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Artía Z, Ferraro F, Sánchez C, Cerecetto H, Gil J, Pareja L, Alonzo MN, Freire T, Cabrera M, Corvo I. In vitro and in vivo studies on a group of chalcones find promising results as potential drugs against fascioliasis. Exp Parasitol 2023; 255:108628. [PMID: 37776969 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2023.108628] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023]
Abstract
About a third of the world population is infected by helminth parasites implicated in foodborne trematodiasis. Fascioliasis is a worldwide disease caused by trematodes of the genus Fasciola spp. It generates huge economic losses to the agri-food industry and is currently considered an emerging zoonosis by the World Health Organization (WHO). The only available treatment relies on anthelmintic drugs, being triclabendazole (TCBZ) the drug of choice to control human infections. The emergence of TCBZ resistance in several countries and the lack of an effective vaccine to prevent infection highlights the need to develop new drugs to control this parasitosis. We have previously identified a group of benzochalcones as inhibitors of cathepsins, which have fasciolicidal activity in vitro and are potential new drugs for the control of fascioliasis. We selected the four most active compounds of this group to perform further preclinical studies. The compound's stability was determined against a liver microsomal enzyme fraction, obtaining half-lives of 34-169 min and low intrinsic clearance values (<13 μL/min/mg), as desirable for potential new drugs. None of the compounds were mutagenic or genotoxic and no in vitro cytotoxic effects were seen. Compounds C31 and C34 showed the highest selectivity index against liver fluke cathepsins when compared to human cathepsin L. They were selected for in vivo efficacy studies observing a protective effect, similar to TCBZ, in a mouse model of infection. Our findings strongly encourage us to continue the drug development pipeline for these molecules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoraima Artía
- Laboratorio de I+D de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, 60000, Uruguay
| | - Florencia Ferraro
- Laboratorio de I+D de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, 60000, Uruguay
| | - Carina Sánchez
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica & Área de Radiofarmacia, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay
| | - Hugo Cerecetto
- Grupo de Química Orgánica Medicinal, Instituto de Química Biológica & Área de Radiofarmacia, Centro de Investigaciones Nucleares, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, 11400, Uruguay
| | - Jorge Gil
- Laboratorio de Reproducción Animal, Producción y Reproducción de Rumiantes, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte-Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, 60000, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Pareja
- Departamento de Química del Litoral, CENUR Litoral Norte, Sede Paysandú, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, 60000, Uruguay
| | - María Noel Alonzo
- Departamento de Química del Litoral, CENUR Litoral Norte, Sede Paysandú, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, 60000, Uruguay
| | - Teresa Freire
- Laboratorio de Inmunomodulación y Vacunas, Departamento de Inmunobiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, 11800, Uruguay
| | - Mauricio Cabrera
- Laboratorio de I+D de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, 60000, Uruguay.
| | - Ileana Corvo
- Laboratorio de I+D de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú, 60000, Uruguay.
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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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Saporiti T, Cabrera M, Bentancur J, Ferrari ME, Cabrera N, Pérez-Montfort R, Aguirre-Crespo FJ, Gil J, Cuore U, Matiadis D, Sagnou M, Alvarez G. Phenotypic and Target-Directed Screening Yields New Acaricidal Alternatives for the Control of Ticks. MOLECULES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 27:molecules27248863. [PMID: 36557996 PMCID: PMC9781803 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27248863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Rhipicephalus microplus, the "common cattle tick", is the most important ectoparasite in livestock worldwide due to the economic and health losses it produces. This tick is a vector for pathogens of several tick-borne diseases. In Latin American countries, damages reach approximately USD 500 million annually due to tick infections, as well as tick-borne diseases. Currently, resistant populations for every chemical group of acaricides have been reported, posing a serious problem for tick control. This study aims to find new alternatives for controlling resistant ticks with compounds derived from small synthetic organic molecules and natural origins. Using BME26 embryonic cells, we performed phenotypic screening of 44 natural extracts from 10 Mexican plants used in traditional medicine, and 33 compounds selected from our chemical collection. We found 10 extracts and 13 compounds that inhibited cell growth by 50% at 50 µg/mL and 100 µM, respectively; the dose-response profile of two of them was characterized, and these compounds were assayed in vitro against different life stages of Rhipicephalus microplus. We also performed a target-directed screening of the activity of triosephosphate isomerase, using 86 compounds selected from our chemical collection. In this collection, we found the most potent and selective inhibitor of tick triosephosphate isomerase reported until now. Two other compounds had a potent acaricidal effect in vitro using adults and larvae when compared with other acaricides such as ivermectin and Amitraz. Those compounds were also selective to the ticks compared with the cytotoxicity in mammalian cells like macrophages or bovine spermatozoids. They also had a good toxicological profile, resulting in promising acaricidal compounds for tick control in cattle raising.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Saporiti
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú 60000, Uruguay
| | - Mauricio Cabrera
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú 60000, Uruguay
- Correspondence: (M.C.); (G.A.)
