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Albertini B, Bertoni S, Nucci G, Botti G, Abrami M, Sangiorgi S, Beggiato S, Prata C, Ferraro L, Grassi M, Passerini N, Perissutti B, Dalpiaz A. Supramolecular eutectogel as new oral paediatric delivery system to enhance benznidazole bioavailability. Int J Pharm 2024; 661:124417. [PMID: 38964489 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2024.124417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
Benznidazole (BNZ) serves as the primary drug for treating Chagas Disease and is listed in the WHO Model List of Essential Medicines for Children. Herein, a new child-friendly oral BNZ delivery platform is developed in the form of supramolecular eutectogels (EGs). EGs address BNZ's poor oral bioavailability and provide a flexible twice-daily dose in stick-pack format. This green and sustainable formulation strategy relies on the gelation of drug-loaded Natural Deep Eutectic Solvents (NaDES) with xanthan gum (XG) and water. Specifically, choline chloride-based NaDES form stable and biocompatible 5 mg/mL BNZ-loaded EGs. Rheological and Low-field NMR investigations indicate that EGs are viscoelastic materials comprised of two co-existing regions in the XG network generated by different crosslink distributions between the biopolymer, NaDES and water. Remarkably, the shear modulus and relaxation spectrum of EGs remain unaffected by temperature variations. Upon dilution with simulated gastrointestinal fluids, EGs results in BNZ supersaturation, serving as the primary driving force for its absorption. Interestingly, after oral administration of EGs to rats, drug bioavailability increases by 2.6-fold, with a similar increase detected in their cerebrospinal fluid. The noteworthy correlation between in vivo results and in vitro release profiles confirms the efficacy of EGs in enhancing both peripheral and central BNZ oral bioavailability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Albertini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, I-40127 Bologna, Italy.
| | - Serena Bertoni
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giorgia Nucci
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Giada Botti
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 19, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Michela Abrami
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Via Alfonso Valerio, 6/1, I-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Stefano Sangiorgi
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Sarah Beggiato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara and LTTA Center, Via L. Borsari 46, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cecilia Prata
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Luca Ferraro
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara and LTTA Center, Via L. Borsari 46, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Mario Grassi
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, University of Trieste, Via Alfonso Valerio, 6/1, I-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Nadia Passerini
- Department of Pharmacy and Biotechnology, University of Bologna, Via San Donato 19/2, I-40127 Bologna, Italy
| | - Beatrice Perissutti
- Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Trieste, Piazzale Europa 1, I-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Alessandro Dalpiaz
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Fossato di Mortara 19, I-44121 Ferrara, Italy
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Torchelsen FKVDS, Mazzeti AL, Mosqueira VCF. Drugs in preclinical and early clinical development for the treatment of Chagas´s disease: the current status. Expert Opin Investig Drugs 2024; 33:575-590. [PMID: 38686546 DOI: 10.1080/13543784.2024.2349289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chagas disease is spreading faster than expected in different countries, and little progress has been reported in the discovery of new drugs to combat Trypanosoma cruzi infection in humans. Recent clinical trials have ended with small hope. The pathophysiology of this neglected disease and the genetic diversity of parasites are exceptionally complex. The only two drugs available to treat patients are far from being safe, and their efficacy in the chronic phase is still unsatisfactory. AREAS COVERED This review offers a comprehensive examination and critical review of data reported in the last 10 years, and it is focused on findings of clinical trials and data acquired in vivo in preclinical studies. EXPERT OPINION The in vivo investigations classically in mice and dog models are also challenging and time-consuming to attest cure for infection. Poorly standardized protocols, availability of diagnosis methods and disease progression markers, the use of different T. cruzi strains with variable benznidazole sensitivities, and animals in different acute and chronic phases of infection contribute to it. More synchronized efforts between research groups in this field are required to put in evidence new promising substances, drug combinations, repurposing strategies, and new pharmaceutical formulations to impact the therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Karoline Vieira da Silva Torchelsen
- School of Pharmacy, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Brazil
- Post-Graduation Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Ana Lia Mazzeti
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Health, Academic Unit of Passos, University of Minas Gerais State, Passos, Brazil
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Moreira LR, Silva AC, da Costa-Oliveira CN, da Silva-Júnior CD, Oliveira KKDS, Torres DJL, Barros MD, Rabello MCDS, de Lorena VMB. Interaction between peripheral blood mononuclear cells and Trypanosoma cruzi-infected adipocytes: implications for treatment failure and induction of immunomodulatory mechanisms in adipose tissue. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1280877. [PMID: 38533504 PMCID: PMC10963431 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1280877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Background/Introduction Adipose tissue (AT) has been highlighted as a promising reservoir of infection for viruses, bacteria and parasites. Among them is Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease. The recommended treatment for the disease in Brazil is Benznidazole (BZ). However, its efficacy may vary according to the stage of the disease, geographical origin, age, immune background of the host and sensitivity of the strains to the drug. In this context, AT may act as an ally for the parasite survival and persistence in the host and a barrier for BZ action. Therefore, we investigated the immunomodulation of T. cruzi-infected human AT in the presence of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) where BZ treatment was added. Methods We performed indirect cultivation between T. cruzi-infected adipocytes, PBMC and the addition of BZ. After 72h of treatment, the supernatant was collected for cytokine, chemokine and adipokine assay. Infected adipocytes were removed to quantify T. cruzi DNA, and PBMC were removed for immunophenotyping. Results Our findings showed elevated secretion of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-2 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1/CCL2) in the AT+PBMC condition compared to the other controls. In contrast, there was a decrease in tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IL-8/CXCL-8 in the groups with AT. We also found high adipsin secretion in PBMC+AT+T compared to the treated condition (PBMC+AT+T+BZ). Likewise, the expression of CD80+ and HLA-DR+ in CD14+ cells decreased in the presence of T. cruzi. Discussion Thus, our findings indicate that AT promotes up-regulation of inflammatory products such as IL-6, IL-2, and MCP-1/CCL2. However, adipogenic inducers may have triggered the downregulation of TNF and IL-8/CXCL8 through the peroxisome proliferator agonist gamma (PPAR-g) or receptor expression. On the other hand, the administration of BZ only managed to reduce inflammation in the microenvironment by decreasing adipsin in the infected culture conditions. Therefore, given the findings, we can see that AT is an ally of the parasite in evading the host's immune response and the pharmacological action of BZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyllane Rafael Moreira
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Recife, Brazil
| | - Ana Carla Silva
- Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Claudeir Dias da Silva-Júnior
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Diego José Lira Torres
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Recife, Brazil
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Li Z, Liu J, Wang P, Zhang B, He G, Yang L. The novel miR-873-5p-YWHAE-PI3K/AKT axis is involved in non-small cell lung cancer progression and chemoresistance by mediating autophagy. Funct Integr Genomics 2024; 24:33. [PMID: 38363382 DOI: 10.1007/s10142-024-01295-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 01/07/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) encompasses approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and is the foremost cancer type worldwide; it is prevalent in both sexes and known for its high fatality rate. Expanding scientific inquiry underscores the indispensability of microRNAs in NSCLC. Here, we probed the impact of miR-873-5p on NSCLC development and chemoresistance. qRT‒PCR was used to measure the miR-873-5p level in NSCLC cells with or without chemoresistance. A model of miR-873-5p overexpression was constructed. The proliferation and viability of NSCLC cells were evaluated through CCK8 and colony formation experiments. Cell migration and invasion were monitored via Transwell assays. Western blotting was used to determine the levels of YWHAE, PI3K, AKT, EMT, apoptosis, and autophagy-related proteins. The sensitivity of NSCLC cells to the chemotherapeutic agent gefitinib was assessed. Additionally, the correlation of YWHAE with miR-873-5p was validated via a dual-luciferase reporter assay and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP). Overexpressed miR-873-5p suppressed migration, proliferation, invasion, and EMT while concurrently stimulating apoptotic processes. miR-873-5p was downregulated in NSCLC cells resistant to gefitinib. Upregulating miR-873-5p reversed gefitinib resistance by inducing autophagy. YWHAE was confirmed to be a downstream target of miR-873-5p. YWHAE overexpression promoted the malignant behaviors of NSCLC cells and boosted tumor growth, while these effects were reversed following miR-873-5p overexpression. Subsequent investigations revealed that overexpressing YWHAE promoted PI3K/AKT pathway activation, with miR-873-5p displaying inhibitory effects on the YWHAE-mediated PI3K/AKT signaling cascade. miR-873-5p affects proliferation, invasion, migration, EMT, autophagy, and chemoresistance in NSCLC by controlling the YWHAE/PI3K/AKT axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifeng Li
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China
| | - Jinglei Liu
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China
| | - Ping Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China
| | - Boyu Zhang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China
| | - Guanghui He
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China
| | - Liwei Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery, The Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University, No. 12 Jiankang Road, Shijiazhuang, 050000, China.
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Horta AL, Gigley J, Boutet M, Lavau G, Weiss LM, Huang H. Memory-like NK Cells Are a Critical Component of Vaccine-Induced Immunity to Trypanosoma cruzi Infection. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:617-631. [PMID: 38197653 PMCID: PMC10872457 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Chagas disease by Trypanosoma cruzi infection is a major public health issue. The available therapeutic agents have limited efficacy and significant side effects. A reliable vaccine would reduce the threat of T. cruzi infections and prevent Chagas disease. Understanding the immune response to this infection would improve vaccine design. We previously demonstrated that adoptively transferred NK cells from mice immunized with highly attenuated T. cruzi, GFP-DDDHA strain, provided potent protection in naive recipients against secondary lethal challenge with various wild-type (WT) strains. To understand the importance of NK cells in protecting mice against T. cruzi infection, we performed an in-depth characterization of NK cell phenotype, responses, and memory-like traits during acute infections due to GFP-DDDHA and WT strains and in immunized mice during a recall response to a WT lethal challenge. NK cells robustly expanded and became more mature and cytolytic during the GFP-DDDHA strain immunization. NK cells in immunized mice responded more robustly after WT lethal challenge than during an acute primary WT infection. In addition, protection by immunization with the GFP-DDDHA strain is significantly weakened in NK cell-deficient mice and did not prevent parasitemia from WT lethal challenge, indicating that NK cells with memory-like traits were a critical component for early control of WT lethal challenge. Prior T. cruzi vaccine development studies have not included studies of this rapid NK response. These findings provide insights into overcoming existing challenges in developing a safe and effective vaccine to prevent this infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aline L. Horta
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Jason Gigley
- Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Marie Boutet
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Gregoire Lavau
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Louis M. Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Huan Huang
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
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Gonzaga BMDS, Ferreira RR, Coelho LL, Carvalho ACC, Garzoni LR, Araujo-Jorge TC. Clinical trials for Chagas disease: etiological and pathophysiological treatment. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1295017. [PMID: 38188583 PMCID: PMC10768561 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1295017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the flagellate protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. It is endemic in Latin America. Nowadays around 6 million people are affected worldwide, and 75 million are still at risk. CD has two evolutive phases, acute and chronic. The acute phase is mostly asymptomatic, or presenting unspecific symptoms which makes it hard to diagnose. At the chronic phase, patients can stay in the indeterminate form or develop cardiac and/or digestive manifestations. The two trypanocide drugs available for the treatment of CD are benznidazole (BZ) and nifurtimox (NFX), introduced in the clinic more than five decades ago. WHO recommends treatment for patients at the acute phase, at risk of congenital infection, for immunosuppressed patients and children with chronic infection. A high cure rate is seen at the CD acute phase but better treatment schemes still need to be investigated for the chronic phase. There are some limitations within the use of the trypanocide drugs, with side effects occurring in about 40% of the patients, that can lead patients to interrupt treatment. In addition, patients with advanced heart problems should not be treated with BZ. This is a neglected disease, discovered 114 years ago that still has no drug effective for their chronic phase. Multiple social economic and cultural barriers influence CD research. The high cost of the development of new drugs, in addition to the low economical return, results in the lack of investment. More economic support is required from governments and pharmaceutical companies on the development of more research for CD treatment. Two approaches stand out: repositioning and combination of drugs, witch drastically decrease the cost of this process, when compared to the development of a new drug. Here we discuss the progress of the clinical trials for the etiological and pathophysiological treatment for CD. In summary, more studies are needed to propose a new drug for CD. Therefore, BZ is still the best option for CD. The trials in course should clarify more about new treatment regimens, but it is already possible to indicate that dosage and time of treatment need to be adjusted.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Tania C. Araujo-Jorge
- Laboratório de Inovações em Terapias, Ensino e Bioprodutos - Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Zingales B, Macedo AM. Fifteen Years after the Definition of Trypanosoma cruzi DTUs: What Have We Learned? Life (Basel) 2023; 13:2339. [PMID: 38137940 PMCID: PMC10744745 DOI: 10.3390/life13122339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan causative of Chagas disease (ChD), exhibits striking genetic and phenotypic intraspecific diversity, along with ecoepidemiological complexity. Human-pathogen interactions lead to distinct clinical presentations of ChD. In 2009, an international consensus classified T. cruzi strains into six discrete typing units (DTUs), TcI to TcVI, later including TcBat, and proposed reproducible genotyping schemes for DTU identification. This article aims to review the impact of classifying T. cruzi strains into DTUs on our understanding of biological, ecoepidemiological, and pathogenic aspects of T. cruzi. We will explore the likely origin of DTUs and the intrinsic characteristics of each group of strains concerning genome organization, genomics, and susceptibility to drugs used in ChD treatment. We will also provide an overview of the association of DTUs with mammalian reservoirs, and summarize the geographic distribution, and the clinical implications, of prevalent specific DTUs in ChD patients. Throughout this review, we will emphasize the crucial roles of both parasite and human genetics in defining ChD pathogenesis and chemotherapy outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Zingales
