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Ramos LG, de Souza KR, Júnior PAS, Câmara CC, Castelo-Branco FS, Boechat N, Carvalho SA. Tackling the challenges of human Chagas disease: A comprehensive review of treatment strategies in the chronic phase and emerging therapeutic approaches. Acta Trop 2024; 256:107264. [PMID: 38806090 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2024.107264] [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: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD), caused by the flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi (T. cruzi), affects approximately 7 million people worldwide and is endemic in Latin America, especially among socioeconomically disadvantaged populations. Since the 1960s, only two drugs have been commercially available for treating this illness: nifurtimox (NFX) and benznidazole (BZN). Although these drugs are effective in the acute phase (AP) of the disease, in which parasitemia is usually high, their cure rates in the chronic phase (CP) are low and often associated with several side effects. The CP is characterized by a subpatent parasitaemia and absence of clinical symptoms in the great majority of infected individuals. However, at least 30 % of the individuals will develop potentially lethal symptomatic forms, including cardiac and digestive manifestations. For such reason, in the CP the treatment is usually symptomatic and typically focuses on managing complications such as arrhythmias, heart failure, or digestive problems. Therefore, the need for new drugs or therapeutic approaches using BZN or NFX is extremely urgent. This review presents the main clinical trials, especially in the CP, which involve BZN and NFX in different treatment regimens. Additionally, other therapies using combinations of these drugs with other substances such as allopurinol, itraconazole, ravuconazole, ketoconazole, posaconazole and amiodarone are also reported. The importance of early diagnosis, especially in pediatric patients, is also discussed, emphasizing the need to identify the disease in its early stages to improve the chances of successful treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laís Gomes Ramos
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos -LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos - Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-250, Brazil; Laboratório de Físico-Química de Materiais, Seção de Engenharia Química, Instituto Militar de Engenharia, Praça General Tibúrcio 80, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22290-270, Brazil
| | - Kátia Regina de Souza
- Laboratório de Físico-Química de Materiais, Seção de Engenharia Química, Instituto Militar de Engenharia, Praça General Tibúrcio 80, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22290-270, Brazil
| | - Policarpo Ademar Sales Júnior
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Imunologia, Instituto Ageu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Recife, PE 50670-420, Brazil
| | - Camila Capelini Câmara
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos -LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos - Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-250, Brazil; Laboratório de Físico-Química de Materiais, Seção de Engenharia Química, Instituto Militar de Engenharia, Praça General Tibúrcio 80, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 22290-270, Brazil
| | - Frederico S Castelo-Branco
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos -LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos - Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-250, Brazil
| | - Nubia Boechat
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos -LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos - Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-250, Brazil
| | - Samir Aquino Carvalho
- Laboratorio de Sintese de Farmacos -LASFAR, Instituto de Tecnologia em Farmacos - Farmanguinhos, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ 21041-250, Brazil.
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2
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Liz Belli Cassa Domingues E, Gonçalves-Santos E, Santana Caldas I, Vilela Gonçalves R, Caetano-da-Silva JE, Cardoso Santos E, Mól Pelinsari S, Figueiredo Diniz L, Dias Novaes R. Identification of host antioxidant effectors as thioridazine targets: Impact on cardiomyocytes infection and Trypanosoma cruzi-induced acute myocarditis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Basis Dis 2024; 1870:167264. [PMID: 38806073 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbadis.2024.167264] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Phenothiazines inhibit antioxidant enzymes in trypanosomatids. However, potential interferences with host cell antioxidant defenses are central concerns in using these drugs to treat Trypanosoma cruzi-induced infectious myocarditis. Thus, the interaction of thioridazine (TDZ) with T. cruzi and cardiomyocytes antioxidant enzymes, and its impact on cardiomyocytes and cardiac infection was investigated in vitro and in vivo. Cardiomyocytes and trypomastigotes in culture, and mice treated with TDZ and benznidazole (Bz, reference antiparasitic drug) were submitted to microstructural, biochemical and molecular analyses. TDZ was more cytotoxic and less selective against T. cruzi than Bz in vitro. TDZ-pretreated cardiomyocytes developed increased infection rate, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, lipid and protein oxidation; similar catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and reduced glutathione's (peroxidase - GPx, S-transferase - GST, and reductase - GR) activity than infected untreated cells. TDZ attenuated trypanothione reductase activity in T. cruzi, and protein antioxidant capacity in cardiomyocytes, making these cells more susceptible to H2O2-based oxidative challenge. In vivo, TDZ potentiated heart parasitism, total ROS production, myocarditis, lipid and protein oxidation; as well as reduced GPx, GR, and GST activities compared to untreated mice. Benznidazole decreased heart parasitism, total ROS production, heart inflammation, lipid and protein oxidation in T. cruzi-infected mice. Our findings indicate that TDZ simultaneously interact with enzymatic antioxidant targets in cardiomyocytes and T. cruzi, potentiating the infection by inducing antioxidant fragility and increasing cardiomyocytes and heart susceptibility to parasitism, inflammation and oxidative damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Liz Belli Cassa Domingues
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociências Aplicadas à Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Elda Gonçalves-Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociências Aplicadas à Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ivo Santana Caldas
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Reggiani Vilela Gonçalves
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Estrutural, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - José Edson Caetano-da-Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Eliziária Cardoso Santos
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Diamantina 39100-000, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Silvania Mól Pelinsari
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Estrutural, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lívia Figueiredo Diniz
- Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rômulo Dias Novaes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biociências Aplicadas à Saúde, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Alfenas, Alfenas 37130-001, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Departamento de Biologia Animal, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, 36570-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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3
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Murta SMF, Lemos Santana PA, Jacques Dit Lapierre TJW, Penteado AB, El Hajje M, Navarro Vinha TC, Liarte DB, de Souza ML, Goulart Trossini GH, de Oliveira Rezende Júnior C, de Oliveira RB, Ferreira RS. New drug discovery strategies for the treatment of benznidazole-resistance in Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease. Expert Opin Drug Discov 2024; 19:741-753. [PMID: 38715393 DOI: 10.1080/17460441.2024.2349155] [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: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Benznidazole, the drug of choice for treating Chagas Disease (CD), has significant limitations, such as poor cure efficacy, mainly in the chronic phase of CD, association with side effects, and parasite resistance. Understanding parasite resistance to benznidazole is crucial for developing new drugs to treat CD. AREAS COVERED Here, the authors review the current understanding of the molecular basis of benznidazole resistance. Furthermore, they discuss the state-of-the-art methods and critical outcomes employed to evaluate the efficacy of potential drugs against T. cruzi, aiming to select better compounds likely to succeed in the clinic. Finally, the authors describe the different strategies employed to overcome resistance to benznidazole and find effective new treatments for CD. EXPERT OPINION Resistance to benznidazole is a complex phenomenon that occurs naturally among T. cruzi strains. The combination of compounds that inhibit different metabolic pathways of the parasite is an important strategy for developing a new chemotherapeutic protocol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
- Grupo de Genômica Funcional de Parasitos - Instituto René Rachou, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Pedro Augusto Lemos Santana
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | - André Berndt Penteado
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marissa El Hajje
- Departamento de Farmacia, Faculdade de Ciencias Farmacêuticas, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | - Mariana Laureano de Souza
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | | | | | - Renata Barbosa de Oliveira
- Departamento de Produtos Farmacêuticos, Faculdade de Farmácia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Imunologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Brazil
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4
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Morilla MJ, Ghosal K, Romero EL. Nanomedicines against Chagas disease: a critical review. BEILSTEIN JOURNAL OF NANOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 15:333-349. [PMID: 38590427 PMCID: PMC11000002 DOI: 10.3762/bjnano.15.30] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is the most important endemic parasitosis in South America and represents a great socioeconomic burden for the chronically ill and their families. The only currently available treatment against CD is based on the oral administration of benznidazole, an agent, developed in 1971, of controversial effectiveness on chronically ill patients and toxic to adults. So far, conventional pharmacological approaches have failed to offer more effective and less toxic alternatives to benznidazole. Nanomedicines reduce toxicity and increase the effectiveness of current oncological therapies. Could nanomedicines improve the treatment of the neglected CD? This question will be addressed in this review, first by critically discussing selected reports on the performance of benznidazole and other molecules formulated as nanomedicines in in vitro and in vivo CD models. Taking into consideration the developmental barriers for nanomedicines and the degree of current technical preclinical efforts, a prospect of developing nanomedicines against CD will be provided. Not surprisingly, we conclude that structurally simpler formulations with minimal production cost, such as oral nanocrystals and/or parenteral nano-immunostimulants, have the highest chances of making it to the market to treat CD. Nonetheless, substantive political and economic decisions, key to facing technological challenges, are still required regarding a realistic use of nanomedicines effective against CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Jose Morilla
