title: Microtubules as antifungal and antiparasitic drug targets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diseases caused by fungi and parasites are major illnesses in humans as well as in animals. Microtubule-targeted drugs are highly effective for the treatment of fungal and parasitic infections; however, several human parasitic infections such as malaria, trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis do not have effective remedial drugs. In addition, the emergence of drug-resistant fungi and parasites makes the discovery of new drugs imperative.
  
  
  METHODS
  This article describes similarities and dissimilarities between parasitic, fungal and mammalian tubulins and focuses on microtubule-targeting agents and therapeutic approaches for the treatment of fungal and parasitic diseases. New microtubule-targeted antileishmanial, antimalarial and antifungal drugs, with structures, biological activities and related patents, are described. The potential of dsRNA against tubulin to inhibit proliferation of protozoan and helminthic parasites is also discussed. Patent documents up to 2010 have been searched on USPTO, Patentscope, and Espacenet resources.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The article suggests that vaccination with tubulin may offer novel opportunities for the antiparasitic treatment. Native or recombinant tubulin used as antigen has been shown to elicit immune response and cure infection partially or fully in animals upon challenge by protozoan parasites and helminths, thus indicating the suitability of tubulin as a vaccine against parasitic diseases.
authors.affiliation: Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Powai, Mumbai-400076, India.
authors.forename: Biswa Prasun
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chatterji
authors.forename: Bhavya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jindal
authors.forename: Sanjeeva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Srivastava
authors.forename: Dulal
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Panda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008870:Microtubules / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D010330:Patents as Topic; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D000977:Antiparasitic Agents; D050257:Tubulin Modulators