Fasciola hepatica virulence-associated cysteine peptidases: a systems biology perspective

Fasciola hepatica is a food-borne parasite of animals and humans. It secretes a large family of cysteine peptidases, termed cathepsins, that are important virulence factors. Here, we discuss how advances in molecular technologies have helped to probe the function of liver fluke cathepsins, and consider how evolving systems/molecular biology approaches can continue to inform our understanding of these important parasite enzymes.