- Nanomedicine Research and Development Centre (NARD), Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Kajal Ghosal
- Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Jadavpur University, 188, Raja Subodh Chandra Mallick Rd., Jadavpur, Kolkata 700032, West Bengal, India
| | - Eder Lilia Romero
- Nanomedicine Research and Development Centre (NARD), Science and Technology Department, National University of Quilmes, Roque Sáenz Peña 352, Bernal, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Pelizaro BI, Batista JCZ, Portapilla GB, das Neves AR, Silva F, Carvalho DB, Shiguemoto CYK, Pessatto LR, Paredes-Gamero EJ, Cardoso IA, Luccas PH, Nonato MC, Lopes NP, Galvão F, Oliveira KMP, Cassemiro NS, Silva DB, Piranda EM, Arruda CCP, de Albuquerque S, Baroni ACM. Design and Synthesis of Novel 3-Nitro-1 H-1,2,4-triazole-1,2,3-triazole-1,4-disubstituted Analogs as Promising Antitrypanosomatid Agents: Evaluation of In Vitro Activity against Chagas Disease and Leishmaniasis. J Med Chem 2024; 67:2584-2601. [PMID: 38305199 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
A series of 28 compounds, 3-nitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole, were synthesized by click-chemistry with diverse substitution patterns using medicinal chemistry approaches, such as bioisosterism, Craig-plot, and the Topliss set with excellent yields. Overall, the analogs demonstrated relevant in vitro antitrypanosomatid activity. Analog 15g (R1 = 4-OCF3-Ph, IC50 = 0.09 μM, SI = >555.5) exhibited an outstanding antichagasic activity (Trypanosoma cruzi, Tulahuen LacZ strain) 68-fold more active than benznidazole (BZN, IC50 = 6.15 μM, SI = >8.13) with relevant selectivity index, and suitable LipE = 5.31. 15g was considered an appropriate substrate for the type I nitro reductases (TcNTR I), contributing to a likely potential mechanism of action for antichagasic activity. Finally, 15g showed nonmutagenic potential against Salmonella typhimurium strains (TA98, TA100, and TA102). Therefore, 3-nitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole 15g is a promising antitrypanosomatid candidate for in vivo studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno I Pelizaro
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline C Z Batista
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900,Brazil
| | - Gisele B Portapilla
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Amarith R das Neves
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900, Brazil
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900,Brazil
| | - Fernanda Silva
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900,Brazil
| | - Diego B Carvalho
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Cristiane Y K Shiguemoto
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Lucas R Pessatto
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular (BioMol) e Cultivos Celulares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande,Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900 ,Brazil
| | - Edgar J Paredes-Gamero
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular (BioMol) e Cultivos Celulares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande,Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900 ,Brazil
| | - Iara A Cardoso
- Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-903 ,Brazil
| | - Pedro H Luccas
- Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-903 ,Brazil
| | - M Cristina Nonato
- Laboratório de Cristalografia de Proteínas, Departamento de Ciências BioMoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-903 ,Brazil
| | - Norberto P Lopes
- Núcleo de Pesquisas em Produtos Naturais e Sintéticos, Departamento de Ciências Biomoleculares, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida do Café s/n Monte Alegre, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-903, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Galvão
- Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Kelly M P Oliveira
- Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados, Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79804-970, Brazil
| | - Nadla S Cassemiro
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais e Espectrometria de Massas (LAPNEM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande ,Mato Grosso do SulCEP 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Denise B Silva
- Laboratório de Produtos Naturais e Espectrometria de Massas (LAPNEM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande ,Mato Grosso do SulCEP 79070-900, Brazil
| | - Eliane M Piranda
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900,Brazil
| | - Carla C P Arruda
- Laboratório de Parasitologia Humana, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900,Brazil
| | - Sergio de Albuquerque
- Departamento de Análises Clínicas, Toxicológicas e Bromatológicas, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo CEP 14040-900, Brazil
| | - Adriano C M Baroni
- Laboratório de Síntese e Química Medicinal (LASQUIM), Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, Alimentos e Nutrição, Universidade Federal de Mato Grossso do Sul- UFMS, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul CEP 79070-900, Brazil
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6
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Rao SPS, Gould MK, Noeske J, Saldivia M, Jumani RS, Ng PS, René O, Chen YL, Kaiser M, Ritchie R, Francisco AF, Johnson N, Patra D, Cheung H, Deniston C, Schenk AD, Cortopassi WA, Schmidt RS, Wiedemar N, Thomas B, Palkar R, Ghafar NA, Manoharan V, Luu C, Gable JE, Wan KF, Myburgh E, Mottram JC, Barnes W, Walker J, Wartchow C, Aziz N, Osborne C, Wagner J, Sarko C, Kelly JM, Manjunatha UH, Mäser P, Jiricek J, Lakshminarayana SB, Barrett MP, Diagana TT. Cyanotriazoles are selective topoisomerase II poisons that rapidly cure trypanosome infections. Science 2023; 380:1349-1356. [PMID: 37384702 DOI: 10.1126/science.adh0614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Millions who live in Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa are at risk of trypanosomatid infections, which cause Chagas disease and human African trypanosomiasis (HAT). Improved HAT treatments are available, but Chagas disease therapies rely on two nitroheterocycles, which suffer from lengthy drug regimens and safety concerns that cause frequent treatment discontinuation. We performed phenotypic screening against trypanosomes and identified a class of cyanotriazoles (CTs) with potent trypanocidal activity both in vitro and in mouse models of Chagas disease and HAT. Cryo-electron microscopy approaches confirmed that CT compounds acted through selective, irreversible inhibition of trypanosomal topoisomerase II by stabilizing double-stranded DNA:enzyme cleavage complexes. These findings suggest a potential approach toward successful therapeutics for the treatment of Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivasa P S Rao
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
| | - Matthew K Gould
- College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jonas Noeske
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Manuel Saldivia
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Rajiv S Jumani
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Pearly S Ng
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
| | - Olivier René
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Yen-Liang Chen
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
| | - Marcel Kaiser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ryan Ritchie
- College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Nila Johnson
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Debjani Patra
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Harry Cheung
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Colin Deniston
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Remo S Schmidt
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Natalie Wiedemar
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Bryanna Thomas
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Rima Palkar
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Catherine Luu
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan E Gable
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Kah Fei Wan
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
| | - Elmarie Myburgh
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Hull York Medical School, University of York, York, UK
| | - Jeremy C Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK
| | - Whitney Barnes
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - John Walker
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Charles Wartchow
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Natasha Aziz
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Colin Osborne
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - Juergen Wagner
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christopher Sarko
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
| | - John M Kelly
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ujjini H Manjunatha
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
| | - Pascal Mäser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- Faculty of Science, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jan Jiricek
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
| | - Suresh B Lakshminarayana
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
| | - Michael P Barrett
- College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Thierry T Diagana
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Emeryville, CA, USA
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, Singapore
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7
