title: Gefitinib inhibits the growth of Toxoplasma gondii in HeLa cells.
abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is the causative agent of toxoplasmosis with symptoms of congenital neurological and ocular diseases and acquired lymphadenitis, retinochoroiditis, and meningoencephalitis. Small molecules which block the activity of protein kinases were tested in in vitro culture of T. gondii to find new therapeutic drugs of safer and more effective than the combined administration of pyrimethamine and sulfadoxine that sometimes provoke lethal Stevens-Johnson syndrome. Among them, Gefitinib and Crizotinib inhibited intracellular growth of T. gondii in HeLa cells by counting the number of T. gondii per parasitophorous vacuolar membrane whereas Sunitinib did not. Gefitinib inhibited the growth of T. gondii in a dose-dependent manner over 5 µM up to the tolerable concentration of HeLa cells and halted the division of the parasite immediately from the time point of treatment. Gefitinib inhibition suggests that tyrosine kinases of EGFR family or other homologous kinases of the parasite itself may be the target to cause the block of T. gondii growth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Zhaoshou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Jin
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 137-701, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Woo
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Nam
mesh_terms: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D058492:Drug Repositioning; D000077156:Gefitinib; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D000981:Antiprotozoal Agents; D011799:Quinazolines; D000077156:Gefitinib
keywords: EGFR tyrosine kinase; Gefitinib; Toxoplasma gondii; rhoptry kinase; small molecule; toxoplasmosis; treatment