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Folates in Trypanosoma brucei : Achievements and Opportunities
Author(s) -
Cullia Gregorio,
Tamborini Lucia,
Conti Paola,
De Micheli Carlo,
Pinto Andrea
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
chemmedchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.817
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1860-7187
pISSN - 1860-7179
DOI - 10.1002/cmdc.201800500
Subject(s) - trypanosoma brucei , african trypanosomiasis , malaria , neglected tropical diseases , biology , public health , drug resistance , drug development , folic acid antagonists , trypanosomiasis , drug , microbiology and biotechnology , pharmacology , medicine , immunology , genetics , nursing , gene , methotrexate
Abstract Trypanosoma brucei is the agent of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), a neglected disease that threatens the lives of 65 million people in sub‐Saharan Africa every year. Unfortunately, available therapies are unsatisfactory, due primarily to safety issues and development of drug resistance. Over the last decades significant effort has been made in the discovery of new potential anti‐HAT agents, with help from the World Health Organization (WHO) and private–public partnerships such as the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi). Whereas antifolates have been a valuable source of drugs against bacterial infections and malaria, compounds effective against T. brucei have not yet been identified. Considering the relatively simple folate metabolic pathway in T. brucei , along with results obtained in this research field so far, we believe that further investigations might lead to effective chemotherapeutic agents. Herein we present a selection of the more promising results obtained so far in this field, underlining the opportunities that could lead to successful therapeutic approaches in the future.