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Pérez-Pertejo Y, García-Estrada C, Martínez-Valladares M, Murugesan S, Reguera RM, Balaña-Fouce R. Polyamine Metabolism for Drug Intervention in Trypanosomatids. Pathogens 2024; 13:79. [PMID: 38251386 PMCID: PMC10820115 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13010079] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 01/11/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases transmitted by trypanosomatids include three major human scourges that globally affect the world's poorest people: African trypanosomiasis or sleeping sickness, American trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease and different types of leishmaniasis. Different metabolic pathways have been targeted to find antitrypanosomatid drugs, including polyamine metabolism. Since their discovery, the naturally occurring polyamines, putrescine, spermidine and spermine, have been considered important metabolites involved in cell growth. With a complex metabolism involving biosynthesis, catabolism and interconversion, the synthesis of putrescine and spermidine was targeted by thousands of compounds in an effort to produce cell growth blockade in tumor and infectious processes with limited success. However, the discovery of eflornithine (DFMO) as a curative drug against sleeping sickness encouraged researchers to develop new molecules against these diseases. Polyamine synthesis inhibitors have also provided insight into the peculiarities of this pathway between the host and the parasite, and also among different trypanosomatid species, thus allowing the search for new specific chemical entities aimed to treat these diseases and leading to the investigation of target-based scaffolds. The main molecular targets include the enzymes involved in polyamine biosynthesis (ornithine decarboxylase, S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase and spermidine synthase), enzymes participating in their uptake from the environment, and the enzymes involved in the redox balance of the parasite. In this review, we summarize the research behind polyamine-based treatments, the current trends, and the main challenges in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yolanda Pérez-Pertejo
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Campus de Vegazana s/n, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (Y.P.-P.); (C.G.-E.); (R.M.R.)
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Campus de Vegazana s/n, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Carlos García-Estrada
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Campus de Vegazana s/n, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (Y.P.-P.); (C.G.-E.); (R.M.R.)
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Campus de Vegazana s/n, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | | | - Sankaranarayanan Murugesan
- Medicinal Chemistry Research Laboratory, Department of Pharmacy, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani, Pilani 333031, India;
| | - Rosa M. Reguera
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Campus de Vegazana s/n, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (Y.P.-P.); (C.G.-E.); (R.M.R.)
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Campus de Vegazana s/n, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Rafael Balaña-Fouce
- Departamento de Ciencias Biomédicas, Campus de Vegazana s/n, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain; (Y.P.-P.); (C.G.-E.); (R.M.R.)
- Instituto de Biomedicina (IBIOMED), Campus de Vegazana s/n, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
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Ortiz-Martínez Y, Kouamé MG, Bongomin F, Lakoh S, Henao-Martínez AF. Human African Trypanosomiasis (Sleeping Sickness)-Epidemiology, Clinical Manifestations, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention. CURRENT TROPICAL MEDICINE REPORTS 2023; 10:222-234. [PMID: 38939748 PMCID: PMC11210952 DOI: 10.1007/s40475-023-00304-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Purpose of Review Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as sleeping sickness, is a vector-borne parasitic neglected tropical disease (NTD) endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. This review aims to enhance our understanding of HAT and provide valuable insights to combat this significant public health issue by synthesizing the latest research and evidence. Recent Findings HAT has reached a historical < 1000 cases in 2018. In patients without neurologic symptoms and signs, the likelihood of a severe meningoencephalitic stage is deemed low, obviating the need for a lumbar puncture to guide treatment decisions using fexinidazole. Summary Both forms of the disease, gambiense HAT (gHAT) and rhodesiense HAT (rHAT), have specific epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Disease management still requires a high index of suspicion, infectious disease expertise, and specialized medical care. Essential stakeholders in health policy are critical to accomplishing the elimination goals of the NTD roadmap for 2021-2030.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yeimer Ortiz-Martínez
- Department of Internal Medicine, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | | | - Felix Bongomin
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda
| | - Sulaiman Lakoh
- College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences, University of Sierra Leone, Freetown, Sierra Leone
| | - Andrés F. Henao-Martínez
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, 12700 E. 19th Avenue, Mail Stop B168, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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