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05508-900, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andréa M. Macedo
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Minas Gerais, Brazil;
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Nguyen DM, Poveda C, Pollet J, Gusovsky F, Bottazzi ME, Hotez PJ, Jones KM. The impact of vaccine-linked chemotherapy on liver health in a mouse model of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011519. [PMID: 37988389 PMCID: PMC10697595 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease, chronic infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, mainly manifests as cardiac disease. However, the liver is important for both controlling parasite burdens and metabolizing drugs. Notably, high doses of anti-parasitic drug benznidazole (BNZ) causes liver damage. We previously showed that combining low dose BNZ with a prototype therapeutic vaccine is a dose sparing strategy that effectively reduced T. cruzi induced cardiac damage. However, the impact of this treatment on liver health is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated several markers of liver health after treatment with low dose BNZ plus the vaccine therapy in comparison to a curative dose of BNZ. METHODOLOGY Female BALB/c mice were infected with a bioluminescent T. cruzi H1 clone for approximately 70 days, then randomly divided into groups of 15 mice each. Mice were treated with a 25mg/kg BNZ, 25μg Tc24-C4 protein/ 5μg E6020-SE (Vaccine), 25mg/kg BNZ followed by vaccine, or 100mg/kg BNZ (curative dose). At study endpoints we evaluated hepatomegaly, parasite burden by quantitative PCR, cellular infiltration by histology, and expression of B-cell translocation gene 2(BTG2) and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) by RT-PCR. Levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were quantified from serum. RESULTS Curative BNZ treatment significantly reduced hepatomegaly, liver parasite burdens, and the quantity of cellular infiltrate, but significantly elevated serum levels of ALT, AST, and LDH. Low BNZ plus vaccine did not significantly affect hepatomegaly, parasite burdens or the quantity of cellular infiltrate, but only elevated ALT and AST. Low dose BNZ significantly decreased expression of both BTG2 and PPARα, and curative BNZ reduced expression of BTG2 while low BNZ plus vaccine had no impact. CONCLUSIONS These data confirm toxicity associated with curative doses of BNZ and suggest that while dose sparing low BNZ plus vaccine treatment does not reduce parasite burdens, it better preserves liver health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Minh Nguyen
- Center for Comparative Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Cristina Poveda
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeroen Pollet
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Fabian Gusovsky
- Global Health Research, Eisai, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America
- James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kathryn Marie Jones
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Moreira LR, Silva AC, da Costa Oliveira CN, da Silva Júnior CD, Nascimento AV, Oliveira KKDS, Soares AKDA, Saraiva KLA, de Paiva Cavalcanti M, de Lorena VMB. Benznidazole treatment decreases IL-6 levels in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected human adipocytes differentiated from adipose tissue-derived stem cells. Mem Inst Oswaldo Cruz 2023; 118:e220295. [PMID: 37878830 PMCID: PMC10599316 DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760220295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma cruzi, which causes Chagas disease (CD), is a versatile haemoparasite that uses several strategies to evade the host's immune response, including adipose tissue (AT), used as a reservoir of infection. As it is an effective barrier to parasite evasion, the effectiveness of the drug recommended for treating CD, Benznidazole (BZ), may be questionable. OBJECTIVE To this end, we evaluated the parasite load and immunomodulation caused by BZ treatment in the culture of adipocytes differentiated from human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSC) infected with T. cruzi. METHODS The ADSC were subjected to adipogenic differentiation. We then carried out four cultures in which we infected the differentiated AT with trypomastigote forms of the Y strain of T. cruzi and treated them with BZ. After the incubation, the infected AT was subjected to quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to quantify the parasite load and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) to verify the infection. The supernatant was collected to measure cytokines, chemokines, and adipokines. FINDINGS We found elevated secretion of IL-6, CXCL-10/IP-10, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL5/RANTES, and leptin in infected fat cells. However, treatment with BZ promoted a decrease in IL-6. MAIN CONCLUSION Therefore, we believe that BZ has a beneficial role as it reduces inflammation in infected fat cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leyllane Rafael Moreira
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Medicina Tropical, Recife, PE, Brasil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães,
Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | - Ana Carla Silva
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães,
Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | | | - Claudeir Dias da Silva Júnior
- Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Programa de Pós-Graduação em
Medicina Tropical, Recife, PE, Brasil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães,
Laboratório de Imunoparasitologia, Recife, PE, Brasil
| | | | | | | | | | - Milena de Paiva Cavalcanti
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães,
Departamento de Microbiologia, Recife, PE, Brasil
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Jones KM, Zhan B, Ernste KJ, Villar MJ, Bisht N, Nguyen D, Chang LY, Poveda C, Robinson GJ, Trivedi AJ, Hofferek CJ, Decker WK, Konduri V. Immunomodulatory proteins from hookworms reduce cardiac inflammation and modulate regulatory responses in a mouse model of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection. FRONTIERS IN PARASITOLOGY 2023; 2:1244604. [PMID: 38239430 PMCID: PMC10795693 DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1244604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Hookworms are parasitic helminths that secrete a variety of proteins that induce anti-inflammatory immune responses, stimulating increased CD4 + Foxp3+ regulatory T cells and IL-10 production. Hookworm-derived recombinant proteins AIP-1 and AIP-2 have been shown to reduce inflammation in mouse models of inflammatory bowel disease and inflammatory airway disease by inducing CD4+Foxp3+ cells and IL-10 production. In contrast, chronic infection with the protozoal parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, leads to chronic inflammation in tissues. Persistence of the parasites in tissues drives chronic low-grade inflammation, with increased infiltration of inflammatory cells into the heart, accompanied by increased production of inflammatory cytokines. There are no current antiparasitic drugs that effectively reduce or prevent chronic myocarditis caused by the onset of Chagas disease, thus new therapies are urgently needed. Therefore, the impact of AIP-1 and AIP-2 on myocarditis was investigated in a mouse model of chronic T. cruzi infection. Methods Female BALB/c mice infected with bioluminescent T. cruzi H1 strain trypomastigotes for 70 days were treated once daily for 7 days with 1mg/kg AIP-1 or AIP-2 protein by intraperitoneal injection. Control mice were left untreated or treated once daily for 14 days with 25mg/kg aspirin in drinking water. At 84 days of infection, splenocytes, cardiac tissue and serum were collected for evaluation. Results Treatment with both AIP-1 and AIP-2 proteins significantly reduced cardiac cellular infiltration, and reduced cardiac levels of IFNγ, IL-6 and IL-2. AIP-2 treatment reduced cardiac expression of COX-2. Further, while incubation with AIP-1 and AIP-2 proteins did not induce a significant upregulation of an immunoregulatory phenotype in dendritic cells (DC), there was a modest upregulation of CD11c +CD11b+MHCII+SIRPα+ expression, suggesting a regulatory phenotype. Ex-vivo stimulation of splenocytes from the treatment groups with AIP-1 loaded DC induced reduced levels of cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory T cells, stimulation with AIP-2 loaded DC specifically induced enhanced levels of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells among treatment groups. Discussion All in vivo and in vitro results demonstrate that hookworm-derived AIP-1 and AIP-2 proteins reduce T. cruzi induced cardiac inflammation, possibly through multiple anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Jones
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Bin Zhan
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Keenan J. Ernste
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Maria Jose Villar
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Nalini Bisht
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Duc Nguyen
- Center for Comparative Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Li-Yen Chang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Universiti Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Cristina Poveda
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Gonteria J. Robinson
- Molecular & Human Genetics Department, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Akshar J. Trivedi
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Colby J. Hofferek
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - William K. Decker
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Vanaja Konduri
- Department of Pathology & Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Dan L. Duncan Cancer, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
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Pardo-Rodriguez D, Lasso P, Santamaría-Torres M, Cala MP, Puerta CJ, Méndez Arteaga JJ, Robles J, Cuervo C. Clethra fimbriata hexanic extract triggers alteration in the energy metabolism in epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1206074. [PMID: 37818099 PMCID: PMC10561390 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1206074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (ChD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, is endemic in American countries and an estimated 8 million people worldwide are chronically infected. Currently, only two drugs are available for therapeutic use against T. cruzi and their use is controversial due to several disadvantages associated with side effects and low compliance with treatment. Therefore, there is a need to search for new tripanocidal agents. Natural products have been considered a potential innovative source of effective and selective agents for drug development to treat T. cruzi infection. Recently, our research group showed that hexanic extract from Clethra fimbriata (CFHEX) exhibits anti-parasitic activity against all stages of T. cruzi parasite, being apoptosis the main cell death mechanism in both epimastigotes and trypomastigotes stages. With the aim of deepening the understanding of the mechanisms of death induced by CFHEX, the metabolic alterations elicited after treatment using a multiplatform metabolomics analysis (RP/HILIC-LC-QTOF-MS and GC-QTOF-MS) were performed. A total of 154 altered compounds were found significant in the treated parasites corresponding to amino acids (Arginine, threonine, cysteine, methionine, glycine, valine, proline, isoleucine, alanine, leucine, glutamic acid, and serine), fatty acids (stearic acid), glycerophospholipids (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylserine), sulfur compounds (trypanothione) and carboxylic acids (pyruvate and phosphoenolpyruvate). The most affected metabolic pathways were mainly related to energy metabolism, which was found to be decrease during the evaluated treatment time. Further, exogenous compounds of the triterpene type (betulinic, ursolic and pomolic acid) previously described in C. fimbriata were found inside the treated parasites. Our findings suggest that triterpene-type compounds may contribute to the activity of CFHEX by altering essential processes in the parasite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Pardo-Rodriguez
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
- Grupo de Fitoquímica, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
- Grupo de Productos Naturales, Universidad del Tolima, Tolima, Colombia
- Metabolomics Core Facility—MetCore, Vice-Presidency for Research, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Paola Lasso
- Grupo de Inmunobiología y Biología Celular, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mary Santamaría-Torres
- Metabolomics Core Facility—MetCore, Vice-Presidency for Research, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Mónica P. Cala
- Metabolomics Core Facility—MetCore, Vice-Presidency for Research, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Concepción J. Puerta
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | | | - Jorge Robles
- Grupo de Fitoquímica, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Claudia Cuervo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
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Rosário JDS, Moreira FH, Rosa LHF, Guerra W, Silva-Caldeira PP. Biological Activities of Bismuth Compounds: An Overview of the New Findings and the Old Challenges Not Yet Overcome. Molecules 2023; 28:5921. [PMID: 37570891 PMCID: PMC10421188 DOI: 10.3390/molecules28155921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Bismuth-based drugs have been used primarily to treat ulcers caused by Helicobacter pylori and other gastrointestinal ailments. Combined with antibiotics, these drugs also possess synergistic activity, making them ideal for multiple therapy regimens and overcoming bacterial resistance. Compounds based on bismuth have a low cost, are safe for human use, and some of them are also effective against tumoral cells, leishmaniasis, fungi, and viruses. However, these compounds have limited bioavailability in physiological environments. As a result, there is a growing interest in developing new bismuth compounds and approaches to overcome this challenge. Considering the beneficial properties of bismuth and the importance of discovering new drugs, this review focused on the last decade's updates involving bismuth compounds, especially those with potent activity and low toxicity, desirable characteristics for developing new drugs. In addition, bismuth-based compounds with dual activity were also highlighted, as well as their modes of action and structure-activity relationship, among other relevant discoveries. In this way, we hope this review provides a fertile ground for rationalizing new bismuth-based drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jânia dos Santos Rosário
- Department of Chemistry, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30421-169, MG, Brazil
| | - Fábio Henrique Moreira
- Department of Chemistry, Centro Federal de Educação Tecnológica de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30421-169, MG, Brazil
| | - Lara Hewilin Fernandes Rosa
- Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Campus Santa Mônica, Uberlândia 38400-142, MG, Brazil
| | - Wendell Guerra
- Institute of Chemistry, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Campus Santa Mônica, Uberlândia 38400-142, MG, Brazil
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Nguyen DM, Poveda C, Pollet J, Gusovsky F, Bottazzi ME, Hotez PJ, Jones KM. The impact of vaccine-linked chemotherapy on liver health in a mouse model of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.11.548497. [PMID: 37503013 PMCID: PMC10369866 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.11.548497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Background Chagas disease, chronic infection with Trypanosoma cruzi, mainly manifests as cardiac disease. However, the liver is important for both controlling parasite burdens and metabolizing drugs. Notably, high doses of anti-parasitic drug benznidazole (BNZ) causes liver damage. We previously showed that combining low dose BNZ with a prototype therapeutic vaccine is a dose sparing strategy that effectively reduced T. cruzi induced cardiac damage. However, the impact of this treatment on liver health is unknown. Therefore, we evaluated several markers of liver health after treatment with low dose BNZ plus the vaccine therapy in comparison to a curative dose of BNZ. Methodology Female BALB/c mice were infected with a bioluminescent T. cruzi H1 clone for approximately 70 days, then randomly divided into groups of 15 mice each. Mice were treated with a 25mg/kg BNZ, 25μg Tc24-C4 protein/5μg E6020-SE (Vaccine), 25mg/kg BNZ followed by vaccine, or 100mg/kg BNZ (curative dose). At study endpoints we evaluated hepatomegaly, parasite burden by quantitative PCR, cellular infiltration by histology, and expression of B-cell translocation gene 2(BTG2) and Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARα) by RT-PCR. Levels of alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were quantified from serum. Results Curative BNZ treatment significantly reduced hepatomegaly, liver parasite burdens, and the quantity of cellular infiltrate, but significantly elevated serum levels of ALT, AST, and LDH. Low BNZ plus vaccine did not significantly affect hepatomegaly, parasite burdens or the quantity of cellular infiltrate, but only elevated ALT and AST. Low dose BNZ significantly decreased expression of both BTG2 and PPARα, and curative BNZ reduced expression of BTG2 while low BNZ plus vaccine had no impact. Conclusions These data confirm toxicity associated with curative doses of BNZ and suggest that the dose sparing low BNZ plus vaccine treatment better preserves liver health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Minh Nguyen