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Altcheh J, Moscatelli G, Caruso M, Moroni S, Bisio M, Miranda MR, Monla C, Vaina M, Valdez M, Moran L, Ramirez T, Patiño OL, Riarte A, Gonzalez N, Fernandes J, Alves F, Ribeiro I, Garcia-Bournissen F. Population pharmacokinetics of benznidazole in neonates, infants and children using a new pediatric formulation. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0010850. [PMID: 37256863 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a major need for information on pharmacokinetics (PK) of benznidazole (BNZ) in children with Chagas disease (CD). We conducted a multicentre population PK, safety and efficacy study in children, infants and neonates with CD treated with BNZ (formulated in 100 mg tablets or 12.5 mg dispersible tablets, developed by the pharmaceutical company LAFEPE, in a collaboration with DNDi). METHODS 81 children 0-12 years old were enrolled at 5 pediatric centers in Argentina. Diagnosis of T. cruzi infection was confirmed by direct microscopic examination, or at least two positive conventional serological tests. Subject enrolment was stratified by age: newborns to 2 years (minimum of 10 newborns) and >2-12 years. BNZ 7.5 mg/kg/d was administered in two daily doses for 60 days. Five blood samples per child were obtained at random times within pre-defined time windows at Day 0 at 2-5 h post-dose; during steady state, one sample at Day 7 and at Day 30; and two samples at 12-24 h after final BNZ dose at Day 60. The primary efficacy endpoint was parasitological clearance by qualitative PCR at the end of treatment. RESULTS Forty-one (51%) patients were under 2 years of age (including 14 newborns <1 month of age). Median age at enrolment was 22 months (mean: 43.2; interquartile range (IQR) 7-72 months). The median measured BNZ Cmax was 8.32 mg/L (IQR 5.95-11.8; range 1.79-19.38). Median observed BNZ Cmin (trough) concentration was 2 mg/L (IQR 1.25-3.77; range 0.14-7.08). Overall median simulated Css was 6.3 mg/L (IQR 4.7-8.5 mg/L). CL/F increased quickly during the first month of postnatal life and reached adult levels after approximately 10 years of age. Negative qPCR was observed at the end of treatment in all 76 patients who completed the treatment. Five patients discontinued treatment (3 due to AEs and 2 due to lack of compliance). CONCLUSION We observed lower BNZ plasma concentrations in infants and children than those previously reported in adults treated with comparable mg/kg doses. Despite these lower concentrations, pediatric treatment was well tolerated and universally effective, with a high response rate and infrequent, mild AEs. TRIAL REGISTRATION Registered in clinicaltrials.gov #NCT01549236.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime Altcheh
- Servicio de Parasitologia y Chagas, Hospital de Niños "Dr Ricardo Gutierrez", Buenos Aires, Argentina
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Patologias Pediatricas (IMIPP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guillermo Moscatelli
- Servicio de Parasitologia y Chagas, Hospital de Niños "Dr Ricardo Gutierrez", Buenos Aires, Argentina
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Patologias Pediatricas (IMIPP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Martin Caruso
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Samanta Moroni
- Servicio de Parasitologia y Chagas, Hospital de Niños "Dr Ricardo Gutierrez", Buenos Aires, Argentina
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Patologias Pediatricas (IMIPP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Margarita Bisio
- Servicio de Parasitologia y Chagas, Hospital de Niños "Dr Ricardo Gutierrez", Buenos Aires, Argentina
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Patologias Pediatricas (IMIPP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Rosa Miranda
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Celia Monla
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Salta, Argentina
| | - Maria Vaina
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Salta, Argentina
| | - Maria Valdez
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Salta, Argentina
| | - Lucrecia Moran
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional, Santiago del Estero, Argentina
| | - Teresa Ramirez
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
| | - Oscar Ledesma Patiño
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional, Santiago del Estero, Argentina
| | - Adelina Riarte
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolas Gonzalez
- Servicio de Parasitologia y Chagas, Hospital de Niños "Dr Ricardo Gutierrez", Buenos Aires, Argentina
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Patologias Pediatricas (IMIPP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jayme Fernandes
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Fabiana Alves
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Isabela Ribeiro
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Facundo Garcia-Bournissen
- Servicio de Parasitologia y Chagas, Hospital de Niños "Dr Ricardo Gutierrez", Buenos Aires, Argentina
- PEDCHAGAS Network (Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Hospital de Niños Doctor Hector Quintana, Hospital Público Materno Infantil, Centro de Chagas y Patología Regional de Santiago del Estero, & Instituto Nacional de Parasitología Dr. Mario Fatala Chaben), Argentina
- Division of Paediatric Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Paediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
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8
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Lima DA, Gonçalves LO, Reis-Cunha JL, Guimarães PAS, Ruiz JC, Liarte DB, Murta SMF. Transcriptomic analysis of benznidazole-resistant and susceptible Trypanosoma cruzi populations. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:167. [PMID: 37217925 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05775-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas disease (CD), caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a serious public health concern in Latin America. Nifurtimox and benznidazole (BZ), the only two drugs currently approved for the treatment of CD, have very low efficacies in the chronic phase of the disease and several toxic side effects. Trypanosoma cruzi strains that are naturally resistant to both drugs have been reported. We performed a comparative transcriptomic analysis of wild-type and BZ-resistant T. cruzi populations using high-throughput RNA sequencing to elucidate the metabolic pathways related to clinical drug resistance and identify promising molecular targets for the development of new drugs for treating CD. METHODS All complementary DNA (cDNA) libraries were constructed from the epimastigote forms of each line, sequenced and analysed using the Prinseq and Trimmomatic tools for the quality analysis, STAR as the aligner for mapping the reads against the reference genome (T. cruzi Dm28c-2018), the Bioconductor package EdgeR for statistical analysis of differential expression and the Python-based library GOATools for the functional enrichment analysis. RESULTS The analytical pipeline with an adjusted P-value of < 0.05 and fold-change > 1.5 identified 1819 transcripts that were differentially expressed (DE) between wild-type and BZ-resistant T. cruzi populations. Of these, 1522 (83.7%) presented functional annotations and 297 (16.2%) were assigned as hypothetical proteins. In total, 1067 transcripts were upregulated and 752 were downregulated in the BZ-resistant T. cruzi population. Functional enrichment analysis of the DE transcripts identified 10 and 111 functional categories enriched for the up- and downregulated transcripts, respectively. Through functional analysis we identified several biological processes potentially associated with the BZ-resistant phenotype: cellular amino acid metabolic processes, translation, proteolysis, protein phosphorylation, RNA modification, DNA repair, generation of precursor metabolites and energy, oxidation-reduction processes, protein folding, purine nucleotide metabolic processes and lipid biosynthetic processes. CONCLUSIONS The transcriptomic profile of T. cruzi revealed a robust set of genes from different metabolic pathways associated with the BZ-resistant phenotype, proving that T. cruzi resistance mechanisms are multifactorial and complex. Biological processes associated with parasite drug resistance include antioxidant defenses and RNA processing. The identified transcripts, such as ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and iron superoxide dismutase (Fe-SOD), provide important information on the resistant phenotype. These DE transcripts can be further evaluated as molecular targets for new drugs against CD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davi Alvarenga Lima
- Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Av. Augusto de Lima 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 30190-002, Brazil
| | - Leilane Oliveira Gonçalves
- Informática de Biossistemas, Genômica e Bioengenharia, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Paul Anderson Souza Guimarães
- Informática de Biossistemas, Genômica e Bioengenharia, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Jeronimo Conceição Ruiz
- Informática de Biossistemas, Genômica e Bioengenharia, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | | | - Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
- Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou (IRR/Fiocruz Minas), Av. Augusto de Lima 1715, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 30190-002, Brazil.
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9
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Fairlamb AH, Wyllie S. The critical role of mode of action studies in kinetoplastid drug discovery. FRONTIERS IN DRUG DISCOVERY 2023; 3:fddsv.2023.1185679. [PMID: 37600222 PMCID: PMC7614965 DOI: 10.3389/fddsv.2023.1185679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the target and mode of action of compounds identified by phenotypic screening can greatly facilitate the process of drug discovery and development. Here, we outline the tools currently available for target identification against the neglected tropical diseases, human African trypanosomiasis, visceral leishmaniasis and Chagas' disease. We provide examples how these tools can be used to identify and triage undesirable mechanisms, to identify potential toxic liabilities in patients and to manage a balanced portfolio of target-based campaigns. We review the primary targets of drugs that are currently in clinical development that were initially identified via phenotypic screening, and whose modes of action affect protein turnover, RNA trans-splicing or signalling in these protozoan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan H. Fairlamb
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Susan Wyllie
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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10
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Major benznidazole metabolites in patients treated for Chagas disease: Mass spectrometry-based identification, structural analysis and detoxification pathways. Toxicol Lett 2023; 377:71-82. [PMID: 36775077 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.02.001] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Benznidazole is the drug of choice for the treatment of Chagas disease, but its metabolism in humans is unclear. Here, we identified and characterized the major benznidazole metabolites and their biosynthetic mechanisms in humans by analyzing the ionic profiles of urine samples from patients and untreated donors through reversed-phase UHPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS and UHPLC-ESI-QqLIT-MS. A strategy for simultaneous detection and fragmentation of characteristic positive and negative ions was employed using information-dependent acquisitions (IDA). Selected precursor ions, neutral losses, and MS3 experiments complemented the study. A total of six phase-I and ten phase-II metabolites were identified and structurally characterized in urine of benznidazole-treated patients. Based on creatinine-corrected ion intensities, nitroreduction to amino-benznidazole (M1) and its subsequent N-glucuronidation to M5 were the main metabolic pathways, followed by imidazole-ring cleavage, oxidations, and cysteine conjugations. This extensive exploration of benznidazole metabolites revealed potentially toxic structures in the form of glucuronides and glutathione derivatives, which may be associated with recurrent treatment adverse events; this possibility warrants further exploration in future clinical trials. Incorporation of this knowledge of the benznidazole metabolic profile into clinical pharmacology trials could lead to improved treatments, facilitate the study of possible drug-drug interactions, and even mitigation of adverse drug reactions.