| | - Josefina Bentancur
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú 60000, Uruguay
| | - María Elisa Ferrari
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú 60000, Uruguay
| | - Nallely Cabrera
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Estructural, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
| | - Ruy Pérez-Montfort
- Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Estructural, Instituto de Fisiología Celular, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de Mexico 04510, Mexico
| | | | - Jorge Gil
- Laboratorio de Reproducción Animal, Producción y Reproducción de Rumiantes, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú 60000, Uruguay
| | - Ulises Cuore
- División de Laboratorios Veterinarios “Miguel C. Rubino”, Ministerio de Ganadería, Agricultura y Pesca, Montevideo 91600, Uruguay
| | - Dimitris Matiadis
- National Center for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’, Institute of Biosciences & Applications, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Marina Sagnou
- National Center for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’, Institute of Biosciences & Applications, 15310 Athens, Greece
| | - Guzmán Alvarez
- Laboratorio de Moléculas Bioactivas, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, CENUR Litoral Norte, Universidad de la República, Paysandú 60000, Uruguay
- Correspondence: (M.C.); (G.A.)
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Design, Synthesis, and Investigation of Novel Nitric Oxide (NO)-Releasing Aromatic Aldehyde as Drug Candidates for the Treatment of Sickle Cell Disease. Molecules 2022; 27:molecules27206835. [PMID: 36296435 PMCID: PMC9610770 DOI: 10.3390/molecules27206835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is caused by a single-point mutation, and the ensuing deoxygenation-induced polymerization of sickle hemoglobin (HbS), and reduction in bioavailability of vascular nitric oxide (NO), contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease. In a proof-of-concept study, we successfully incorporated nitrate ester groups onto two previously studied potent antisickling aromatic aldehydes, TD7 and VZHE039, to form TD7-NO and VZHE039-NO hybrids, respectively. These compounds are stable in buffer but demonstrated the expected release of NO in whole blood in vitro and in mice. The more promising VZHE039-NO retained the functional and antisickling activities of the parent VZHE039 molecule. Moreover, VZHE039-NO, unlike VZHE039, significantly attenuated RBC adhesion to laminin, suggesting this compound has potential in vivo RBC anti-adhesion properties relevant to vaso-occlusive events. Crystallographic studies show that, as with VZHE039, VZHE039-NO also binds to liganded Hb to make similar protein interactions. The knowledge gained during these investigations provides a unique opportunity to generate a superior candidate drug in SCD with enhanced benefits.
