The biochemistry of dirofilaria immitis

Knowledge of the biochemistry of the filarial worms is scantier than that of the other helminth groups. One reason is the apparent intransigency of the parasites as experimental material. A second is the apparently uncomplicated nature of their respiratory metabolism, for the filariae have long been thought to depend entirely on glycolysis for energy metabolism. New techniques of culture and enzyme assay have removed the first obstacle and new studies have shown that the second is an unjustified assumption. These are timely discoveries that, I hope, will stimulate biochemical work on the seven species of filarial worms that are parasitic in humans.