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11
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Martinez MZ, Olmo F, Taylor MC, Caudron F, Wilkinson SR. Dissecting the interstrand crosslink DNA repair system of Trypanosoma cruzi. DNA Repair (Amst) 2023; 125:103485. [PMID: 36989950 DOI: 10.1016/j.dnarep.2023.103485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
DNA interstrand crosslinks (ICLs) are toxic lesions that can block essential biological processes. Here we show Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, is susceptible to ICL-inducing compounds including mechlorethamine and novel nitroreductase-activated prodrugs that have potential in treating this infection. To resolve such lesions, cells co-opt enzymes from "classical" DNA repair pathways that alongside dedicated factors operate in replication-dependent and -independent mechanisms. To assess ICL repair in T. cruzi, orthologues of SNM1, MRE11 and CSB were identified and their function assessed. The T. cruzi enzymes could complement the mechlorethamine susceptibility phenotype displayed by corresponding yeast and/or T. brucei null confirming their role as ICL repair factors while GFP-tagged TcSNM1, TcMRE11 and TcCSB were shown to localise to the nuclei of insect and/or intracellular form parasites. Gene disruption demonstrated that while each activity was non-essential for T. cruzi viability, nulls displayed a growth defect in at least one life cycle stage with TcMRE11-deficient trypomastigotes also compromised in mammalian cell infectivity. Phenotyping revealed all nulls were more susceptible to mechlorethamine than controls, a trait complemented by re-expression of the deleted gene. To assess interplay, the gene disruption approach was extended to generate T. cruzi deficient in TcSNM1/TcMRE11 or in TcSNM1/TcCSB. Analysis demonstrated these activities functioned across two ICL repair pathways with TcSNM1 and TcMRE11 postulated to operate in a replication-dependent system while TcCSB helps resolve transcription-blocking lesions. By unravelling how T. cruzi repairs ICL damage, specific inhibitors targeting repair components could be developed and used to increase the potency of trypanocidal ICL-inducing compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Zavala Martinez
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Francisco Olmo
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Martin C Taylor
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - Fabrice Caudron
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Shane R Wilkinson
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.
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12
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Impact of Laboratory-Adapted Intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi Strains on the Activity Profiles of Compounds with Anti- T. cruzi Activity. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11020476. [PMID: 36838441 PMCID: PMC9967867 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11020476] [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: 12/26/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is caused by infection with the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease causes ~12,000 deaths annually and is one of the world's 20 neglected tropical diseases, as defined by the World Health Organisation. The drug discovery pipeline for Chagas disease currently has few new clinical candidates, with high attrition rates an ongoing issue. To determine if the Trypanosoma cruzi strain utilised to assess in vitro compound activity impacts activity, a comparison of laboratory-adapted T. cruzi strains from differing geographical locations was undertaken for a selection of compounds with anti-T. cruzi activity. To minimise the possible effect of differences in experimental methodology, the same host cell and multiplicity of infection were utilised. To determine whether the compound exposure time influenced results, activity was determined following exposure for 48 and 72 h of incubation. To ascertain whether replication rates affected outcomes, comparative rates of replication of the T. cruzi strains were investigated, using the nucleoside analogue, 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine. Minimal differences in the in vitro activity of compounds between strains were observed following 48 h incubation, whereas significant differences were observed following 72 h incubation, in particular for the cytochrome P450 inhibitors tested and the cell cycle inhibitor, camptothecin. Thus, the use of panels of laboratory adapted strains in vitro may be dependent on the speed of action that is prioritised. For the identification of fast-acting compounds, an initial shorter duration assay using a single strain may be used. A longer incubation to identify compound activity may alternatively require profiling of compounds against multiple T. cruzi strains.
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13
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Díaz-Viraqué F, Chiribao ML, Paes-Vieira L, Machado MR, Faral-Tello P, Tomasina R, Trochine A, Robello C. New Insights into the Role of the Trypanosoma cruzi Aldo-Keto Reductase TcAKR. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12010085. [PMID: 36678433 PMCID: PMC9860839 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12010085] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is a zoonotic infectious disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It is distributed worldwide, affecting around 7 million people; there is no effective treatment, and it constitutes a leading cause of disability and premature death in the Americas. Only two drugs are currently approved for the treatment, Benznidazole and Nifurtimox, and both have to be activated by reducing the nitro-group. The T. cruzi aldo-keto reductase (TcAKR) has been related to the metabolism of benznidazole. TcAKR has been extensively studied, being most efforts focused on characterizing its implication in trypanocidal drug metabolism; however, little is known regarding its biological role. Here, we found that TcAKR is confined, throughout the entire life cycle, into the parasite mitochondria providing new insights into its biological function. In particular, in epimastigotes, TcAKR is associated with the kinetoplast, which suggests additional roles of the protein. The upregulation of TcAKR, which does not affect TcOYE expression, was correlated with an increase in PGF2α, suggesting that this enzyme is related to PGF2α synthesis in T. cruzi. Structural analysis showed that TcAKR contains a catalytic tetrad conserved in the AKR superfamily. Finally, we found that TcAKR is also involved in Nfx metabolization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Díaz-Viraqué
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - María Laura Chiribao
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Lisvane Paes-Vieira
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Matias R. Machado
- Unidad de Proteínas Recombinantes, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11300, Uruguay
| | - Paula Faral-Tello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
| | - Ramiro Tomasina
- Laboratory of Apicomplexan Biology, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo and Departamento de Parasitología, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11300, Uruguay
| | - Andrea Trochine
- Centro de Referencia en Levaduras y Tecnología Cervecera (CRELTEC), Instituto Andino Patagónico de Tecnologías Biológicas y Geoambientales (IPATEC), CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Comahue, Quintral 1250, San Carlos de Bariloche 8400, Argentina
| | - Carlos Robello
- Laboratorio de Interacciones Hospedero Patógeno, Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de la República, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
- Correspondence:
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14
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Santi AMM, Ribeiro JM, Reis-Cunha JL, Burle-Caldas GDA, Santos IFM, Silva PA, Resende DDM, Bartholomeu DC, Teixeira SMR, Murta SMF. Disruption of multiple copies of the Prostaglandin F2alpha synthase gene affects oxidative stress response and infectivity in Trypanosoma cruzi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010845. [PMID: 36260546 PMCID: PMC9581433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, is a serious chronic parasitic disease, currently treated with Nifurtimox (NFX) and Benznidazole (BZ). In addition to high toxicity, these drugs have low healing efficacy, especially in the chronic phase of the disease. The existence of drug-resistant T. cruzi strains and the occurrence of cross-resistance between BZ and NFX have also been described. In this context, it is urgent to study the metabolism of these drugs in T. cruzi, to better understand the mechanisms of resistance. Prostaglandin F2α synthase (PGFS) is an enzyme that has been correlated with parasite resistance to BZ, but the mechanism by which resistance occurs is still unclear. Our results show that the genome of the CL Brener clone of T. cruzi, contains five PGFS sequences and three potential pseudogenes. Using CRISPR/Cas9 we generated knockout cell lines in which all PGFS sequences were disrupted, as shown by PCR and western blotting analyses. The PGFS deletion did not alter the growth of the parasites or their susceptibility to BZ and NFX when compared to wild-type (WT) parasites. Interestingly, NTR-1 transcripts were shown to be upregulated in ΔPGFS mutants. Furthermore, the ΔPGFS parasites were 1.6 to 1.7-fold less tolerant to oxidative stress generated by menadione, presented lower levels of lipid bodies than the control parasites during the stationary phase, and were less infective than control parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Maria Murta Santi
- Grupo Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Martins Ribeiro
- Grupo Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - João Luís Reis-Cunha
- Departamento de Parasitologia, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Paula Alves Silva
- Grupo Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Daniela de Melo Resende
- Grupo Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | | | - Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta
- Grupo Genômica Funcional de Parasitos, Instituto René Rachou, Fiocruz Minas, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- * E-mail:
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15
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Specker G, Estrada D, Radi R, Piacenza L. Trypanosoma cruzi Mitochondrial Peroxiredoxin Promotes Infectivity in Macrophages and Attenuates Nifurtimox Toxicity. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:749476. [PMID: 35186785 PMCID: PMC8855072 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.749476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is the causative agent of Chagas disease which is currently treated by nifurtimox (NFX) and benznidazole (BZ). Nevertheless, the mechanism of action of NFX is not completely established. Herein, we show the protective effects of T. cruzi mitochondrial peroxiredoxin (MPX) in macrophage infections and in response to NFX toxicity. After a 3-day treatment of epimastigotes with NFX, MPX content increased (2.5-fold) with respect to control, and interestingly, an MPX-overexpressing strain was more resistant to the drug. The generation of mitochondrial reactive species and the redox status of the low molecular weight thiols of the parasite were not affected by NFX treatment indicating the absence of oxidative stress in this condition. Since MPX was shown to be protective and overexpressed in drug-challenged parasites, non-classical peroxiredoxin activity was studied. We found that recombinant MPX exhibits holdase activity independently of its redox state and that its overexpression was also observed in temperature-challenged parasites. Moreover, increased holdase activity (2-fold) together with an augmented protease activity (proteasome-related) and an enhancement in ubiquitinylated proteins was found in NFX-treated parasites. These results suggest a protective role of MPX holdase activity toward NFX toxicity. Trypanosoma cruzi has a complex life cycle, part of which involves the invasion of mammalian cells, where parasite replication inside the host occurs. In the early stages of the infection, macrophages recognize and engulf T. cruzi with the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species toward the internalized parasite. Parasites overexpressing MPX produced higher macrophage infection yield compared with wild-type parasites. The relevance of peroxidase vs. holdase activity of MPX during macrophage infections was assessed using conoidin A (CA), a covalent, cell-permeable inhibitor of peroxiredoxin peroxidase activity. Covalent adducts of MPX were detected in CA-treated parasites, which proves its action in vivo. The pretreatment of parasites with CA led to a reduced infection index in macrophages revealing that the peroxidase activity of peroxiredoxin is crucial during this infection process. Our results confirm the importance of peroxidase activity during macrophage infection and provide insights for the relevance of MPX holdase activity in NFX resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Specker