- Center for Comparative Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Cristina Poveda
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Jeroen Pollet
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | | | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America
- James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kathryn M. Jones
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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Araújo SAD, Lima ADS, Rocha CQD, Previtalli-Silva H, Hardoim DDJ, Taniwaki NN, Calabrese KDS, Almeida-Souza F, Abreu-Silva AL. In Vitro Antioxidant and Antitrypanosomal Activities of Extract and Fractions of Terminalia catappa. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:895. [PMID: 37508328 PMCID: PMC10376266 DOI: 10.3390/biology12070895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a severe infectious and parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi and considered a public health problem. Chemotherapeutics are still the main means of control and treatment of the disease, however with some limitations. As an alternative treatment, plants have been pointed out due to their proven pharmacological properties. Many studies carried out with Terminalia catappa have shown several biological activities, but its effect against T. cruzi is still unknown. The objective of this work is to evaluate the therapeutic potential of extracts and fractions obtained from T. catappa on the parasite T. cruzi, in addition to analyzing its antioxidant activity. T. catappa ethyl acetate fraction were produced and submitted the chemical characterization by Liquid Chromatography Coupled to Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS). From all T. catappa extracts and fractions evaluated, the ethyl acetate and the aqueous fraction displayed the best antioxidant activity by the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging method (IC50 of 7.77 ± 1.61 and 5.26 ± 1.26 µg/mL respectively), and by ferric ion reducing (FRAP) method (687.61 ± 0.26 and 1009.32 ± 0.13 µM of Trolox equivalent/mg extract, respectively). The ethyl acetate fraction showed remarkable T. cruzi inhibitory activity with IC50 of 8.86 ± 1.13, 24.91 ± 1.15 and 85.01 ± 1.21 µg/mL against epimastigotes, trypomastigotes and intracellular amastigotes, respectively, and showed no cytotoxicity for Vero cells (CC50 > 1000 µg/mL). The treatment of epimastigotes with the ethyl acetate fraction led to drastic ultrastructural changes such as the loss of cytoplasm organelles, cell disorganization, nucleus damage and the loss of integrity of the parasite. This effect could be due to secondary compounds present in this extract, such as luteolin, kaempferol, quercetin, ellagic acid and derivatives. The ethyl acetate fraction obtained from T. catappa leaves can be an effective alternative in the treatment and control of Chagas disease, and material for further investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Alves de Araújo
- Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil
| | - Aldilene da Silva Lima
- Laboratório de Química dos Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Quintino da Rocha
- Laboratório de Química dos Produtos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil
| | | | - Daiana de Jesus Hardoim
- Laboratório de Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil
| | - Noemi Nosomi Taniwaki
- Núcleo de Microscopia Eletrônica, Instituto Adolfo Lutz, São Paulo 01246-000, SP, Brazil
| | - Kátia da Silva Calabrese
- Laboratório de Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fernando Almeida-Souza
- Laboratório de Protozoologia, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21041-250, RJ, Brazil
- Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís 65055-310, MA, Brazil
| | - Ana Lucia Abreu-Silva
- Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, São Luís 65080-805, MA, Brazil
- Pós-Graduação em Ciência Animal, Universidade Estadual do Maranhão, São Luís 65055-310, MA, Brazil
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15
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Bethencourt-Estrella CJ, Delgado-Hernández S, López-Arencibia A, San Nicolás-Hernández D, Tejedor D, García-Tellado F, Lorenzo-Morales J, Piñero JE. In vitro activity and mechanism of cell death induction of cyanomethyl vinyl ethers derivatives against Trypanosoma cruzi. Int J Parasitol Drugs Drug Resist 2023; 22:72-80. [PMID: 37311268 PMCID: PMC10276036 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2023.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease causes a problematic pathology that can lead to megacolon and heart disease, and can even cause the death of the patient. Current therapies for this disease are the same as they were 50 years ago, are not fully effective and have strong side effects. The lack of a safe and effective therapy makes it necessary to search for new, less toxic and totally effective compounds against this parasite. In this work, the antichagasic activity of 46 novel cyanomethyl vinyl ether derivatives was studied. In addition, to elucidate the type of cell death that these compounds produce in parasites, several events related to programmed cell death were studied. The results highlight four more selective compounds, E63, E64, E74 and E83, which also appear to trigger programmed cell death, and are therefore postulated as good candidates to use in future therapeutics for Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos J Bethencourt-Estrella
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain.
| | - Samuel Delgado-Hernández
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Fco. Sánchez 3, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Departamento de Química, Unidad Departamental de Química Analítica, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Tenerife, 38206, Spain.
| | - Atteneri López-Arencibia
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Desirée San Nicolás-Hernández
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain.
| | - David Tejedor
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Fco. Sánchez 3, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain.
| | - Fernando García-Tellado
- Instituto de Productos Naturales y Agrobiología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Avda. Fco. Sánchez 3, 38206, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain.
| | - Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220, Madrid, Spain.
| | - José E Piñero
- Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias, Universidad de La Laguna, Avda. Astrofísico Fco. Sánchez, S/N, 38203, La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna, Tenerife, Islas Canarias, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28220, Madrid, Spain.
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Timm BL, da Gama ANS, Batista MM, Batista DDGJ, Boykin DW, De Koning HP, Correia Soeiro MDN. Arylimidamides Have Potential for Chemoprophylaxis against Blood-Transmitted Chagas Disease. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12050701. [PMID: 37242371 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) affects over 6 million people worldwide and can be transmitted iatrogenically. Crystal violet (CV) was previously used for pathogen reduction but has harmful side-effects. In the present study, three arylimidamides (AIAs) and CV were used to sterilize mice blood samples experimentally contaminated with bloodstream trypomastigotes (BT) of Trypanosoma cruzi, at non hemolytic doses. All AIAs were not toxic to mouse blood cells until the highest tested concentration (96 µM). The previous treatment of BT with the AIAs impaired the infection establishment of cardiac cell cultures. In vivo assays showed that pre-incubation of mouse blood samples with the AIAs and CV (96 µM) significantly suppressed the parasitemia peak, but only the AIA DB1831 gave ≥90% animal survival, while vehicle treated samples reached 0%. Our findings support further studies regarding the potential use of AIAs for blood bank purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Lisboa Timm
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21045-900, Brazil
| | | | - Marcos Meuser Batista
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21045-900, Brazil
| | - Denise da Gama Jaén Batista
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro 21045-900, Brazil
| | - David W Boykin
- Department of Chemistry, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Harry P De Koning
- School of Infection and Immunity, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G43 2DX, UK
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Pardo-Rodriguez D, Cifuentes-López A, Bravo-Espejo J, Romero I, Robles J, Cuervo C, Mejía SM, Tellez J. Lupeol Acetate and α-Amyrin Terpenes Activity against Trypanosoma cruzi: Insights into Toxicity and Potential Mechanisms of Action. Trop Med Infect Dis 2023; 8:tropicalmed8050263. [PMID: 37235311 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed8050263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease is a potentially fatal disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. There is growing scientific interest in finding new and better therapeutic alternatives for this disease's treatment. METHODS A total of 81 terpene compounds with potential trypanocidal activity were screened and found to have potential T. cruzi cysteine synthase (TcCS) inhibition using molecular docking, molecular dynamics, ADME and PAIN property analyses and in vitro susceptibility assays. RESULTS Molecular docking analyses revealed energy ranges from -10.5 to -4.9 kcal/mol in the 81 tested compounds, where pentacyclic triterpenes were the best. Six compounds were selected to assess the stability of the TcCS-ligand complexes, of which lupeol acetate (ACLUPE) and α-amyrin (AMIR) exhibited the highest stability during 200 ns of molecular dynamics analysis. Such stability was primarily due to their hydrophobic interactions with the amino acids located in the enzyme's active site. In addition, ACLUPE and AMIR exhibited lipophilic characteristics, low intestinal absorption and no structural interferences or toxicity. Finally, selective index for ACLUPE was >5.94, with moderate potency in the trypomastigote stage (EC50 = 15.82 ± 3.7 μg/mL). AMIR's selective index was >9.36 and it was moderately potent in the amastigote stage (IC50 = 9.08 ± 23.85 μg/mL). CONCLUSIONS The present study proposes a rational approach for exploring lupeol acetate and α-amyrin terpene compounds to design new drugs candidates for Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Pardo-Rodriguez
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
- Grupo de Investigación Fitoquímica Universidad Javeriana (GIFUJ), Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
- Grupo de Productos Naturales, Universidad del Tolima, Tolima 730006299, Colombia
| | | | - Juan Bravo-Espejo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Ibeth Romero
- Escuela de Pregrados, Dirección Académica, Vicerrectoría de Sede, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede, De La Paz 202010, Colombia
| | - Jorge Robles
- Grupo de Investigación Fitoquímica Universidad Javeriana (GIFUJ), Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Claudia Cuervo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Sol M Mejía
- Grupo de Investigación Fitoquímica Universidad Javeriana (GIFUJ), Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá 110231, Colombia
| | - Jair Tellez
- Escuela de Pregrados, Dirección Académica, Vicerrectoría de Sede, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Sede, De La Paz 202010, Colombia
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18
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Gaona-López C, Vazquez-Jimenez LK, Gonzalez-Gonzalez A, Delgado-Maldonado T, Ortiz-Pérez E, Nogueda-Torres B, Moreno-Rodríguez A, Vázquez K, Saavedra E, Rivera G. Advances in Protozoan Epigenetic Targets and Their Inhibitors for the Development of New Potential Drugs. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 16:ph16040543. [PMID: 37111300 PMCID: PMC10143871 DOI: 10.3390/ph16040543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Protozoan parasite diseases cause significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Factors such as climate change, extreme poverty, migration, and a lack of life opportunities lead to the propagation of diseases classified as tropical or non-endemic. Although there are several drugs to combat parasitic diseases, strains resistant to routinely used drugs have been reported. In addition, many first-line drugs have adverse effects ranging from mild to severe, including potential carcinogenic effects. Therefore, new lead compounds are needed to combat these parasites. Although little has been studied regarding the epigenetic mechanisms in lower eukaryotes, it is believed that epigenetics plays an essential role in vital aspects of the organism, from controlling the life cycle to the expression of genes involved in pathogenicity. Therefore, using epigenetic targets to combat these parasites is foreseen as an area with great potential for development. This review summarizes the main known epigenetic mechanisms and their potential as therapeutics for a group of medically important protozoal parasites. Different epigenetic mechanisms are discussed, highlighting those that can be used for drug repositioning, such as histone post-translational modifications (HPTMs). Exclusive parasite targets are also emphasized, including the base J and DNA 6 mA. These two categories have the greatest potential for developing drugs to treat or eradicate these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Gaona-López
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa 88710, Mexico
| | - Lenci K Vazquez-Jimenez
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa 88710, Mexico
| | - Alonzo Gonzalez-Gonzalez
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa 88710, Mexico
| | - Timoteo Delgado-Maldonado
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa 88710, Mexico
| | - Eyrá Ortiz-Pérez
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa 88710, Mexico
| | - Benjamín Nogueda-Torres
- Departamento de Parasitología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico
| | - Adriana Moreno-Rodríguez
- Laboratorio de Estudios Epidemiológicos, Clínicos, Diseños Experimentales e Investigación, Facultad de Ciencias Químicas, Universidad Autónoma "Benito Juárez" de Oaxaca, Avenida Universidad S/N, Ex Hacienda Cinco Señores, Oaxaca 68120, Mexico
| | - Karina Vázquez
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Francisco Villa 20, General Escobedo 66054, Mexico
| | - Emma Saavedra
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Mexico City 14080, Mexico
| | - Gildardo Rivera
- Laboratorio de Biotecnología Farmacéutica, Centro de Biotecnología Genómica, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Reynosa 88710, Mexico
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19
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Lopes MEASA, Ribeiro JM, Teixeira-Carvalho A, Murta SMF, Souza-Fagundes EM. A functional assay using human whole blood and flow cytometry analysis to evaluate cytotoxicity and immunomodulatory effect of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi drugs. Exp Parasitol 2023; 247:108490. [PMID: 36809831 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
The discovery and development of new drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease is urgent due to the high toxicity and low cure efficacy, mainly during the chronic phase of this disease. Other chemotherapeutic approaches for Chagas disease treatment are being researched and require screening assays suitable for evaluating the effectivity of new biologically active compounds. This study aims to evaluate a functional assay using the internalization of epimastigotes forms of Trypanosoma cruzi by human peripheral blood leukocytes from healthy volunteers and analyses by flow cytometry of cytotoxicity, anti-T. cruzi activity, and immunomodulatory effect of benznidazole, ravuconazole, and posaconazole. The culture supernatant was used to measure cytokines (IL-1-β, IL-6, INF-γ, TNF and IL-10) and chemokines (MCP-1/CCL2, CCL5/RANTES and CXCL8/IL-8). The data showed a reduction in the internalization of T. cruzi epimastigote forms treated with ravuconazole, demonstrating its potential anti-T. cruzi activity. In addition, an increased amount of IL-10 and TNF cytokines was observed in the supernatant of cultures upon the addition of the drug, mainly IL-10 in the presence of benznidazole, ravuconazole and posaconazole, and TNF in the presence of ravuconazole and posaconazole. Moreover, the results revealed a decrease in the MCP-1/CCL2 index in cultures in the presence of benznidazole, ravuconazole, and posaconazole. A decrease in the CCL5/RANTES and CXCL8/IL-8 index in cultures with BZ, when compared to the culture without drugs, was also observed. In conclusion, the innovative functional test proposed in this study may be a valuable tool as a confirmatory test for selecting promising compounds identified in prospecting programs for new drugs for Chagas disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Eduarda A S A Lopes
