title: High-throughput decoding of drug targets and drug resistance mechanisms in African trypanosomes.
abstract: The availability of genome sequence data has facilitated the development of high-throughput genetic screening approaches in microbial pathogens. In the African trypanosome, Trypanosoma brucei, genome-scale RNA interference screens have proven particularly effective in this regard. These genetic screens allow for identification of the genes that contribute to a particular pathway or mechanisms of interest. The approach has been used to assess loss-of-fitness, revealing the genes and proteins required for parasite viability and growth. The outputs from these screens predict essential and dispensable genes and facilitate drug target prioritization efforts. The approach has also been used to assess resistance to anti-trypanosomal drugs, revealing the genes and proteins that facilitate drug uptake and action. These outputs also highlight likely mechanisms underlying clinically relevant drug resistance. I first review these findings in the context of what we know about current drugs. I then describe potential contributions that these high-throughput approaches could make to the development and implementation of new drugs.
authors.affiliation: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Horn
mesh_terms: D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D055808:Drug Discovery; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D015723:Gene Library; D018503:Genome, Protozoan; D057166:High-Throughput Screening Assays; D006801:Humans; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D034622:RNA Interference; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014346:Trypanosoma brucei brucei / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014353:Trypanosomiasis, African / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D014344:Trypanocidal Agents