- Departamento de Bioquímica and Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CEINBIO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Damián Estrada
- Departamento de Bioquímica and Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CEINBIO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Rafael Radi
- Departamento de Bioquímica and Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CEINBIO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Lucía Piacenza
- Departamento de Bioquímica and Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas (CEINBIO), Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
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16
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Lascano F, García Bournissen F, Altcheh J. Review of pharmacological options for the treatment of Chagas disease. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2022; 88:383-402. [PMID: 33314266 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is a worldwide problem, with over 8 million people infected in both rural and urban areas. CD was first described over a century ago, but only two drugs are currently available for CD treatment: benznidazole (BZN) and nifurtimox (NF). Treating CD-infected patients, especially children and women of reproductive age, is vital in order to prevent long-term sequelae, such as heart and gastrointestinal dysfunction, but this aim is still far from being accomplished. Currently, the strongest data to support benefit-risk considerations come from trials in children. Treatment response biomarkers need further development as serology is being questioned as the best method to assess treatment response. This article is a narrative review on the pharmacology of drugs for CD, particularly BZN and NF. Data on drug biopharmaceutical characteristics, safety and efficacy of both drugs are summarized from a clinical perspective. Current data on alternative compounds under evaluation for CD treatment, and new possible treatment response biomarkers are also discussed. Early diagnosis and treatment of CD, especially in paediatric patients, is vital for an effective and safe use of the available drugs (i.e. BZN and NF). New biomarkers for CD are urgently needed for the diagnosis and evaluation of treatment efficacy, and to guide efforts from academia and pharmaceutical companies to accelerate the process of new drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda Lascano
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones en Patologías Pediátricas (IMIPP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Gobierno de la Ciudad de la Nación Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Servicio de Parasitología y Chagas, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Facundo García Bournissen
- Division of Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, Canada
| | - Jaime Altcheh
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones en Patologías Pediátricas (IMIPP), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Gobierno de la Ciudad de la Nación Argentina, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Servicio de Parasitología y Chagas, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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17
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Pérez-Molina JA, Crespillo-Andújar C, Bosch-Nicolau P, Molina I. Trypanocidal treatment of Chagas disease. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 39:458-470. [PMID: 34736749 DOI: 10.1016/j.eimce.2020.04.012] [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: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a neglected parasitosis caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. This infection is present in most Latin American countries, although, due to migratory movements, it is a growing cause for concern in non-endemic countries. The only two drugs currently available for its treatment-benznidazole and nifurtimox-were marketed 50 years ago. While they are very effective for acute and recent infection, and for the prevention of maternofoetal transmission, their efficacy declines in people who have chronic infection, especially those older than 18 years of age. In the presence of visceral involvement, parasiticidal treatment is of little or no value. The safety profile of both drugs is far from ideal, with frequent adverse events and high rates of drug discontinuation, mainly in adults. So far, new drugs and new strategies have not been shown to improve the results of the current nitroimidazoles, although the results are promising. In this review, we focus on the aspects that allow clinicians to make the best use of currently available drugs. In addition, we discuss new therapeutic options and ongoing research in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Pérez-Molina
- National Referral Centre for Tropical Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Clara Crespillo-Andújar
- National Referral Centre for Tropical Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pau Bosch-Nicolau
- Tropical Medicine Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Israel Molina
- Tropical Medicine Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Instituto René Rachou-FIOCRUZ Minas, Chagas Disease Research Group, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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18
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Trindade JDS, Freire-de-Lima CG, Côrte-Real S, Decote-Ricardo D, Freire de Lima ME. Drug repurposing for Chagas disease: In vitro assessment of nimesulide against Trypanosoma cruzi and insights on its mechanisms of action. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258292. [PMID: 34679091 PMCID: PMC8535186 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease is a neglected illness caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and its treatment is done only with two drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole. However, both drugs are ineffective in the chronic phase, in addition to causing serious side effects. This context of therapeutic limitation justifies the continuous research for alternative drugs. Here, we study the in vitro trypanocidal effects of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide, a molecule that has in its chemical structure a toxicophoric nitroaromatic group (NO2). The set of results obtained in this work highlights the potential for repurposing nimesulide in the treatment of this disease that affects millions of people around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana D’Arc S. Trindade
- Instituto de Química, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Célio Geraldo Freire-de-Lima
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Suzana Côrte-Real
- Instituto Oswaldo Cruz/Fiocruz, Laboratório de Biologia Estrutural, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Debora Decote-Ricardo
- Instituto de Veterinária, Departamento de Microbiologia e Imunologia Veterinária, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Marco Edilson Freire de Lima
- Instituto de Química, Departamento de Química Orgânica, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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19
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Turner RE, Harrison PF, Swaminathan A, Kraupner-Taylor CA, Goldie BJ, See M, Peterson AL, Schittenhelm RB, Powell DR, Creek DJ, Dichtl B, Beilharz TH. Genetic and pharmacological evidence for kinetic competition between alternative poly(A) sites in yeast. eLife 2021; 10:65331. [PMID: 34232857 PMCID: PMC8263057 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Most eukaryotic mRNAs accommodate alternative sites of poly(A) addition in the 3’ untranslated region in order to regulate mRNA function. Here, we present a systematic analysis of 3’ end formation factors, which revealed 3’UTR lengthening in response to a loss of the core machinery, whereas a loss of the Sen1 helicase resulted in shorter 3’UTRs. We show that the anti-cancer drug cordycepin, 3’ deoxyadenosine, caused nucleotide accumulation and the usage of distal poly(A) sites. Mycophenolic acid, a drug which reduces GTP levels and impairs RNA polymerase II (RNAP II) transcription elongation, promoted the usage of proximal sites and reversed the effects of cordycepin on alternative polyadenylation. Moreover, cordycepin-mediated usage of distal sites was associated with a permissive chromatin template and was suppressed in the presence of an rpb1 mutation, which slows RNAP II elongation rate. We propose that alternative polyadenylation is governed by temporal coordination of RNAP II transcription and 3’ end processing and controlled by the availability of 3’ end factors, nucleotide levels and chromatin landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Emily Turner
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Paul F Harrison
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Monash Bioinformatics Platform, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Angavai Swaminathan
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Calvin A Kraupner-Taylor
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Belinda J Goldie
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Michael See
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.,Monash Bioinformatics Platform, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Amanda L Peterson
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Ralf B Schittenhelm
- Monash Proteomics & Metabolomics Facility, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - David R Powell
- Monash Bioinformatics Platform, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Darren J Creek
- Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Australia
| | - Bernhard Dichtl
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Traude H Beilharz
- Development and Stem Cells Program, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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20
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Wang Y, Hou Y, Wang Q, Wang Y. The elucidation of the biodegradation of nitrobenzene and p-nitrophenol of nitroreductase from Antarctic psychrophile Psychrobacter sp. ANT206 under low temperature. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2021; 413:125377. [PMID: 33609870 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.125377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 02/06/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Psychrobacter is one important typical strain in the Antarctic environment. In our previous study, Psychrobacter sp. ANT206 from Antarctica with novel cold-adapted nitroreductase (PsNTR) could biodegrade nitrobenzene and p-nitrophenol in low temperature environment. In this study, the in-frame deletion mutant of psntr (Δpsntr-ANT206) that displayed well genetic stability and kanamycin resistance stability was constructed using allelic replacement method. Additionally, Δpsntr-ANT206 was more sensitive to nitrobenzene and p-nitrophenol in the comparison of heat and hyperosmolarity, suggesting that psntr gene participated in the regulation of the tolerance against nitro-aromatic compounds (NACs). Further analysis was conducted by integrated gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and several metabolites were identified. Among them, ethylbenzene, L-Alanine, citric acid, aniline, 4-aminophenol and other metabolites were different between the wild-type strain and Δpsntr-ANT206 under nitrobenzene and p-nitrophenol stress at different time periods under low temperature, respectively. These data could increase the knowledge of the construction of deletion mutant strains and biodegradation mechanism of NACs of typical strains Psychrobacter from Antarctica, which would also provide the basis of the molecular technique on the regulation of bioremediation of the contaminants under low temperature in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wang
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
| | - Yanhua Hou
- School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264209, China.
