Roundworms May Be the Answer to Alzheimer's Disease
Researchers used C. elegans, a roundworm that's not parasitic
It is estimated that there are about 40,000 species of roundworms that exist. More than half of these are parasitic. With this study, the researchers used Caenorhabditis elegans, which is considered as one of the most abundant groups of animals in the world. While some roundworms may be parasitic, this group of species is not. It is actually the most commonly used species for research. In fact, some of the research projects that used this species of roundworms have won Nobel Prize awards.
The C. elegans have intestines, muscles, pharynx, and a simple nervous system, which is a good model to study the aspects of diseases that have been affecting human beings for centuries. Its body is transparent, making it easy for scientists to study it.
