title: Experimental chemotherapy for Chagas disease: 15 years of research contributions from in vivo and in vitro studies.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: Maria de Nazaré C
authors.initials: Mde N
authors.lastname: Soeiro
authors.forename: Andréia P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Dantas
authors.forename: Anissa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daliry
authors.forename: Cristiane F da
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Denise G J
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: Elen M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Gabriel M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Salomão
authors.forename: Marcos Meuser
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.forename: Michelle G O
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Patrícia Bernardino da
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Ricardo M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Santa-Rita
authors.forename: Rubem F S Menna
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Barreto
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Boykin
authors.forename: Solange Lisboa de
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Castro
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D009285:Naphthoquinones; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents; D010419:Pentamidine; D011429:Propolis