| | - Quanfu Wang
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China; School of Marine Science and Technology, Harbin Institute of Technology, Weihai 264209, China.
| | - Yatong Wang
- School of Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150090, China
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21
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Dattani A, Drammeh I, Mahmood A, Rahman M, Szular J, Wilkinson SR. Unraveling the antitrypanosomal mechanism of benznidazole and related 2-nitroimidazoles: From prodrug activation to DNA damage. Mol Microbiol 2021; 116:674-689. [PMID: 34061384 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2021] [Revised: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Nitroheterocycles represent an important class of compound used to treat trypanosomiasis. They often function as prodrugs and can undergo type I nitroreductase (NTR1)-mediated activation before promoting their antiparasitic activities although the nature of these downstream effects has yet to be determined. Here, we show that in an NTR1-dependent process, benznidazole promotes DNA damage in the nuclear genome of Trypanosoma brucei, providing the first direct link between activation of this prodrug and a downstream trypanocidal mechanism. Phenotypic and protein expression studies revealed that components of the trypanosome's homologous recombination (HR) repair pathway (TbMRE11, γH2A, TbRAD51) cooperate to resolve the benznidazole-induced damage, indicating that the prodrug-induced lesions are most likely double stand DNA breaks, while the sequence/recruitment kinetics of these factors parallels that in other eukaryotes HR systems. When extended to other NTR1-activated 2-nitroimidazoles, some were shown to promote DNA damage. Intriguingly, the lesions induced by these required TbMRE11 and TbCSB activities to fix leading us to postulate that TbCSB may operate in systems other than the transcription-coupled nucleotide excision repair pathway. Understanding how existing trypanosomal drugs work will aid future drug design and help unlock novel reactions/pathways that could be exploited as targets for therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambika Dattani
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Isatou Drammeh
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Aishah Mahmood
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Mahbubur Rahman
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Joanna Szular
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Shane R Wilkinson
- School of Biological & Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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22
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Pandey RP, Nascimento MS, Moore CE, Raj VS, Kalil J, Cunha-Neto E. New Approaches for the Treatment of Chagas Disease. Curr Drug Targets 2021; 22:835-841. [PMID: 33238855 DOI: 10.2174/1389450121999201124122643] [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: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi is a neglected tropical disease with high prevalence (5.7 million in Latin America, WHO 2015), significant burden, and significant morbimortality mostly due to severe heart disorders during the chronic phase of infection. Chagas disease is endemic in Latin America, and medical care for the disease is the major expense for Brazil's Universal Healthcare System (Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). The efficacy of the available drugs benznidazole and nifurtimox are low for the chronic phase of Chagas disease, the phase in which most patients are diagnosed, and there are frequent side effects, and drug resistance occurs. The rapid deployment of new drug regimens that are effective for the chronic phase treatment is low-cost and less toxic than the currently available therapy, which is a global priority. Repurposing drugs already in clinical use with other combinations would be the fastest and safest strategy for treating Chagas disease patients. We hypothesize that the combined treatment using repurposing drugs with benznidazole will be more efficacious than benznidazole alone. This needs to be tested further both in vitro and in animal models to understand the efficacy of the treatment before performing human clinical trials. We further hypothesize that producing nanoparticle formulation of the drugs can reduce their toxicity and improve therapeutic use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramendra Pati Pandey
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, DelhiNCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat - 131 029, Haryana, India
| | - Marilda Savoia Nascimento
- Laboratorio de Imunologia, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Catrin E Moore
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery Old Road Campus, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7LF, United Kingdom
| | - V Samuel Raj
- Centre for Drug Design Discovery and Development (C4D), SRM University, DelhiNCR, Rajiv Gandhi Education City, Sonepat - 131 029, Haryana, India
| | - Jorge Kalil
- Laboratorio de Imunologia, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edecio Cunha-Neto
- Laboratorio de Imunologia, Instituto do Coracao, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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23
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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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24
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de Almeida JM, Nunes FO, Ceole LF, Klimeck TDF, da Cruz LA, Tófoli D, Borges BS, Garcez WS, Tozetti IA, Medeiros LCS, Garcez FR, Ferreira AMT. Synergistic effect and ultrastructural changes in Trypanosoma cruzi caused by isoobtusilactone A in short exposure of time. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245882. [PMID: 33507972 PMCID: PMC7842926 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Butanolides have shown a variety of biological effects including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal effects against certain strains of Trypanosoma cruzi. Considering the lack of an effective drug to treat T. cruzi infections and the prominent results obtained in literature with this class of lactones, we investigated the anti-T. cruzi activity of five butanolides isolated from two species of Lauraceae, Aiouea trinervis and Mezilaurus crassiramea. Initially, the activity of these compounds was evaluated on epimastigote forms of the parasite, after a treatment period of 4 h, followed by testing on amastigotes, trypomastigotes, and mammalian cells. Next, the synergistic effect of active butanolides against amastigotes was evaluated. Further, metacyclogenesis inhibition and infectivity assays were performed for the most active compound, followed by ultrastructural analysis of the treated amastigotes and trypomastigotes. Among the five butanolides studied, majoranolide and isoobtusilactone A were active against all forms of the parasite, with good selectivity indexes in Vero cells. Both butanolides were more active than the control drug against trypomastigote and epimastigote forms and also had a synergic effect on amastigotes. The most active compound, isoobtusilactone A, which showed activity against all tested strains inhibited metacyclogenesis and infection of new host cells. In addition, ultrastructural analysis revealed that this butanolide caused extensive damage to the mitochondria of both amastigotes and trypomastigotes, resulting in severe morphological changes in the infective forms of the parasite. Altogether, our results highlight the potential of butanolides against the etiologic agent of Chagas disease and the relevance of isoobtusilactone A as a strong anti-T. cruzi drug, affecting different events of the life cycle and all evolutionary forms of parasite after a short period of exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlio Menta de Almeida
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Biologia Molecular e Bioensaios do Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Felipe Oliveira Nunes
- Laboratório de Pesquisa de Produtos Naturais Bioativos do Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Lígia Fernanda Ceole
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Carlos Chagas (Fiocruz-Paraná), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | | | - Letícia Alves da Cruz
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Biologia Molecular e Bioensaios do Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Danilo Tófoli
- Laboratório de Pesquisa de Produtos Naturais Bioativos do Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Santana Borges
- Laboratório de Biologia Celular, Instituto Carlos Chagas (Fiocruz-Paraná), Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Walmir Silva Garcez
- Laboratório de Pesquisa de Produtos Naturais Bioativos do Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Inês Aparecida Tozetti
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Biologia Molecular e Bioensaios do Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | | | - Fernanda Rodrigues Garcez
- Laboratório de Pesquisa de Produtos Naturais Bioativos do Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
| | - Alda Maria Teixeira Ferreira
- Laboratório de Imunologia, Biologia Molecular e Bioensaios do Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil
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Bhattacharya A, Corbeil A, do Monte-Neto RL, Fernandez-Prada C. Of Drugs and Trypanosomatids: New Tools and Knowledge to Reduce Bottlenecks in Drug Discovery. Genes (Basel) 2020; 11:genes11070722. [PMID: 32610603 PMCID: PMC7397081 DOI: 10.3390/genes11070722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Leishmaniasis (Leishmania species), sleeping sickness (Trypanosoma brucei), and Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi) are devastating and globally spread diseases caused by trypanosomatid parasites. At present, drugs for treating trypanosomatid diseases are far from ideal due to host toxicity, elevated cost, limited access, and increasing rates of drug resistance. Technological advances in parasitology, chemistry, and genomics have unlocked new possibilities for novel drug concepts and compound screening technologies that were previously inaccessible. In this perspective, we discuss current models used in drug-discovery cascades targeting trypanosomatids (from in vitro to in vivo approaches), their use and limitations in a biological context, as well as different examples of recently discovered lead compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arijit Bhattacharya
- Department of Microbiology, Adamas University, Kolkata, West Bengal 700 126, India;
| | - Audrey Corbeil
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
| | | | - Christopher Fernandez-Prada
- Department of Pathology and Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Université de Montréal, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 2M2, Canada;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-450-773-8521 (ext. 32802)
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Van den Kerkhof M, Sterckx YGJ, Leprohon P, Maes L, Caljon G. Experimental Strategies to Explore Drug Action and Resistance in Kinetoplastid Parasites. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E950. [PMID: 32599761 PMCID: PMC7356981 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8060950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Kinetoplastids are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, human African trypanosomiasis, and American trypanosomiasis. They are responsible for high mortality and morbidity in (sub)tropical regions. Adequate treatment options are limited and have several drawbacks, such as toxicity, need for parenteral administration, and occurrence of treatment failure and drug resistance. Therefore, there is an urgency for the development of new drugs. Phenotypic screening already allowed the identification of promising new chemical entities with anti-kinetoplastid activity potential, but knowledge on their mode-of-action (MoA) is lacking due to the generally applied whole-cell based approach. However, identification of the drug target is essential to steer further drug discovery and development. Multiple complementary techniques have indeed been used for MoA elucidation. In this review, the different 'omics' approaches employed to define the MoA or mode-of-resistance of current reference drugs and some new anti-kinetoplastid compounds are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Van den Kerkhof
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Yann G.-J. Sterckx
- Laboratory of Medical Biochemistry (LMB), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium;
| | - Philippe Leprohon
- Centre de Recherche en Infectiologie du Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada;
| | - Louis Maes
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (L.M.)
