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From ancient remedies to modern antiparasitic drugs, some of medicine's most effective compounds are designed to exploit the differences between a parasite and its human host. Parasites have evolved extraordinary ways of living inside the human body. Some live in the intestine, feeding on food passing through the digestive system. Others burrow into tissues, invade red blood cells, migrate through the liver or lungs, or live inside the lymphatic system. Some can remain in the body for years. Yet despite their complexity, many parasites have vulnerabilities that scientists can exploit. Modern antiparasitic medicines work by attacking those vulnerabilities. Some paralyse worms. Others disrupt their energy production, damage their protective surfaces, interfere with DNA or prevent parasites from reproducing. The result is a remarkable collection of chemical weapons that can kill organisms living inside us while, when properly used, causing considerably less damage to the human host. F...