Current Pharmaceutical Design - Volume 7, Issue 12, 2001

Chagas disease or American trypanosomiasis is considered by the Word Health Organization to be one of the important tropical parasitic diseases worldwide together with malaria and schistosomiasis. The etiologic agent of this illness is the kinetoplastid protozoon Trypanosoma cruzi. The present chemotherapy for the treatment of Chagas disease remains unsolved. The drugs currently in use are old, ineffective and toxic. Read More

Trypanothione is the key molecule in the defence mechanism of Trypanosoma and Leishmania against oxidative stress. The uniqueness of trypanothione makes the metabolism of this molecule an attractive target in antitrypanosomal and antileishmanial drug design. It became clear that this antioxidant cascade can be considered as the Achilles heel of these parasites. The following targets and their respective inhibit Read More

Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of the American Trypanosomiasis, Chagas disease, contains a major cysteine proteinase (CP), cruzipain (also known as cruzain, or GP57 / 51). The enzyme is a member of the papain C1 family of CPs, with a specificity intermediate between those of cathepsin L and cathepsin B. The enzyme, which is expressed at different levels by different parasite stages, is encoded by a high numb Read More

Chagas disease remains an important health problem in the Americas. Advances are being made in parts of South America in blocking transmission from insect vectors or blood transfusion, but more effective chemotherapy is needed for the millions who are already infected. This is especially important since recent results have indicated that treatment is beneficial for the elimination of the chronic course of the disease. The ra Read More

The most important glycoproteins of trypanosomatids are anchored by glycoinositolphospholipids (GIPLs) to their plasma membrane. In addition, free GIPLs have been described, for instance the lipopeptidophosphoglycan (LPPG) which is a major component of the surface of T. cruzi epimastigotes. An inositolphosphoceramide (IPC) is part of the LPPG and of glycoproteins present in different stages of T. cruzi. Ceramid Read More