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana M Ribeiro
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Andréa Teixeira-Carvalho
- Grupo Integrado de Pesquisas em Biomarcadores, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, 30190-001, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Silvane M F Murta
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-FIOCRUZ, 30190-002, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
| | - Elaine M Souza-Fagundes
- Departamento de Fisiologia e Biofísica, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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20
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Lameiro RF, Montanari CA. Investigating the Lack of Translation from Cruzain Inhibition to Trypanosoma cruzi Activity with Machine Learning and Chemical Space Analyses. ChemMedChem 2023; 18:e202200434. [PMID: 36692246 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202200434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Revised: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoa Trypanosoma cruzi. Cruzain, its main cysteine protease, is commonly targeted in drug discovery efforts to find new treatments for this disease. Even though the essentiality of this enzyme for the parasite has been established, many cruzain inhibitors fail as trypanocidal agents. This lack of translation from biochemical to biological assays can involve several factors, including suboptimal physicochemical properties. In this work, we aim to rationalize this phenomenon through chemical space analyses of calculated molecular descriptors. These include statistical tests, visualization of projections, scaffold analysis, and creation of machine learning models coupled with interpretability methods. Our results demonstrate a significant difference between the chemical spaces of cruzain and T. cruzi inhibitors, with compounds with more hydrogen bond donors and rotatable bonds being more likely to be good cruzain inhibitors, but less likely to be active on T. cruzi. In addition, cruzain inhibitors seem to occupy specific regions of the chemical space that cannot be easily correlated with T. cruzi activity, which means that using predictive modeling to determine whether cruzain inhibitors will be trypanocidal is not a straightforward task. We believe that the conclusions from this work might be of interest for future projects that aim to develop novel trypanocidal compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael F Lameiro
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Group, São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Trabalhador São-Carlense Avenue 400, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Carlos A Montanari
- Medicinal and Biological Chemistry Group, São Carlos Institute of Chemistry, University of São Paulo, Trabalhador São-Carlense Avenue 400, São Carlos, Brazil
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21
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Pfarr KM, Krome AK, Al-Obaidi I, Batchelor H, Vaillant M, Hoerauf A, Opoku NO, Kuesel AC. The pipeline for drugs for control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases: 1. Anti-infective drugs for regulatory registration. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:82. [PMID: 36859332 PMCID: PMC9979492 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-022-05581-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization 'Ending the neglect to attain the Sustainable Development Goals: A road map for neglected tropical diseases 2021-2030' outlines the targets for control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). New drugs are needed to achieve some of them. We are providing an overview of the pipeline for new anti-infective drugs for regulatory registration and steps to effective use for NTD control and elimination. Considering drugs approved for an NTD by at least one stringent regulatory authority: fexinidazole, included in WHO guidelines for Trypanosoma brucei gambiense African trypanosomiasis, is in development for Chagas disease. Moxidectin, registered in 2018 for treatment of individuals ≥ 12 years old with onchocerciasis, is undergoing studies to extend the indication to 4-11-year-old children and obtain additional data to inform WHO and endemic countries' decisions on moxidectin inclusion in guidelines and policies. Moxidectin is also being evaluated for other NTDs. Considering drugs in at least Phase 2 clinical development, a submission is being prepared for registration of acoziborole as an oral treatment for first and second stage T.b. gambiense African trypanosomiasis. Bedaquiline, registered for tuberculosis, is being evaluated for multibacillary leprosy. Phase 2 studies of emodepside and flubentylosin in O. volvulus-infected individuals are ongoing; studies for Trichuris trichuria and hookworm are planned. A trial of fosravuconazole in Madurella mycetomatis-infected patients is ongoing. JNJ-64281802 is undergoing Phase 2 trials for reducing dengue viral load. Studies are ongoing or planned to evaluate oxantel pamoate for onchocerciasis and soil-transmitted helminths, including Trichuris, and oxfendazole for onchocerciasis, Fasciola hepatica, Taenia solium cysticercosis, Echinococcus granulosus and soil-transmitted helminths, including Trichuris. Additional steps from first registration to effective use for NTD control and elimination include country registrations, possibly additional studies to inform WHO guidelines and country policies, and implementation research to address barriers to effective use of new drugs. Relative to the number of people suffering from NTDs, the pipeline is small. Close collaboration and exchange of experience among all stakeholders developing drugs for NTDs may increase the probability that the current pipeline will translate into new drugs effectively implemented in affected countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth M. Pfarr
- grid.15090.3d0000 0000 8786 803XInstitute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany ,grid.452463.2German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna K. Krome
- grid.10388.320000 0001 2240 3300Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Biopharmaceutics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Issraa Al-Obaidi
- grid.11984.350000000121138138Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Hannah Batchelor
- grid.11984.350000000121138138Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Michel Vaillant
- grid.451012.30000 0004 0621 531XCompetence Center for Methodology and Statistics, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Grand Duchy of Luxembourg
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- grid.15090.3d0000 0000 8786 803XInstitute of Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany ,grid.452463.2German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
| | - Nicholas O. Opoku
- grid.449729.50000 0004 7707 5975Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana
| | - Annette C. Kuesel
- UNICEF/UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (WHO/TDR), World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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22
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Jones KM, Mangin EN, Reynolds CL, Villanueva LE, Cruz JV, Versteeg L, Keegan B, Kendricks A, Pollet J, Gusovsky F, Bottazzi ME, Hotez PJ. Vaccine-linked chemotherapy improves cardiac structure and function in a mouse model of chronic Chagas disease. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1106315. [PMID: 36844399 PMCID: PMC9947347 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1106315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Chagas disease, caused by chronic infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affects 6-7 million people worldwide. The major clinical manifestation of Chagas disease is chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC), which encompasses a spectrum of symptoms including arrhythmias, hypertrophy, dilated cardiomyopathy, heart failure, and sudden death. Current treatment is limited to two antiparasitic drugs, benznidazole (BNZ) and nifurtimox, but both have limited efficacy to halt the progression of CCC. We developed a vaccine-linked chemotherapy strategy using our vaccine consisting of recombinant Tc24-C4 protein and a TLR-4 agonist adjuvant in a stable squalene emulsion, in combination with low dose benznidazole treatment. We previously demonstrated in acute infection models that this strategy parasite specific immune responses, and reduced parasite burdens and cardiac pathology. Here, we tested our vaccine-linked chemotherapy strategy in a mouse model of chronic T. cruzi infection to evaluate the effect on cardiac function. Methods Female BALB/c mice infected with 500 blood form T. cruzi H1 strain trypomastigotes were treated beginning 70 days after infection with a low dose of BNZ and either low or high dose of vaccine, in both sequential and concurrent treatments streams. Control mice were untreated, or administered only one treatment. Cardiac health was monitored throughout the course of treatment by echocardiography and electrocardiograms. Approximately 8 months after infection, endpoint histopathology was performed to measure cardiac fibrosis and cellular infiltration. Results Vaccine-linked chemotherapy improved cardiac function as evidenced by amelioration of altered left ventricular wall thickness, left ventricular diameter, as well as ejection fraction and fractional shortening by approximately 4 months of infection, corresponding to two months after treatment was initiated. At study endpoint, vaccine-linked chemotherapy reduced cardiac cellular infiltration, and induced significantly increased antigen specific IFN-γ and IL-10 release from splenocytes, as well as a trend toward increased IL-17A. Discussion These data suggest that vaccine-linked chemotherapy ameliorates changes in cardiac structure and function induced by infection with T. cruzi. Importantly, similar to our acute model, the vaccine-linked chemotherapy strategy induced durable antigen specific immune responses, suggesting the potential for a long lasting protective effect. Future studies will evaluate additional treatments that can further improve cardiac function during chronic infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M. Jones
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,*Correspondence: Kathryn M. Jones,
| | - Elise N. Mangin
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Corey L. Reynolds
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Liliana E. Villanueva
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Julio Vladimir Cruz
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales Dr. Hideyo Noguchi, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico
| | - Leroy Versteeg
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Brian Keegan
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - April Kendricks
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Jeroen Pollet
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Fabian Gusovsky
- Global Health Research, Eisai, Inc., Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States
| | - Peter J. Hotez
- Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States,Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, United States,James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, TX, United States,Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, United States
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23
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García F, Musikant D, Escalona JL, Edreira MM, Liñares GG. Lipase-Catalyzed Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of N-Picolineamides as Trypanosoma cruzi Antiproliferative Agents. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:59-65. [PMID: 36655123 PMCID: PMC9841590 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In our search for new safe antiparasitic agents, an enzymatic pathway was applied to synthesize a series of N-pyridinylmethyl amides derived from structurally different carboxylic acids. Thirty derivatives, including 11 new compounds, were prepared through lipase-catalyzed acylation in excellent yields. In order to optimize the synthetic methodology, the impact of different reaction parameters was analyzed. Some compounds were evaluated as antiproliferative agents against Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite responsible for American trypanosomiasis (Chagas' disease). Some of them showed significant activity as parasite proliferation inhibitors. Amides derived from 2-aminopicoline and stearic and elaidic acids were as potent as nifurtimox against the amastigote form of T. cruzi, the clinically relevant form of the parasite. Even more, a powerful synergism between nifurtimox and N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)stereamide was observed, almost completely inhibiting the proliferation of the parasite. Besides, the obtained compounds showed no toxicity in Vero cells, making them excellent potential candidates as lead drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabricio
Freije García
- Laboratorio
de Biocatálisis, Departamento de Química Orgánica
y UMYMFOR, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, piso 3, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Daniel Musikant
- Laboratorio
de Biología Molecular de Trypanosomas, Departamento de Química
Biológica e IQUIBICEN, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, piso 4, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - José L. Escalona
- Laboratorio
de Biología Molecular de Trypanosomas, Departamento de Química
Biológica e IQUIBICEN, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, piso 4, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martín M. Edreira
- Laboratorio
de Biología Molecular de Trypanosomas, Departamento de Química
Biológica e IQUIBICEN, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, piso 4, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guadalupe García Liñares
- Laboratorio
de Biocatálisis, Departamento de Química Orgánica
y UMYMFOR, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires-CONICET, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, piso 3, C1428EGA Buenos Aires, Argentina
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24
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Aguilera E, Sánchez C, Cruces ME, Dávila B, Minini L, Mosquillo F, Pérez-Díaz L, Serna E, Torres S, Schini A, Sanabria L, Vera de Bilbao NI, Yaluff G, Zolessi FR, Ceilas LF, Cerecetto H, Alvarez G. Preclinical Studies and Drug Combination of Low-Cost Molecules for Chagas Disease. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 16:ph16010020. [PMID: 36678516 PMCID: PMC9863266 DOI: 10.3390/ph16010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2022] [Revised: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi). It remains the major parasitic disease in Latin America and is spreading worldwide, affecting over 10 million people. Hundreds of new compounds with trypanosomicidal action have been identified from different sources such as synthetic or natural molecules, but they have been deficient in several stages of drug development (toxicology, scaling-up, and pharmacokinetics). Previously, we described a series of compounds with simple structures, low cost, and environmentally friendly production with potent trypanosomicidal activity in vitro and in vivo. These molecules are from three different families: thiazolidenehydrazines, diarylideneketones, and steroids. From this collection, we explored their capacity to inhibit the triosephosphate isomerase and cruzipain of T. cruzi. Then, the mechanism of action was explored using NMR metabolomics and computational molecular dynamics. Moreover, the mechanism of death was studied by flow cytometry. Consequently, five compounds, 314, 793, 1018, 1019, and 1260, were pre-clinically studied and their pharmacologic profiles indicated low unspecific toxicity. Interestingly, synergetic effects of diarylideneketones 793 plus 1018 and 793 plus 1019 were evidenced in vitro and in vivo. In vivo, the combination of compounds 793 plus 1018 induced a reduction of more than 90% of the peak of parasitemia in the acute murine model of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Aguilera
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Carina Sánchez
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - María Eugenia Cruces
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Belén Dávila
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Minini
- Laboratorio de Química Teórica y Computacional, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Florencia Mosquillo
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Moleculares, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Leticia Pérez-Díaz
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Moleculares, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Elva Serna
- Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 2169, Paraguay
| | - Susana Torres
- Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 2169, Paraguay
| | - Alicia Schini
- Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 2169, Paraguay
| | - Luis Sanabria
- Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 2169, Paraguay
| | - Ninfa I. Vera de Bilbao
- Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 2169, Paraguay
| | - Gloria Yaluff
- Departamento de Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional de Asunción, San Lorenzo 2169, Paraguay
| | - Flavio R. Zolessi
- Sección Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República and Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | | | - Hugo Cerecetto
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Correspondence: (H.C.); (G.A.)
