Experimental chemotherapy for Chagas disease: 15 years of research contributions from in vivo and in vitro studies.
Chagas disease, which is caused by the intracellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected illness with 12-14 million reported cases in endemic geographic regions of Latin America. While the disease still represents an important public health problem in these affected areas, the available therapy, which was introduced more than four decades ago, is far from ideal due to its substantial toxicity, its limited effects on different parasite stocks, and its poor activity during the chronic phase of the disease. For the past 15 years, our group, in collaboration with research groups focused on medicinal chemistry, has been working on experimental chemotherapies for Chagas disease, investigating the biological activity, toxicity, selectivity and cellular targets of different classes of compounds on T. cruzi. In this report, we present an overview of these in vitro and in vivo studies, focusing on the most promising classes of compounds with the aim of contributing to the current knowledge of the treatment of Chagas disease and aiding in the development of a new arsenal of candidates with anti-T. cruzi efficacy.
Soeiro
Maria de Nazaré C
Mde N
Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
Dantas
Andréia P
AP
Daliry
Anissa
A
Silva
Cristiane F da
CF
Batista
Denise G J
DG
de Souza
Elen M
EM
Oliveira
Gabriel M
GM
Salomão
Kelly
K
Batista
Marcos Meuser
MM
Pacheco
Michelle G O
MG
Silva
Patrícia Bernardino da
PB
Santa-Rita
Ricardo M
RM
Barreto
Rubem F S Menna
RF
Boykin
David W
DW
Castro
Solange Lisboa de
SL
D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D009285:Naphthoquinones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010419:Pentamidine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011429:Propolis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi / Q000187:drug effects*
D009285:Naphthoquinones; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D010419:Pentamidine; D011429:Propolis