| | - Guy Caljon
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Parasitology and Hygiene (LMPH), University of Antwerp, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; (M.V.d.K.); (L.M.)
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Pérez-Molina JA, Crespillo-Andújar C, Bosch-Nicolau P, Molina I. Trypanocidal treatment of Chagas disease. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin 2020; 39:S0213-005X(20)30193-2. [PMID: 32527494 DOI: 10.1016/j.eimc.2020.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 04/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease is a neglected parasitosis caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. This infection is present in most Latin American countries, although, due to migratory movements, it is a growing cause for concern in non-endemic countries. The only two drugs currently available for its treatment-benznidazole and nifurtimox-were marketed 50 years ago. While they are very effective for acute and recent infection, and for the prevention of maternofoetal transmission, their efficacy declines in people who have chronic infection, especially those older than 18 years of age. In the presence of visceral involvement, parasiticidal treatment is of little or no value. The safety profile of both drugs is far from ideal, with frequent adverse events and high rates of drug discontinuation, mainly in adults. So far, new drugs and new strategies have not been shown to improve the results of the current nitroimidazoles, although the results are promising. In this review, we focus on the aspects that allow clinicians to make the best use of currently available drugs. In addition, we discuss new therapeutic options and ongoing research in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose A Pérez-Molina
- National Referral Centre for Tropical Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Clara Crespillo-Andújar
- National Referral Centre for Tropical Diseases, Infectious Diseases Department, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pau Bosch-Nicolau
- Tropical Medicine Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Israel Molina
- Tropical Medicine Unit, Department of Infectious Diseases, Vall d'Hebron University Hospital, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Instituto René Rachou-FIOCRUZ Minas, Chagas Disease Research Group, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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28
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Sánchez-Villamil JP, Bautista-Niño PK, Serrano NC, Rincon MY, Garg NJ. Potential Role of Antioxidants as Adjunctive Therapy in Chagas Disease. OXIDATIVE MEDICINE AND CELLULAR LONGEVITY 2020; 2020:9081813. [PMID: 32308809 PMCID: PMC7136780 DOI: 10.1155/2020/9081813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is one of the most important neglected tropical diseases in the American continent. Host-derived nitroxidative stress in response to Trypanosoma cruzi infection can induce tissue damage contributing to the progression of Chagas disease. Antioxidant supplementation has been suggested as adjuvant therapy to current treatment. In this article, we synthesize and discuss the current evidence regarding the use of antioxidants as adjunctive compounds to fight harmful reactive oxygen species and lower the tissue oxidative damage during progression of chronic Chagas disease. Several antioxidants evaluated in recent studies have shown potential benefits for the control of oxidative stress in the host's tissues. Melatonin, resveratrol, the combination of vitamin C/vitamin E (vitC/vitE) or curcumin/benznidazole, and mitochondria-targeted antioxidants seem to be beneficial in reducing plasma and cardiac levels of lipid peroxidation products. Nevertheless, further research is needed to validate beneficial effects of antioxidant therapies in Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juana P. Sánchez-Villamil
- Translational Biomedical Research Group, Centro de Investigaciones, Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia, Santander, Colombia
- Faculty of Basic Sciences, Universidad Antonio Nariño, Santander, Colombia
| | - Paula K. Bautista-Niño
- Translational Biomedical Research Group, Centro de Investigaciones, Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia, Santander, Colombia
| | - Norma C. Serrano
- Translational Biomedical Research Group, Centro de Investigaciones, Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia, Santander, Colombia
| | - Melvin Y. Rincon
- Translational Biomedical Research Group, Centro de Investigaciones, Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia, Santander, Colombia
| | - Nisha J. Garg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
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Dickie EA, Giordani F, Gould MK, Mäser P, Burri C, Mottram JC, Rao SPS, Barrett MP. New Drugs for Human African Trypanosomiasis: A Twenty First Century Success Story. Trop Med Infect Dis 2020; 5:tropicalmed5010029. [PMID: 32092897 PMCID: PMC7157223 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed5010029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The twentieth century ended with human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) epidemics raging across many parts of Africa. Resistance to existing drugs was emerging, and many programs aiming to contain the disease had ground to a halt, given previous success against HAT and the competing priorities associated with other medical crises ravaging the continent. A series of dedicated interventions and the introduction of innovative routes to develop drugs, involving Product Development Partnerships, has led to a dramatic turnaround in the fight against HAT caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense. The World Health Organization have been able to optimize the use of existing tools to monitor and intervene in the disease. A promising new oral medication for stage 1 HAT, pafuramidine maleate, ultimately failed due to unforeseen toxicity issues. However, the clinical trials for this compound demonstrated the possibility of conducting such trials in the resource-poor settings of rural Africa. The Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative (DNDi), founded in 2003, has developed the first all oral therapy for both stage 1 and stage 2 HAT in fexinidazole. DNDi has also brought forward another oral therapy, acoziborole, potentially capable of curing both stage 1 and stage 2 disease in a single dosing. In this review article, we describe the remarkable successes in combating HAT through the twenty first century, bringing the prospect of the elimination of this disease into sight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A. Dickie
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK; (E.A.D.); (F.G.); (M.K.G.)
| | - Federica Giordani
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK; (E.A.D.); (F.G.); (M.K.G.)
| | - Matthew K. Gould
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK; (E.A.D.); (F.G.); (M.K.G.)
| | - Pascal Mäser
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (P.M.); (C.B.)
| | - Christian Burri
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Socinstrasse 57, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (P.M.); (C.B.)
- University of Basel, Petersplatz 1, 4000 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jeremy C. Mottram
- York Biomedical Research Institute, Department of Biology, University of York, Wentworth Way, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, UK;
| | - Srinivasa P. S. Rao
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, 5300 Chiron Way, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA;
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK; (E.A.D.); (F.G.); (M.K.G.)