| | - Guzmán Alvarez
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Rute 3 km 363, Paysandú 60000, Uruguay
- Correspondence: (H.C.); (G.A.)
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The Trypanosoma cruzi TcrNT2 Nucleoside Transporter Is a Conduit for the Uptake of 5-F-2'-Deoxyuridine and Tubercidin Analogues. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27228045. [PMID: 36432150 PMCID: PMC9693223 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27228045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Among the scarce validated drug targets against Chagas disease (CD), caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, the parasite's nucleoside salvage system has recently attracted considerable attention. Although the trypanocidal activity of tubercidin (7-deazapurine) has long been known, the identification of a class of 7-substituted tubercidin analogs with potent in vitro and in vivo activity and much-enhanced selectivity has made nucleoside analogs among the most promising lead compounds against CD. Here, we investigate the recently identified TcrNT2 nucleoside transporter and its potential role in antimetabolite chemotherapy. TcrNT2, expressed in a Leishmania mexicana cell line lacking the NT1 nucleoside transporter locus, displayed very high selectivity and affinity for thymidine with a Km of 0.26 ± 0.05 µM. The selectivity was explained by interactions of 2-oxo, 4-oxo, 5-Me, 3'-hydroxy and 5'-hydroxy with the transporter binding pocket, whereas a hydroxy group at the 2' position was deleterious to binding. This made 5-halogenated 2'-deoxyuridine analogues good substrates but 5-F-2'-deoxyuridine displayed disappointing activity against T. cruzi trypomastigotes. By comparing the EC50 values of tubercidin and its 7-substituted analogues against L. mexicana Cas9, Cas9ΔNT1 and Cas9ΔNT1+TcrNT2 it was shown that TcrNT2 can take up tubercidin and, at a minimum, a subset of the analogs.
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Martín-Escolano R, Rosales MJ, Marín C. Biological characteristics of the Trypanosoma cruzi Arequipa strain make it a good model for Chagas disease drug discovery. Acta Trop 2022; 236:106679. [PMID: 36096184 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2022.106679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease (CD), is a genuine parasite with tremendous genetic diversity and a complex life cycle. Scientists have studied this disease for more than 100 years, and CD drug discovery has been a mainstay due to the absence of an effective treatment. Technical advances in several areas have contributed to a better understanding of the complex biology and life cycle of this parasite, with the aim of designing the ideal profile of both drug and therapeutic options to treat CD. Here, we present the T. cruzi Arequipa strain (MHOM/Pe/2011/Arequipa) as an interesting model for CD drug discovery. We characterized acute-phase parasitaemia and chronic-phase tropism in BALB/c mice and determined the in vitro and in vivo benznidazole susceptibility profile of the different morphological forms of this strain. The tropism of this strain makes it an interesting model for the screening of new compounds with a potential anti-Chagas profile for the treatment of this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rubén Martín-Escolano
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, UK.
| | - María José Rosales
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, Granada 18071, Spain
| | - Clotilde Marín
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, Granada 18071, Spain.
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27
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Barbosa JMC, Pedra-Rezende Y, Pereira LD, de Melo TG, Barbosa HS, Lannes-Vieira J, de Castro SL, Daliry A, Salomão K. Benznidazole and amiodarone combined treatment attenuates cytoskeletal damage in Trypanosoma cruzi-infected cardiac cells. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:975931. [PMID: 36093188 PMCID: PMC9452897 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.975931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD), a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is an important public health problem mainly in Latin America, leading to approximately 12,000 annual deaths. Current etiological treatment for CD is limited to two nitro compounds, benznidazole (Bz) and nifurtimox (Nif), both presenting relevant limitations. Different approaches have been employed to establish more effective and safer schemes to treat T. cruzi infection, mostly based on drug repurposing and combination therapies. Amiodarone (AMD), an antiarrhythmic medicament of choice for patients with the chronic cardiac form of CD, is also recognized as a trypanocidal agent. Therefore, our aim is to investigate the combined treatment Bz + AMD on trypomastigote viability, control of T. cruzi intracellular form proliferation, and recovery of the infection-induced cytoskeleton alterations in cardiac cells. The combination of Bz + AMD did not improve the direct trypanocidal effect of AMD on the infective blood trypomastigote and replicative intracellular forms of the parasite. Otherwise, the treatment of T. cruzi-infected cardiac cells with Bz plus AMD attenuated the infection-triggered cytoskeleton damage of host cells and the cytotoxic effects of AMD. Thus, the combined treatment Bz + AMD may favor parasite control and hamper tissue damage.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Helene Santos Barbosa
- Laboratóriode de Biologia Estrutural, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Joseli Lannes-Vieira
- Laboratório de Biologia das Interações, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | - Anissa Daliry
- Laboratório de Investigação Cardiovascular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Kelly Salomão
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Kelly Salomão,
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Jones KM, Poveda C, Versteeg L, Bottazzi ME, Hotez PJ. Preclinical advances and the immunophysiology of a new therapeutic chagas disease vaccine. Expert Rev Vaccines 2022; 21:1185-1203. [PMID: 35735065 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2022.2093721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic infection with the protozoal parasite Trypanosoma cruzi leads to a progressive cardiac disease, known as chronic Chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC). A new therapeutic Chagas disease vaccine is in development to augment existing antiparasitic chemotherapy drugs. AREAS COVERED We report on our current understanding of the underlying immunologic and physiologic mechanisms that lead to CCC, including parasite immune escape mechanisms that allow persistence and the subsequent inflammatory and fibrotic processes that lead to clinical disease. We report on vaccine design and the observed immunotherapeutic effects including induction of a balanced TH1/TH2/TH17 immune response that leads to reduced parasite burdens and tissue pathology. Further, we report vaccine-linked chemotherapy, a dose sparing strategy to further reduce parasite burdens and tissue pathology. EXPERT OPINION Our vaccine-linked chemotherapeutic approach is a multimodal treatment strategy, addressing both the parasite persistence and the underlying deleterious host inflammatory and fibrotic responses that lead to cardiac dysfunction. In targeting treatment towards patients with chronic indeterminate or early determinate Chagas disease, this vaccine-linked chemotherapeutic approach will be highly economical and will reduce the global disease burden and deaths due to CCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn M Jones
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Cristina Poveda
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Leroy Versteeg
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Cell Biology and Immunology Group, Wageningen University & Research, De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Maria Elena Bottazzi
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America
| | - Peter J Hotez
- Texas Children's Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Biology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, United States of America.,James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, United States of America
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29
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Martín-Escolano J, Marín C, Rosales MJ, Tsaousis AD, Medina-Carmona E, Martín-Escolano R. An Updated View of the Trypanosoma cruzi Life Cycle: Intervention Points for an Effective Treatment. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:1107-1115. [PMID: 35652513 PMCID: PMC9194904 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.2c00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Chagas disease (CD)
is a parasitic, systemic, chronic, and often
fatal illness caused by infection with the protozoan Trypanosoma
cruzi. The World Health Organization classifies CD as the
most prevalent of poverty-promoting neglected tropical diseases, the
most important parasitic one, and the third most infectious disease
in Latin America. Currently, CD is a global public health issue that
affects 6–8 million people. However, the current approved treatments
are limited to two nitroheterocyclic drugs developed more than 50
years ago. Many efforts have been made in recent decades to find new
therapies, but our limited understanding of the infection process,
pathology development, and long-term nature of this disease has made
it impossible to develop new drugs, effective treatment, or vaccines.
This Review aims to provide a comprehensive update on our understanding
of the current life cycle, new morphological forms, and genetic diversity
of T. cruzi, as well as identify intervention points
in the life cycle where new drugs and treatments could achieve a parasitic
cure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Martín-Escolano
- Unit of Infectious Diseases, Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), University Hospital Virgen del Rocío/CSIC/University of Seville, E41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Clotilde Marín
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - María J. Rosales
- Department of Parasitology, University of Granada, Severo Ochoa s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
| | - Anastasios D. Tsaousis
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
| | - Encarnación Medina-Carmona
- Department of Physical Chemistry, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain
- School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
| | - Rubén Martín-Escolano
- Laboratory of Molecular & Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NJ, U.K
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30
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Pardo-Rodriguez D, Lasso P, Mateus J, Mendez J, Puerta CJ, Cuéllar A, Robles J, Cuervo C. A terpenoid-rich extract from Clethra fimbriata exhibits anti- Trypanosoma cru zi activity and induces T cell cytokine production. Heliyon 2022; 8:e09182. [PMID: 35368545 PMCID: PMC8968664 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e09182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease, a worldwide public health concern, is a chronic infection caused by Trypanosoma cruzi. Considering T. cruzi chronic persistence correlates with CD4+ and CD8+ T cell dysfunction and the safety and efficacy profiles of Benznidazol and Nifurtimox, the two drugs currently used for its etiological treatment, are far from ideal, the search of new trypanocidal treatment options is a highly relevant issue. Therefore, the objective of this work was to evaluate the trypanocidal effect and cytokine production induction of three extracts (hexane, dichloromethane and hydroalcoholic) obtained from Clethra fimbriata, a plant traditionally used as a febrifuge in Colombia. Additionally, the extracts’ major components with the highest trypanocidal activity were determined. It was evidenced C. fimbriata hexane extract exhibited the highest activity capable of inhibiting the three parasite developmental stages with an IC50/EC50 of 153.9 ± 29.5 (epimastigotes), 39.3 ± 7.2 (trypomastigotes), and 45.6 ± 10.5 (amastigotes) μg/mL, presenting a low cytotoxicity in VERO cells with a selectivity index ranging from 6.49 to 25.4. Moreover, this extract induced trypomastigote apoptotic death and inhibited parasite cell infection. The extract also induced IFN-γ and TNF production in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, as well as de novo production of the cytotoxic molecules granzyme B and perforin in CD8+ T cells from healthy donors. Fatty acids and terpenes represented C. fimbriata key compounds. Thus, the trypanocidal activity and cytokine production induction of the hexane extract may be associated with terpene presence, particularly, triterpenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Pardo-Rodriguez
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.,Grupo de Investigación Fitoquímica, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.,Grupo de Productos Naturales, Universidad del Tolima, Tolima, Colombia
| | - Paola Lasso
- Grupo de Inmunobiología y Biología Celular, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - José Mateus
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - John Mendez
- Grupo de Productos Naturales, Universidad del Tolima, Tolima, Colombia
| | - Concepción J Puerta
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriana Cuéllar
- Grupo en Ciencias de Laboratorio Clínico, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jorge Robles
- Grupo de Investigación Fitoquímica, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Claudia Cuervo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
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31
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Synthesis, Bio-physical and anti-Leishmanial studies of some novel indolo[3,2-a]phenanthridine derivatives. Bioorg Chem 2022; 123:105766. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bioorg.2022.105766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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32
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Brattig NW, Graf A, Konou A, Casagrande G, Utzinger J, Meier L. More than seven decades of Acta Tropica: Looking back to move into the future. Acta Trop 2022; 226:106155. [PMID: 34634266 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.106155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Acta Tropica is an international, peer-reviewed journal advancing scientific research in the fields of tropical medicine and parasitology. This article elucidates the rich history of the journal and speculates about its future. Acta Tropica was launched in 1944 and formed an integral part of the establishment and running of the Swiss Tropical Institute in Basel. After two distinct periods of relatively small publication activities (1944-1976 and 1977-1988), in 1989, Acta Tropica was transferred to the Dutch publisher Elsevier. Subsequently, the annual number of publications steadily increased and the scope of the journal broadened to the biology of pathogens and their vectors, to genetics, host-parasite relationships, mechanisms of pathogenicity, diagnostics, and treatment of tropical diseases. The body of published articles contributed to an improved understanding of the prevention, surveillance, control, and elimination of diseases that are intimately linked to poverty, such as malaria and neglected tropical diseases. In recent years, the scope of Acta Tropica was widening to target emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, epidemics and pandemics, interrelations of microbes, viruses, and parasites, co-dependencies of epidemiology, ecology, environment, and climate change. Importantly, non-communicable diseases are gaining interest in low- and middle-income countries due to urbanization, globalization, and rapidly changing life styles, and hence, these issues receive growing prominence. Acta Tropica continues to embrace inter- and, indeed, transdisciplinary research to address pressing global health issues and sustainable development.