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Fogarty CE, Phan P, Duke MG, McManus DP, Wyeth RC, Cummins SF, Wang T. Identification of Schistosoma mansoni miracidia attractant candidates in infected Biomphalaria glabrata using behaviour-guided comparative proteomics. Front Immunol 2022; 13:954282. [PMID: 36300127 PMCID: PMC9589101 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.954282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, caused by infection with Schistosoma digenetic trematodes, is one of the deadliest neglected tropical diseases in the world. The Schistosoma lifecycle involves the miracidial infection of an intermediate freshwater snail host, such as Biomphalaria glabrata. Dispersing snail host-derived Schistosoma miracidia attractants has been considered a method of minimising intermediate host infections and, by extension, human schistosomiasis. The attractiveness of B. glabrata to miracidia is known to be reduced following infection; however, the relationship between duration of infection and attractiveness is unclear. Excretory-secretory proteins (ESPs) most abundant in attractive snail conditioned water (SCW) are key candidates to function as miracidia attractants. This study analysed SCW from B. glabrata that were naïve (uninfected) and at different time-points post-miracidia exposure (PME; 16h, 1-week, 2-weeks and 3-weeks PME) to identify candidate ESPs mediating Schistosoma mansoni miracidia behaviour change, including aggregation and chemoklinokinesis behaviour (random motion, including slowdown and increased turning rate and magnitude). Miracidia behaviour change was only observed post-addition of naïve and 3W-PME SCW, with other treatments inducing significantly weaker behaviour changes. Therefore, ESPs were considered attractant candidates if they were shared between naïve and 3W-PME SCW (or exclusive to the former), contained a predicted N-terminal signal peptide and displayed low identity (<50%) to known proteins outside of the Biomphalaria genus. Using these criteria, a total of 6 ESP attractant candidates were identified, including acetylcholine binding protein-like proteins and uncharacterised proteins. Tissue-specific RNA-seq analysis of the genes encoding these 6 ESPs indicated relatively high gene expression within various B. glabrata tissues, including the foot, mantle and kidney. Acetylcholine binding protein-like proteins were highly promising due to their high abundance in naïve and 3W-PME SCW, high specificity to B. glabrata and high expression in the ovotestis, from which attractants have been previously identified. In summary, this study used proteomics, guided by behavioural assays, to identify miracidia attractant candidates that should be further investigated as potential biocontrols to disrupt miracidia infection and minimise schistosomiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor E. Fogarty
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QL, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QL, Australia
| | - Phong Phan
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QL, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QL, Australia
| | - Mary G. Duke
- Infection and Inflammation Program, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QL, Australia
| | - Donald P. McManus
- Infection and Inflammation Program, Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QL, Australia
| | - Russell C. Wyeth
- Department of Biology, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada
| | - Scott F. Cummins
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QL, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QL, Australia
| | - Tianfang Wang
- Centre for Bioinnovation, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QL, Australia
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, QL, Australia
- *Correspondence: Tianfang Wang,
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Ozelame KPC, Mattia MMC, Dedavid e Silva LA, Randall LM, Corvo I, Saporiti T, Seixas A, da Silva Vaz I, Alvarez G. Novel tick glutathione transferase inhibitors as promising acaricidal compounds. Ticks Tick Borne Dis 2022; 13:101970. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.101970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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TMT proteomic analysis for molecular mechanism of Staphylococcus aureus in response to freezing stress. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2022; 106:3139-3152. [PMID: 35460349 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-022-11927-w] [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: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The foodborne pathogen Staphylococcus aureus continues to challenge the food industry due to the pathogenicity and tolerance of the bacterium. As a common storage condition for frozen food during transportation, distribution, and storage, freezing does not seem to be entirely safe due to the cold tolerance of S. aureus. In addition, our study indicated that the biofilm formation ability of S. aureus was significantly increased in response to freezing stress. To explore the molecular mechanism regulating the response to freezing stress, the proteomics signature of S. aureus after freezing stress based on tandem mass tag (TMT) labeling and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was analyzed. Gene Ontology and pathway analysis revealed that ribosome function, metabolism, RNA repair, and stress response proteins were differentially regulated (P < 0.05). Furthermore, transpeptidase sortase A, biofilm operon icaADBC HTH-type negative transcriptional regulator IcaR, and HTH-type transcriptional regulator MgrA were involved in the modulation of increased biofilm formation in response to freezing stress (P < 0.05). Moreover, significant lysine acetylation and malonylation signals in the S. aureus response to freezing stress were observed. Collectively, the current work provides additional insight for comprehending the molecular mechanism of S. aureus in response to freezing stress and presents potential targets for developing strategies to control S. aureus. KEY POINTS: • TMT proteomic analysis was first used on S. aureus in response to freezing stress. • Ribosome-, metabolism-, and biofilm-related proteins change after freezing stress. • Increased biofilm formation in S. aureus responded to freezing stress.
