, JJ, Fusco, D, Garba, A, Gardner, M, Gomes, M, Hoffmann, KF, Hsieh, M, Lo, NC, McNamara, CW, Nono, JK, Padalino, G, Read, KD, Roestenberg, M, Spangenberg, T, Specht, S & Gilbert, IH 2023, 'Perspective on Schistosomiasis Drug Discovery: Highlights from a Schistosomiasis Drug Discovery Workshop at Wellcome Collection, London, September 2022', ACS Infectious Diseases, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 1046-1055. 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00081
More publications on the Research Portal