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33
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Santos EDS, Silva DKC, dos Reis BPZC, Barreto BC, Cardoso CMA, Ribeiro dos Santos R, Meira CS, Soares MBP. Immunomodulation for the Treatment of Chronic Chagas Disease Cardiomyopathy: A New Approach to an Old Enemy. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:765879. [PMID: 34869068 PMCID: PMC8633308 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.765879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is a parasitic infection caused by the intracellular protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Chronic Chagas cardiomyopathy (CCC) is the most severe manifestation of the disease, developed by approximately 20-40% of patients and characterized by occurrence of arrhythmias, heart failure and death. Despite having more than 100 years of discovery, Chagas disease remains without an effective treatment, especially for patients with CCC. Since the pathogenesis of CCC depends on a parasite-driven systemic inflammatory profile that leads to cardiac tissue damage, the use of immunomodulators has become a rational alternative for the treatment of CCC. In this context, different classes of drugs, cell therapies with dendritic cells or stem cells and gene therapy have shown potential to modulate systemic inflammation and myocarditis in CCC models. Based on that, the present review provides an overview of current reports regarding the use of immunomodulatory agents in treatment of CCC, bringing the challenges and future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emanuelle de Souza Santos
- SENAI Institute of Innovation in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), University Center SENAI/CIMATEC, Salvador, Brazil
| | | | | | - Breno Cardim Barreto
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo Ribeiro dos Santos
- SENAI Institute of Innovation in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), University Center SENAI/CIMATEC, Salvador, Brazil
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Cássio Santana Meira
- SENAI Institute of Innovation in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), University Center SENAI/CIMATEC, Salvador, Brazil
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Brazil
| | - Milena Botelho Pereira Soares
- SENAI Institute of Innovation in Health Advanced Systems (CIMATEC ISI SAS), University Center SENAI/CIMATEC, Salvador, Brazil
- Gonçalo Moniz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (IGM-FIOCRUZ/BA), Salvador, Brazil
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34
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Méndez-Arriaga JM, Rubio-Mirallas E, Quirós M, Sánchez-Moreno M. Zinc 1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine complexes: synthesis, structural characterization and their effect against Chagas disease. Med Chem 2021; 18:444-451. [PMID: 34387166 DOI: 10.2174/1573406417666210812162500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization catalogues illnesses such as Chagas disease as neglected diseases, due the low investment in new drugs to fight them. The search for novel and non-side effects anti-parasitic compounds is one of the urgent needs of the Third World. The use of triazolopyrimidines and their metal complexes have demonstrated hopeful results in this field. OBJECTIVE This work studies the antiparasitic efficacy against Trypanosoma cruzi strains of a series of zinc triazolopyrimidine complexes. METHOD A series of Zn complexes has been synthesized by the reaction between the triazolopyrimidine derivatives 7-amino-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (7atp) and 5,7-dimethyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine (dmtp) with Zn(SO4) • 7H2O, ZnCl2, and Zn(NO3)2 • 6H2O salts. The complexes have been analyzed by spectroscopic and thermal assays and X-ray diffraction methods have been used to dilucidate the crystalline structure of one of them. The antiparasitic efficacy was tested in vitro against Trypanosoma cruzi to compare the trypanocidal effect of different ligands and counteranions to fight Chagas disease. RESULTS The efficacy of these compounds against Trypanosoma cruzi has also been tested to compare the influence of different ligands and counteranions on the trypanocidal effect against Chagas disease. CONCLUSION Antiproliferative tests corroborate the synergistic trypanocidal effect of the triazolopyrimidine coordination complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- José M Méndez-Arriaga
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorganica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n 28933, Móstoles, Madrid. Spain
| | - Erika Rubio-Mirallas
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada. Spain
| | - Miguel Quirós
- Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada. Spain
| | - Manuel Sánchez-Moreno
- Departamento de Parasitología, Universidad de Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada. Spain
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35
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Jackson Y, Wyssa B, Chappuis F. Tolerance to nifurtimox and benznidazole in adult patients with chronic Chagas' disease. J Antimicrob Chemother 2021; 75:690-696. [PMID: 31754690 PMCID: PMC7021088 DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkz473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 10/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Current options for Chagas' disease treatment are restricted to benznidazole and nifurtimox. To the best of our knowledge, no study has ever compared their tolerance in adults in a non-endemic country. OBJECTIVES To compare the completion rates and drug tolerance in a cohort of patients treated according to current guidelines. PATIENTS AND METHODS We analysed the medical records of all Chagas' disease patients aged 18 years or over who started antiparasitic treatment at the Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland, from 2008 to 2016. We recorded treatment duration and all adverse events. RESULTS We included 176 patients, 92 and 84 of whom received benznidazole or nifurtimox, respectively. The overall treatment completion rate was 62.5%, without a significant difference between the groups (P=0.436). Most patients (89.8%) suffered at least one adverse event. Those receiving nifurtimox had more events (6.2 versus 3.5, P<0.001). Mucocutaneous symptoms predominated in the benznidazole group, whereas digestive symptoms were most frequent with nifurtimox. Neuropsychiatric events frequently occurred in both groups, most notably in patients receiving nifurtimox. Arthralgia, dyspnoea, sensitive neuropathy and pruritus were independent predictors of treatment interruption. CONCLUSIONS Currently recommended drug regimens for Chagas' disease are not well tolerated and entail frequent treatment discontinuation irrespective of the drug used. This highlights the need to improve treatment tolerance in adults with Chagas' disease with new therapeutic options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves Jackson
- Division of Primary Care Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle Perret Gentil 6, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland
| | - Baptiste Wyssa
- School of Medicine, University of Geneva, Rue Michel-Servet 1, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - François Chappuis
- Division of Tropical and Humanitarian Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals and University of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle Perret Gentil 6, 1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland
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36
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Sass G, Miller Conrad LC, Nguyen TTH, Stevens DA. The Pseudomonas aeruginosa product pyochelin interferes with Trypanosoma cruzi infection and multiplication in vitro. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2021; 114:492-498. [PMID: 32193540 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trz136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacteria are sources of numerous molecules used in treatment of infectious diseases. We investigated effects of molecules produced by 26 Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains against infection of mammalian cell cultures with Trypanosoma cruzi, the aetiological agent of Chagas disease. METHODS Vero cells were infected with T. cruzi in the presence of wild-type P. aeruginosa supernatants or supernatants of mutants with defects in the production of various virulence, quorum sensing and iron acquisition factors. Quantification of T. cruzi infection (percentage of infected cells) and multiplication (number of amastigotes per infected cell) was performed and cell viability was determined. RESULTS Wild-type P. aeruginosa products negatively affected T. cruzi infection and multiplication in a dose-dependent manner, without evident toxicity for mammalian cells. PvdD/pchE mutation (loss of the P. aeruginosa siderophores pyoverdine and pyochelin) had the greatest impact on anti-T. cruzi activity. Negative effects on T. cruzi infection by pure pyochelin, but not pyoverdine, or other P. aeruginosa exoproducts studied, were quantitatively similar to the effects of benznidazole, the current standard therapy against T. cruzi. CONCLUSIONS The P. aeruginosa product pyochelin showed promising activity against T. cruzi and might become a new lead molecule for therapy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Sass
- California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, CA 95128, USA
| | | | | | - David A Stevens
- California Institute for Medical Research, San Jose, CA 95128, USA.,Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Bustamante JM, Sanchez-Valdez F, Padilla AM, White B, Wang W, Tarleton RL. A modified drug regimen clears active and dormant trypanosomes in mouse models of Chagas disease. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/567/eabb7656. [PMID: 33115952 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb7656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
A major contributor to treatment failure in Chagas disease, caused by infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is that current treatment regimens do not address the drug insensitivity of transiently dormant T. cruzi amastigotes. Here, we demonstrated that use of a currently available drug in a modified treatment regimen of higher individual doses, given less frequently over an extended treatment period, could consistently extinguish T. cruzi infection in three mouse models of Chagas disease. Once per week administration of benznidazole at a dose 2.5 to 5 times the standard daily dose rapidly eliminated actively replicating parasites and ultimately eradicated the residual, transiently dormant parasite population in mice. This outcome was initially confirmed in "difficult to cure" mouse infection models using immunological, parasitological, and molecular biological approaches and ultimately corroborated by whole organ analysis of optically clarified tissues using light sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM). This tool was effective for monitoring pathogen load in intact organs, including detection of individual dormant parasites, and for assessing treatment outcomes. LSFM-based analysis also suggested that dormant amastigotes of T. cruzi may not be fully resistant to trypanocidal compounds such as benznidazole. Collectively, these studies provide important information on the phenomenon of dormancy in T. cruzi infection in mice, demonstrate methods to therapeutically override dormancy using a currently available drug, and provide methods to monitor alternative therapeutic approaches for this, and possibly other, low-density infectious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan M Bustamante
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Fernando Sanchez-Valdez
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.,Instituto de Patología Experimental, Universidad Nacional de Salta-CONICET, Salta, Argentina
| | - Angel M Padilla
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Brooke White
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Wei Wang
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Rick L Tarleton
- Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. .,Department of Cellular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Choudhury SD. Nano-Medicines a Hope for Chagas Disease! Front Mol Biosci 2021; 8:655435. [PMID: 34141721 PMCID: PMC8204082 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2021.655435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease, is a vector-mediated tropical disease whose causative agent is a parasitic protozoan named Trypanosoma cruzi. It is a very severe health issue in South America and Mexico infecting millions of people every year. Protozoan T. cruzi gets transmitted to human through Triatominae, a subfamily of the Reduviidae, and do not have any effective treatment or preventative available. The lack of economic gains from this tropical parasitic infection, has always been the reason behind its negligence by researchers and drug manufacturers for many decades. Hence there is an enormous requirement for more efficient and novel strategies to reduce the fatality associated with these diseases. Even, available diagnosis protocols are outdated and inefficient and there is an urgent need for rapid high throughput diagnostics as well as management protocol. The current advancement of nanotechnology in the field of healthcare has generated hope for better management of many tropical diseases including Chagas disease. Nanoparticulate systems for drug delivery like poloxamer coated nanosuspension of benzimidazole have shown promising results in reducing toxicity, elevating efficacy and bioavailability of the active compound against the pathogen, by prolonging release, thereby increasing the therapeutic index. Moreover, nanoparticle-based drug delivery has shown promising results in inducing the host’s immune response against the pathogen with very few side effects. Besides, advances in diagnostic assays, such as nanosensors, aided in the accurate detection of the parasite. In this review, we provide an insight into the life cycle stages of the pathogen in both vertebrate host and the insect vector, along with an overview of the current therapy for Chagas disease and its limitations; nano carrier-based delivery systems for antichagasic agents, we also address the advancement of nano vaccines and nano-diagnostic techniques, for treatment of Chagas disease, majorly focusing on the novel perspectives in combating the disease.