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Wei J, Fei Z, Pan G, Weiss LM, Zhou Z. Current Therapy and Therapeutic Targets for Microsporidiosis. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:835390. [PMID: 35356517 PMCID: PMC8959712 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.835390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Microsporidia are obligate intracellular, spore-forming parasitic fungi which are grouped with the Cryptomycota. They are both opportunistic pathogens in humans and emerging veterinary pathogens. In humans, they cause chronic diarrhea in immune-compromised patients and infection is associated with increased mortality. Besides their role in pébrine in sericulture, which was described in 1865, the prevalence and severity of microsporidiosis in beekeeping and aquaculture has increased markedly in recent decades. Therapy for these pathogens in medicine, veterinary, and agriculture has become a recent focus of attention. Currently, there are only a few commercially available antimicrosporidial drugs. New therapeutic agents are needed for these infections and this is an active area of investigation. In this article we provide a comprehensive summary of the current as well as several promising new agents for the treatment of microsporidiosis including: albendazole, fumagillin, nikkomycin, orlistat, synthetic polyamines, and quinolones. Therapeutic targets which could be utilized for the design of new drugs are also discussed including: tubulin, type 2 methionine aminopeptidase, polyamines, chitin synthases, topoisomerase IV, triosephosphate isomerase, and lipase. We also summarize reports on the utility of complementary and alternative medicine strategies including herbal extracts, propolis, and probiotics. This review should help facilitate drug development for combating microsporidiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junhong Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhihui Fei
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoqing Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Louis M. Weiss
- Department of Pathology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, United States
| | - Zeyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Silkworm Genome Biology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Microsporidia Infection and Control, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Key Laboratory for Sericulture Functional Genomics Biotechnology of Agricultural Ministry, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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Preclinical Studies in Anti- Trypanosomatidae Drug Development. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021; 14:ph14070644. [PMID: 34358070 PMCID: PMC8308625 DOI: 10.3390/ph14070644] [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: 06/02/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The trypanosomatid parasites Trypanosoma brucei, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania are the causative agents of human African trypanosomiasis, Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis, respectively. These infections primarily affect poor, rural communities in the developing world, and are responsible for trapping sufferers and their families in a disease/poverty cycle. The development of new chemotherapies is a priority given that existing drug treatments are problematic. In our search for novel anti-trypanosomatid agents, we assess the growth-inhibitory properties of >450 compounds from in-house and/or "Pathogen Box" (PBox) libraries against L. infantum, L. amazonensis, L.braziliensis, T. cruzi and T. brucei and evaluate the toxicities of the most promising agents towards murine macrophages. Screens using the in-house series identified 17 structures with activity against and selective toward Leishmania: Compounds displayed 50% inhibitory concentrations between 0.09 and 25 μM and had selectivity index values >10. For the PBox library, ~20% of chemicals exhibited anti-parasitic properties including five structures whose activity against L. infantum had not been reported before. These five compounds displayed no toxicity towards murine macrophages over the range tested with three being active in an in vivo murine model of the cutaneous disease, with 100% survival of infected animals. Additionally, the oral combination of three of them in the in vivo Chagas disease murine model demonstrated full control of the parasitemia. Interestingly, phenotyping revealed that the reference strain responds differently to the five PBox-derived chemicals relative to parasites isolated from a dog. Together, our data identified one drug candidate that displays activity against Leishmania and other Trypanosomatidae in vitro and in vivo, while exhibiting low toxicity to cultured mammalian cells and low in vivo acute toxicity.
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Pyrazol(in)e derivatives of curcumin analogs as a new class of anti- Trypanosoma cruzi agents. Future Med Chem 2021; 13:701-714. [PMID: 33648346 DOI: 10.4155/fmc-2020-0349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim: We report the synthesis and biological evaluation of a small library of 15 functionalized 3-styryl-2-pyrazolines and pyrazoles, derived from curcuminoids, as trypanosomicidal agents. Methods & results: The compounds were prepared via a cyclization reaction between the corresponding curcuminoids and the appropriate hydrazines. All of the derivatives synthesized were investigated for their trypanosomicidal activities. Compounds 4a and 4e showed significant activity against epimastigotes of Trypanosoma cruzi, with IC50 values of 5.0 and 4.2 μM, respectively, accompanied by no toxicity to noncancerous mammalian cells. Compound 6b was found to effectively inhibit T. cruzi triosephosphate isomerase. Conclusion: The up to 16-fold higher potency of these derivatives compared with their curcuminoid precursors makes them a promising new family of T. cruzi inhibitors.
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New drug approvals for 2019: Synthesis and clinical applications. Eur J Med Chem 2020; 205:112667. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2020.112667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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