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do Nascimento MSS, Câmara VRF, da Costa JS, Barbosa JMC, Lins ASM, Salomão K, de Castro SL, Carvalho SA, da Silva EF, Fraga CAM. Identification of Novel Functionalized Carbohydrazonamides Designed as Chagas Disease Drug Candidates. Med Chem 2021; 16:774-783. [PMID: 31244442 DOI: 10.2174/1573406415666190627103013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although several research efforts have been made worldwide to discover novel drug candidates for the treatment of Chagas disease, the nitroimidazole drug benznidazol remains the only therapeutic alternative in the control of this disease. However, this drug presents reduced efficacy in the chronic form of the disease and limited safety after long periods of administration, making it necessary to search for new, more potent and safe prototypes. OBJECTIVE We described herein the synthesis and the trypanocidalaction of new functionalized carbohydrazonamides (2-10) against trypomastigote forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. METHODS These compounds were designed through the application of molecular hybridization concept between two potent anti-T. cruzi prototypes, the nitroimidazole derivative megazol (1) and the cinnamyl N-acylhydrazone derivative (14) which have been shown to be twice as potent in vitro as benznidazole. RESULTS The most active compounds were the (Z)-N'-((E)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-acryloyl)-1-methyl-5- nitro-1H-imidazol-2-carbohydrazonamide (6) (IC50=9.50 μM) and the (Z)-N'-((E)-3-(4- hydroxyphe-nyl)-acryloyl)-1-methyl-5-nitro-1H-imidazol-2-carbohydrazonamide (8) (IC50=12.85 μM), which were almost equipotent to benznidazole (IC50=10.26 μM) used as standard drug. The removal of the amine group attached to the imine subunit in the corresponding N-acylhydrazone derivatives (11-13) resulted in less potent or inactive compounds. The para-hydroxyphenyl derivative (8) presented also a good selectivity index (SI = 32.94) when tested against mammalian cells from Swiss mice. CONCLUSION The promising trypanocidal profile of new carbohydrazonamide derivatives (6) and (8) was characterized. These compounds have proved to be a good starting point for the design of more effective trypanocidal drug candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayara S S do Nascimento
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos e Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21041-250 Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Vitória R F Câmara
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos e Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21041-250 Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil,Unigranrio – Universidade do Grande Rio, Rua Prof. José de Souza Herdy, 1160, 25 de Agosto, Duque de Caxias, CEP 25071-202 – Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Juliana S da Costa
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos e Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21041-250 Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil,Unigranrio – Universidade do Grande Rio, Rua Prof. José de Souza Herdy, 1160, 25 de Agosto, Duque de Caxias, CEP 25071-202 – Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Juliana M C Barbosa
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil
| | - Alessandra S M Lins
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil
| | - Kelly Salomão
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil
| | - Solange L de Castro
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21040-900, Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil
| | - Samir A Carvalho
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos e Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21041-250 Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil
| | - Edson F da Silva
- Instituto de Tecnologia em Fármacos e Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, 21041-250 Rio de Janeiro, RJ,
Brazil,Unigranrio – Universidade do Grande Rio, Rua Prof. José de Souza Herdy, 1160, 25 de Agosto, Duque de Caxias, CEP 25071-202 – Rio de Janeiro – RJ, Brazil
| | - Carlos A M Fraga
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Farmacologia e Química Medicinal, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil,Laboratório de Avaliação e Síntese de Substâncias Bioativas (LASSBio), Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas,
Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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da Silva AA, Maia PIDS, Lopes CD, de Albuquerque S, Valle MS. Synthesis, characterization and antichagasic evaluation of thiosemicarbazones prepared from chalcones and dibenzalacetones. J Mol Struct 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.molstruc.2021.130014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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Macedo CM, Saraiva FMDS, Paula JIO, Nascimento SDB, Costa DDSDS, Costa PRR, Dias AG, Paes MC, Nogueira NP. The Potent Trypanocidal Effect of LQB303, a Novel Redox-Active Phenyl-Tert-Butyl-Nitrone Derivate That Causes Mitochondrial Collapse in Trypanosoma cruzi. Front Microbiol 2021; 12:617504. [PMID: 33935988 PMCID: PMC8081855 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.617504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease, which is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, establishes lifelong infections in humans and other mammals that lead to severe cardiac and gastrointestinal complications despite the competent immune response of the hosts. Furthermore, it is a neglected disease that affects 8 million people worldwide. The scenario is even more frustrating since the main chemotherapy is based on benznidazole, a drug that presents severe side effects and low efficacy in the chronic phase of the disease. Thus, the search for new therapeutic alternatives is urgent. In the present study, we investigated the activity of a novel phenyl-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN) derivate, LQB303, against T. cruzi. LQB303 presented trypanocidal effect against intracellular [IC50/48 h = 2.6 μM] and extracellular amastigotes [IC50/24 h = 3.3 μM] in vitro, leading to parasite lysis; however, it does not present any toxicity to host cells. Despite emerging evidence that mitochondrial metabolism is essential for amastigotes to grow inside mammalian cells, the mechanism of redox-active molecules that target T. cruzi mitochondrion is still poorly explored. Therefore, we investigated if LQB303 trypanocidal activity was related to the impairment of the mitochondrial function of amastigotes. The investigation showed there was a significant decrease compared to the baseline oxygen consumption rate (OCR) of LQB303-treated extracellular amastigotes of T. cruzi, as well as reduction of “proton leak” (the depletion of proton motive force by the inhibition of F1Fo ATP synthase) and “ETS” (maximal oxygen consumption after uncoupling) oxygen consumption rates. Interestingly, the residual respiration (“ROX”) enhanced about three times in LQB303-treated amastigotes. The spare respiratory capacity ratio (SRC: cell ability to meet new energy demands) and the ATP-linked OCR were also impaired by LQB303 treatment, correlating the trypanocidal activity of LQB303 with the impairment of mitochondrial redox metabolism of amastigotes. Flow cytometric analysis demonstrated a significant reduction of the ΔΨm of treated amastigotes. LQB303 had no significant influence on the OCR of treated mammalian cells, evidencing its specificity against T. cruzi mitochondrial metabolism. Our results suggest a promising trypanocidal activity of LQB303, associated with parasite bioenergetic inefficiency, with no influence on the host energy metabolism, a fact that may point to an attractive alternative therapy for Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina Machado Macedo
- Laboratório de Interação de Tripanossomatídeos e Vetores, Departamento de Bioquímica, IBRAG - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Francis Monique de Souza Saraiva
- Laboratório de Interação de Tripanossomatídeos e Vetores, Departamento de Bioquímica, IBRAG - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Jéssica Isis Oliveira Paula
- Laboratório de Interação de Tripanossomatídeos e Vetores, Departamento de Bioquímica, IBRAG - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Suelen de Brito Nascimento
- Laboratório de Interação de Tripanossomatídeos e Vetores, Departamento de Bioquímica, IBRAG - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Laboratório de Hematologia, Departamento de Patologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | - Ayres Guimarães Dias
- Departamento de Química Orgânica, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marcia Cristina Paes
- Laboratório de Interação de Tripanossomatídeos e Vetores, Departamento de Bioquímica, IBRAG - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Natália Pereira Nogueira
- Laboratório de Interação de Tripanossomatídeos e Vetores, Departamento de Bioquímica, IBRAG - Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia - Entomologia Molecular (INCT-EM), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Mazzeti AL, Capelari-Oliveira P, Bahia MT, Mosqueira VCF. Review on Experimental Treatment Strategies Against Trypanosoma cruzi. J Exp Pharmacol 2021; 13:409-432. [PMID: 33833592 PMCID: PMC8020333 DOI: 10.2147/jep.s267378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. Currently, only nitroheterocyclic nifurtimox (NFX) and benznidazole (BNZ) are available for the treatment of Chagas disease, with limitations such as variable efficacy, long treatment regimens and toxicity. Different strategies have been used to discover new active molecules for the treatment of Chagas disease. Target-based and phenotypic screening led to thousands of compounds with anti-T. cruzi activity, notably the nitroheterocyclic compounds, fexinidazole and its metabolites. In addition, drug repurposing, drug combinations, re-dosing regimens and the development of new formulations have been evaluated. The CYP51 antifungal azoles, as posaconazole, ravuconazole and its prodrug fosravuconazole presented promising results in experimental Chagas disease. Drug combinations of nitroheterocyclic and azoles were able to induce cure in murine infection. New treatment schemes using BNZ showed efficacy in the experimental chronic stage, including against dormant forms of T. cruzi. And finally, sesquiterpene lactone formulated in nanocarriers displayed outstanding efficacy against different strains of T. cruzi, susceptible or resistant to BNZ, the reference drug. These pre-clinical results are encouraging and provide interesting evidence to improve the treatment of patients with Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Lia Mazzeti
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Galênico e Nanotecnologia, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400-000, Brazil.,Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21040-360, Brazil.,Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Escola de Medicina & Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400-000, Brazil
| | - Patricia Capelari-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Galênico e Nanotecnologia, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400-000, Brazil
| | - Maria Terezinha Bahia
- Laboratório de Doenças Parasitárias, Escola de Medicina & Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400-000, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Carla Furtado Mosqueira
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento Galênico e Nanotecnologia, Escola de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, 35400-000, Brazil
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Valsecchi WM, Delfino JM, Santos J, Fernández Villamil SH. Zoledronate repositioning as a potential trypanocidal drug. Trypanosoma cruzi HPRT an alternative target to be considered. Biochem Pharmacol 2021; 188:114524. [PMID: 33741333 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2021.114524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and affects 7 million people worldwide. Considering the side effects and drug resistance shown by current treatments, the development of new anti-Chagas therapies is an urgent need. T. cruzi hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (TcHPRT), the key enzyme of the purine salvage pathway, is essential for the survival of trypanosomatids. Previously, we assessed the inhibitory effect of different bisphosphonates (BPs), HPRT substrate analogues, on the activity of the isolated enzyme. BPs are used as a treatment for bone diseases and growth inhibition studies on T. cruzi have associated BPs action with the farnesyl diphosphate synthase inhibition. Here, we demonstrated significant growth inhibition of epimastigotes in the presence of BPs and a strong correlation with our previous results on the isolated TcHPRT, suggesting this enzyme as a possible and important target for these drugs. We also found that the parasites exhibited a delay at S phase in the presence of zoledronate pointing out enzymes involved in the cell cycle, such as TcHPRT, as intracellular targets. Moreover, we validated that micromolar concentrations of zoledronate are capable to interfere with the progression of cell infection by this parasite. Altogether, our findings allow us to propose the repositioning of zoledronate as a promising candidate against Chagas disease and TcHPRT as a new target for future rational design of antiparasitic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- W M Valsecchi
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina; Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB-CONICET), Argentina.
| | - J M Delfino
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina; Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB-CONICET), Argentina
| | - J Santos
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina; Instituto de Química y Fisicoquímica Biológicas (IQUIFIB-CONICET), Argentina
| | - S H Fernández Villamil
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Argentina; Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular (INGEBI-CONICET), Argentina.
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Vela A, Coral-Almeida M, Sereno D, Costales JA, Barnabé C, Brenière SF. In vitro susceptibility of Trypanosoma cruzi discrete typing units (DTUs) to benznidazole: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2021; 15:e0009269. [PMID: 33750958 PMCID: PMC8016252 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009269] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease endemic to Latin America caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, currently affects 6-7 million people and is responsible for 12,500 deaths each year. No vaccine exists at present and the only two drugs currently approved for the treatment (benznidazole and nifurtimox), possess serious limitations, including long treatment regimes, undesirable side effects, and frequent clinical failures. A link between parasite genetic variability and drug sensibility/efficacy has been suggested, but remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated associations between T. cruzi genetic variability and in vitro benznidazole susceptibility via a systematic article review and meta-analysis. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS In vitro normalized benznidazole susceptibility indices (LC50 and IC50) for epimastigote, trypomastigote and amastigote stages of different T. cruzi strains were recorded from articles in the scientific literature. A total of 60 articles, which include 189 assays, met the selection criteria for the meta-analysis. Mean values for each discrete typing unit (DTU) were estimated using the meta and metaphor packages through R software, and presented in a rainforest plot. Subsequently, a meta-regression analysis was performed to determine differences between estimated mean values by DTU/parasite stage/drug incubation times. For each parasite stage, some DTU mean values were significantly different, e.g. at 24h of drug incubation, a lower sensitivity to benznidazole of TcI vs. TcII trypomastigotes was noteworthy. Nevertheless, funnel plots detected high heterogeneity of the data within each DTU and even for a single strain. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Several limitations of the study prevent assigning DTUs to different in vitro benznidazole sensitivity groups; however, ignoring the parasite's genetic variability during drug development and evaluation would not be advisable. Our findings highlight the need for establishment of uniform experimental conditions as well as a screening of different DTUs during the optimization of new drug candidates for Chagas disease treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Vela
- Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), UMR INTERTRYP IRD-CIRAD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Marco Coral-Almeida
- One Health Research group, Facultad de Ciencias de la salud, Universidad de las Américas-Quito, Calle de los Colimes y Avenida De los Granados, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Denis Sereno
- Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), UMR INTERTRYP IRD-CIRAD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Jaime A. Costales
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Christian Barnabé
- Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), UMR INTERTRYP IRD-CIRAD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| | - Simone Frédérique Brenière
- Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), UMR INTERTRYP IRD-CIRAD, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France
- Centro de Investigación para la Salud en América Latina (CISeAL), Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
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Virtual Screening Based on QSAR and Molecular Docking of Possible Inhibitors Targeting Chagas CYP51. J CHEM-NY 2021. [DOI: 10.1155/2021/6640624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas is a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi with no effective treatment in all its forms. There is a need to find more effective therapeutic alternatives with reduced toxicity. In this contribution, multiple linear regression models were used to identify the molecular descriptors that best describe the inhibitory activity of 52 fenarimol analogues against Trypanosoma cruzi. The topological, physicochemical, thermodynamic, electronic, and charge descriptors were evaluated to cover a wide range of properties that frequently encode biological activity. A model with high predictive value was obtained based on geometrical descriptors and descriptors encoding hydrophobicity and London dispersion forces as necessary for the inhibition of Trypanosoma cruzi-CYP51. Docking methodology was implemented to evaluate molecular interactions in silico. The virtual screening results in this study can be used for rational design of new analogues with improved activity against Chagas disease.
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Sarto MPM, Lucas da Silva HF, de Souza Fernandes N, de Abreu AP, Zanusso Junior G, de Ornelas Toledo MJ. Essential oils from Syzygium aromaticum and Zingiber officinale, administered alone or in combination with benznidazole, reduce the parasite load in mice orally inoculated with Trypanosoma cruzi II. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021; 21:77. [PMID: 33632196 PMCID: PMC7908772 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-021-03248-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trypanosoma cruzi is the etiological agent of Chagas disease (CD) or American trypanosomiasis, an important public health problem in Latin America. Benznidazole (BZ), a drug available for its treatment, has limited efficacy and significant side effects. Essential oils (EOs) have demonstrated trypanocidal activity and may constitute a therapeutic alternative. Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of the EOs of clove (CEO - Syzygium aromaticum) and ginger (GEO - Zingiber officinale), administered alone and in combination with BZ, in Swiss mice infected with T. cruzi. METHODS The animals were inoculated with 10,000 blood trypomastigotes of the Y strain of T. cruzi II by gavage and divided into four groups (n = 12 to 15): 1) untreated control (NT); 2) treated with BZ; 3) treated with CEO or GEO; and 4) treated with BZ + CEO or GEO. The treatments consisted of oral administration of 100 mg/kg/day, from the 5th day after parasite inoculation, for 20 consecutive days. All groups were submitted to fresh blood examination (FBE), blood culture (BC), conventional PCR (cPCR) and real-time PCR (qPCR), before and after immunosuppression with cyclophosphamide. RESULTS Clove and ginger EOs, administered alone and in combination with BZ, promoted suppression of parasitemia (p < 0.0001), except for the animals treated with CEO alone, which presented a parasitemia curve similar to NT animals. However, there was a decrease in the BC positivity rate (p < 0.05) and parasite load (< 0.0001) in this group. Treatment with GEO alone, on the other hand, besides promoting a decrease in the BC positivity rate (p < 0.05) and parasite load (p < 0.01), this EO also resulted in a decrease in mortality rate (p < 0.05) of treated mice. CONCLUSIONS Decreased parasite load, as detected by qPCR, was observed in all treatment groups (BZ, CEO, GEO and BZ + EOs), demonstrating benefits even in the absence of parasitological cure, thus opening perspectives for further studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Paula Mansano Sarto
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900 Brazil
| | - Hevillyn Fernanda Lucas da Silva
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900 Brazil
| | - Nilma de Souza Fernandes
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900 Brazil
| | - Ana Paula de Abreu
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900 Brazil
| | - Gerson Zanusso Junior
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900 Brazil
| | - Max Jean de Ornelas Toledo
- Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Health Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900 Brazil
- Postgraduate Program in Biological Sciences, Biological Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900 Brazil
- Department of Basic Health Sciences, Health Sciences Center, State University of Maringá, Avenida Colombo, 5790, Jardim Universitário, Maringá, Paraná, 87020-900 Brazil
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Castañeda JS, Suta-Velásquez M, Mateus J, Pardo-Rodriguez D, Puerta CJ, Cuéllar A, Robles J, Cuervo C. Preliminary chemical characterization of ethanolic extracts from Colombian plants with promising anti - Trypanosoma cruzi activity. Exp Parasitol 2021; 223:108079. [PMID: 33524381 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2021.108079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, and it is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in Latin America. There are no vaccines, and the chemotherapy available to treat this infection has serious side effects. In a search for alternative treatments, we determined the in vitro susceptibility of epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of T. cruzi and the cytotoxic effects on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of ethanolic extracts obtained from six different plant species. The ethanolic extracts of Ageratina vacciniaefolia, Clethra fimbriata and Siparuna sessiliflora showed antiprotozoal activity against epimastigotes and low cytotoxicity in mammalian cells. However, only the ethanolic extract of C. fimbriata showed activity against T. cruzi trypomastigotes, and it had low cytotoxicity in PBMCs. An analysis on the phytochemical composition of C. fimbriata extract showed that its metabolites were primarily represented by two families of compounds: flavonoids and terpenoids. Lastly, we analyzed whether the A. vacciniaefolia, C. fimbriata, or S. sessiliflora ethanolic extracts induced IFN-γ or TNF-α production. Significantly, ethanolic extracts of C. fimbriata induced TNF-α production and S. sessiliflora induced both cytokines. In addition, C. fimbriata and S. sessiliflora induced the simultaneous secretion of IFN-γ and TNF-α in CD8+ T cells. The antiprotozoal and immunomodulatory activity of C. fimbriata may be related to the presence of flavonoid and triterpene compounds in the extract. Thus, these findings suggest that C. fimbriata may represent a valuable source of new bioactive compounds for the therapeutic treatment of Chagas disease that combines trypanocidal activity with the capacity to boost the immune response.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Sebastián Castañeda
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - María Suta-Velásquez
- Grupo de Inmunobiología y Biología Celular, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jose Mateus
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia; Grupo de Inmunobiología y Biología Celular, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Daniel Pardo-Rodriguez
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia; Grupo de Investigación Fitoquímica, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (GIFUJ), Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Concepción J Puerta
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Adriana Cuéllar
- Grupo de Inmunobiología y Biología Celular, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Jorge Robles
- Grupo de Investigación Fitoquímica, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (GIFUJ), Bogotá, Colombia.
| | - Claudia Cuervo
- Grupo de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Facultad de Ciencias, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia.
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Pharmacokinetics of Benznidazole in Experimental Chronic Chagas Disease Using the Swiss Mouse-Berenice-78 Trypanosoma cruzi Strain Model. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.01383-20. [PMID: 33168611 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01383-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Chronic Chagas disease might have an impact on benznidazole pharmacokinetics with potential alterations in the therapeutic dosing regimen. This study aims to investigate the influence of chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infection on the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of benznidazole in mice. Healthy (n = 40) and chronically T. cruzi (Berenice-78 strain)-infected (n = 40) Swiss female 10-month-old mice received a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg of body weight of benznidazole. Serial blood, heart, colon, and brain samples were collected up to 12 h after benznidazole administration. The serum and tissue samples were analyzed using a high-performance liquid chromatography instrument coupled to a diode array detector. Chronic infection by T. cruzi increased the values of the pharmacokinetic parameters absorption rate constant (Ka ) (3.92 versus 1.82 h-1), apparent volume of distribution (V/F) (0.089 versus 0.036 liters), and apparent clearance (CL/F) (0.030 versus 0.011 liters/h) and reduced the values of the time to the maximum concentration of drug in serum (T max) (0.67 versus 1.17 h) and absorption half-life (t 1/2 a ) (0.18 versus 0.38 h). Tissue exposure (area under the concentration-versus-time curve from 0 h to time t for tissue [AUC0- t ,tissue]) was longer and higher in the colon (8.15 versus 21.21 μg · h/g) and heart (5.72 versus 13.58 μg · h/g) of chronically infected mice. Chronic infection also increased the benznidazole tissue penetration ratios (AUC0- t ,tissue/AUC0- t ,serum ratios) of brain, colon, and heart by 1.6-, 3.25-, and 3-fold, respectively. The experimental chronic Chagas disease inflammation-mediated changes in the regulation of membrane transporters probably influence the benznidazole pharmacokinetics and the extent of benznidazole exposure in tissues. These results advise for potential alterations in benznidazole pharmacokinetics in chronic Chagas disease patients with possibilities of changes in the standard dosing regimen.
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Castillo-Garit JA, Barigye SJ, Pham-The H, Pérez-Doñate V, Torrens F, Pérez-Giménez F. Computational identification of chemical compounds with potential anti-Chagas activity using a classification tree. SAR AND QSAR IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 32:71-83. [PMID: 33455460 DOI: 10.1080/1062936x.2020.1863857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is endemic to 21 Latin American countries and is a great public health problem in that region. Current chemotherapy remains unsatisfactory; consequently the need to search for new drugs persists. Here we present a new approach to identify novel compounds with potential anti-chagasic action. A large dataset of 584 compounds, obtained from the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, was selected to develop the computational model. Dragon software was used to calculate the molecular descriptors and WEKA software to obtain the classification tree. The best model shows accuracy greater than 93.4% for the training set; the tree was also validated using a 10-fold cross-validation procedure and through a test set, achieving accuracy values over 90.5% and 92.2%, correspondingly. The values of sensitivity and specificity were around 90% in all series; also the false alarm rate values were under 10.5% for all sets. In addition, a simulated ligand-based virtual screening for several compounds recently reported as promising anti-chagasic agents was carried out, yielding good agreement between predictions and experimental results. Finally, the present work constitutes an example of how this rational computer-based method can help reduce the cost and increase the rate in which novel compounds are developed against Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Castillo-Garit
- Unidad de Toxicología Experimental, Universidad de Ciencias Médicas de Villa Clara , Villa Clara, Cuba
- Unidad de Investigación de Diseño de Fármacos y Conectividad Molecular, Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Farmacia, Universitat de València , Valencia, Spain
| | - S J Barigye
- Departamento de Química Física Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (UAM) , Madrid, Spain
| | - H Pham-The
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Hanoi University of Pharmacy , Hanoi, Viet-nam
| | - V Pérez-Doñate
- Departamento de Microbiología, Hospital Universitario de la Ribera , Valencia, Spain
| | - F Torrens
- Institut Universitari de Ciència Molecular, Universitat de València, Edifici d'Instituts de Paterna , València, Spain
| | - F Pérez-Giménez
- Unidad de Investigación de Diseño de Fármacos y Conectividad Molecular, Departamento de Química Física, Facultad de Farmacia, Universitat de València , Valencia, Spain
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50
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Hasslocher-Moreno AM, Saraiva RM, Sangenis LH, Xavier SS, de Sousa AS, Costa AR, de Holanda MT, Veloso HH, Mendes FS, Costa FA, Boia MN, Brasil PE, Carneiro FM, da Silva GM, Mediano MF. Benznidazole decreases the risk of chronic Chagas disease progression and cardiovascular events: A long-term follow up study. EClinicalMedicine 2021; 31:100694. [PMID: 33554085 PMCID: PMC7846661 DOI: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease (CD) remains an important endemic disease in Latin America. However, CD became globalized in recent decades. The majority of the chronically infected individuals did not receive etiologic treatment for several reasons, among them the most conspicuous is the lack of access to diagnosis. The impact of trypanocidal treatment on CD chronic phase, without cardiac involvement (indeterminate form ICF), is yet to be determined. We aimed to evaluate the effect of trypanocidal treatment with benznidazole (BZN) on the rate of progression to Chagas heart disease in patients with ICF. METHODS This is a retrospective cohort observational study including patients with ICF treated with BZN and compared to a group of non-treated patients matched for age, sex, region of origin, and the year of cohort entry. We reviewed the medical charts of all patients followed from May 1987 to June 2020 at the outpatient center of the Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INI) of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Patients' follow-up included at least one annual medical visit and one annual electrocardiogram (ECG). Echocardiographic exams were performed at baseline and during the follow-up. Disease progression from ICF to cardiac form was defined by changes in baseline ECG. Cumulative incidence and the incidence rate were described in the incidence analysis. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the association between BZN and CD progression, cardiovascular events or death. FINDINGS One hundred and fourteen treated patients met the study inclusion criteria. A comparison group of 114 non-treated patients matched for age, sex, region of origin, and the year of cohort entry was also included, totalizing 228 patients. Most patients included in the study were male (70.2%), and their mean age was 31.3 (+7.4) years. Over a median follow-up of 15.1 years (ranging from 1.0 to 32.4), the cumulative CD progression incidence in treated patients was 7.9% vs. 21.1% in the non-treated group (p = 0.04) and the CD progression rate was 0.49 per 1.000 patients/year in treated patients vs. 1.10 per 1.000 patients/year for non-treated patients (p = 0.02). BZN treatment was associated with a decreased risk of CD progression in both unadjusted (HR 0.46; 95%CI 0.21 to 0.98) and adjusted (HR 0.43; 95%CI 0.19 to 0.96) models and with a decreased risk of occurrence of the composite of cardiovascular events only in the adjusted (HR 0.15; 95%CI 0.03 to 0.80) model. No association was observed between BZN treatment and mortality. INTERPRETATION In a long-term follow-up, BZN treatment was associated with a decreased incidence of CD progression from ICF to the cardiac form and also with a decreased risk of cardiovascular events. Therefore, our results indicate that BZN treatment for CD patients with ICF should be implemented into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro M. Hasslocher-Moreno
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Corresponding author.
| | - Roberto M. Saraiva
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Luiz H.C. Sangenis
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Sergio S. Xavier
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Andrea S. de Sousa
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Andrea R. Costa
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcelo T. de Holanda
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Henrique H. Veloso
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fernanda S.N.S. Mendes
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Filipe A.C. Costa
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcio N. Boia
- Oswaldo Cruz Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Pedro E.A.A. Brasil
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Fernanda M. Carneiro
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Mauro F.F. Mediano
- Evandro Chagas National Institute of Infectious Disease, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
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