- Correspondence:
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30
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Wang L, Dietz C, Zhou F, Erfanzadeh M, Zhu Q, Smith MB, Yao X. Treasure hunt for peptides with undefined chemical modifications: Proteomics identification of differential albumin adducts of 2-nitroimidazole-indocyanine green in hypoxic tumor. JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY : JMS 2020; 55:e4376. [PMID: 31128078 DOI: 10.1002/jms.4376] [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: 01/17/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
2-Nitroimidazole is a well-known chemical probe targeting hypoxic environments of solid tumors, and its derivatives are widely used as imaging agents to investigate tissue and tumor hypoxia. However, the underlying chemistry for the hypoxia-detection capability of 2-nitroimidazole is still unclear. In this study, we deployed a biotin conjugate of 2-nitroimidazole-indocyanine green (2-nitro-ICG) for the investigation of in vivo hypoxia-probing mechanism of 2-nitro-ICG compounds. By implementing mass spectrometry-based proteomics and exhaustive data mining, we report that 2-nitro-ICG and its fragments modify mouse serum albumin as the primary protein target but at two structurally distinct sites and possibly via two different mechanisms. The identification of probe-modified peptides not only contributes to the understanding of the in vivo metabolism of 2-nitroimidazole compounds but also demonstrates a competent analytical workflow that enables the search for peptides with undefined modifications in complex proteome digests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269
| | - Christopher Dietz
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269
| | - Feifei Zhou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269
| | - Mohsen Erfanzadeh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269
| | - Quing Zhu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, 63130
| | - Michael B Smith
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269
| | - Xudong Yao
- Department of Chemistry, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 06269
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31
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Talevi A, Carrillo C, Comini M. The Thiol-polyamine Metabolism of Trypanosoma cruzi: Molecular Targets and Drug Repurposing Strategies. Curr Med Chem 2019; 26:6614-6635. [PMID: 30259812 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666180926151059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2018] [Revised: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 09/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Chagas´ disease continues to be a challenging and neglected public health problem in many American countries. The etiologic agent, Trypanosoma cruzi, develops intracellularly in the mammalian host, which hinders treatment efficacy. Progress in the knowledge of parasite biology and host-pathogen interaction has not been paralleled by the development of novel, safe and effective therapeutic options. It is then urgent to seek for novel therapeutic candidates and to implement drug discovery strategies that may accelerate the discovery process. The most appealing targets for pharmacological intervention are those essential for the pathogen and, whenever possible, absent or significantly different from the host homolog. The thiol-polyamine metabolism of T. cruzi offers interesting candidates for a rational design of selective drugs. In this respect, here we critically review the state of the art of the thiolpolyamine metabolism of T. cruzi and the pharmacological potential of its components. On the other hand, drug repurposing emerged as a valid strategy to identify new biological activities for drugs in clinical use, while significantly shortening the long time and high cost associated with de novo drug discovery approaches. Thus, we also discuss the different drug repurposing strategies available with a special emphasis in their applications to the identification of drug candidates targeting essential components of the thiol-polyamine metabolism of T. cruzi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Talevi
- Medicinal Chemistry, Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Exact Sciences, University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Carolina Carrillo
- Instituto de Ciencias y Tecnología Dr. César Milstein (ICT Milstein) - CONICET. Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marcelo Comini
- Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo 11400, Uruguay
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32
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Mesías AC, Garg NJ, Zago MP. Redox Balance Keepers and Possible Cell Functions Managed by Redox Homeostasis in Trypanosoma cruzi. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:435. [PMID: 31921709 PMCID: PMC6932984 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The toxicity of oxygen and nitrogen reactive species appears to be merely the tip of the iceberg in the world of redox homeostasis. Now, oxidative stress can be seen as a two-sided process; at high concentrations, it causes damage to biomolecules, and thus, trypanosomes have evolved a strong antioxidant defense system to cope with these stressors. At low concentrations, oxidants are essential for cell signaling, and in fact, the oxidants/antioxidants balance may be able to trigger different cell fates. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the current knowledge of the oxidant environment experienced by T. cruzi along the different phases of its life cycle, and the molecular tools exploited by this pathogen to deal with oxidative stress, for better or worse. Further, we discuss the possible redox-regulated processes that could be governed by this oxidative context. Most of the current research has addressed the importance of the trypanosomes' antioxidant network based on its detox activity of harmful species; however, new efforts are necessary to highlight other functions of this network and the mechanisms underlying the fine regulation of the defense machinery, as this represents a master key to hinder crucial pathogen functions. Understanding the relevance of this balance keeper program in parasite biology will give us new perspectives to delineate improved treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Mesías
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | - Nisha J Garg
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States
| | - M Paola Zago
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) - Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
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Sbaraglini ML, Bellera CL, Quarroz Braghini J, Areco Y, Miranda C, Carrillo C, Kelly J, Buchholz B, Gelpi RJ, Talevi A, Alba Soto CD. Combined therapy with Benznidazole and repurposed drugs Clofazimine and Benidipine for chronic Chagas disease. Eur J Med Chem 2019; 184:111778. [PMID: 31630056 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.111778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- María L Sbaraglini
- Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Bioactivos (LIDeB), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), 47 y 115 (B1900AJI) La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina L Bellera
- Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Bioactivos (LIDeB), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), 47 y 115 (B1900AJI) La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan Quarroz Braghini
- Instituto de Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM, CONICET-UBA), Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yésica Areco
- Instituto de Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM, CONICET-UBA), Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Cristian Miranda
- Instituto de Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM, CONICET-UBA), Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Carolina Carrillo
- Instituto de Ciencias y Tecnología Dr. César Milstein (ICT Milstein), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Jazmín Kelly
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Patología, Instituto de Fisiopatología Cardiovascular (INFICA) y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular (IBIMOL), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bruno Buchholz
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Patología, Instituto de Fisiopatología Cardiovascular (INFICA) y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular (IBIMOL), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ricardo J Gelpi
- Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Patología, Instituto de Fisiopatología Cardiovascular (INFICA) y Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Instituto de Bioquímica y Medicina Molecular (IBIMOL), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alan Talevi
- Laboratorio de Investigación y Desarrollo de Bioactivos (LIDeB), Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata (UNLP), 47 y 115 (B1900AJI) La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Catalina D Alba Soto
- Instituto de Microbiología y Parasitología Médica (IMPaM, CONICET-UBA), Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires (UBA), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Petravicius PO, Costa-Martins AG, Silva MN, Reis-Cunha JL, Bartholomeu DC, Teixeira MM, Zingales B. Mapping benznidazole resistance in trypanosomatids and exploring evolutionary histories of nitroreductases and ABCG transporter protein sequences. Acta Trop 2019; 200:105161. [PMID: 31494121 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.105161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The nitro-heterocyclic compound benznidazole (BZ) is the first-line drug for the treatment of Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. However, therapeutic failures are common for reasons that include the influences of parasite and host genetics, the effects of toxicity on adherence to treatment, and difficulties in demonstrating parasitological cure. To obtain information on the origin of the resistance to BZ and eliminate from the scenery the participation of the host, initially we mapped the susceptibility to the drug in thirteen species of seven genera of the family Trypanosomatidae. We verified that all Trypanosoma species are sensitive to low concentrations of the drug (IC50 2.7 to 25 µM) while Non-Trypanosoma species are highly resistant to these concentrations. The two groups of parasites correspond to the major phylogenetic lineages of trypanosomatids. Next, we searched in the trypanosomatid genome databases homologs of two type-I nitroreductases (NTR-1 and OYE) and an ABC transporter (ABCG1) that have been associated with BZ resistance in T. cruzi. The predicted proteins were characterized regarding domains and used for phylogenetic analyses. Homologous NTR-1 genes were found in all trypanosomatids investigated and the structural characteristics of the enzyme suggest that it may be functional. OYE genes were absent in BZ-sensitive African trypanosomes, which excludes the participation of this enzyme in BZ bio-activation. Two copies of ABCG1 genes were observed in most BZ resistant species, while Trypanosoma species exhibit only one copy per haploid genome. Functional studies are required to verify the involvement of these genes in BZ resistance. In addition, since multiple mechanisms can contribute to BZ susceptibility, our study poses a range of organisms highly resistant to BZ in which these aspects can be investigated. Preliminary studies on BZ uptake indicate marked differences between BZ-sensitive and BZ-resistant species.
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35
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Patterson S, Fairlamb AH. Current and Future Prospects of Nitro-compounds as Drugs for Trypanosomiasis and Leishmaniasis. Curr Med Chem 2019; 26:4454-4475. [PMID: 29701144 DOI: 10.2174/0929867325666180426164352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Revised: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Interest in nitroheterocyclic drugs for the treatment of infectious diseases has undergone a resurgence in recent years. Here we review the current status of monocyclic and bicyclic nitroheterocyclic compounds as existing or potential new treatments for visceral leishmaniasis, Chagas' disease and human African trypanosomiasis. Both monocyclic (nifurtimox, benznidazole and fexinidazole) and bicyclic (pretomanid (PA-824) and delamanid (OPC-67683)) nitro-compounds are prodrugs, requiring enzymatic activation to exert their parasite toxicity. Current understanding of the nitroreductases involved in activation and possible mechanisms by which parasites develop resistance is discussed along with a description of the pharmacokinetic / pharmacodynamic behaviour and chemical structure-activity relationships of drugs and experimental compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Patterson
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Alan H Fairlamb
- Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
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36
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Caldas IS, Santos EG, Novaes RD. An evaluation of benznidazole as a Chagas disease therapeutic. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2019; 20:1797-1807. [PMID: 31456439 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2019.1650915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: As benznidazole is the first-line treatment for patients with Chagas disease, rational chemotherapy strategies are required based on the critical analysis of the evidence on the relevance and applicability of this drug at different disease stages. Areas covered: The authors discuss the current understanding of benznidazole-based chemotherapy for Chagas disease, focusing specifically on epidemiology, pharmacokinetics, mechanism of action, clinical recommendations, cure criteria, and therapeutic efficacy in different phases of the disease. Expert opinion: Benznidazole shows high bioavailability after oral administration. Benznidazole at 5-8 mg/kg/day and 5-10 mg/kg/day for 30-60 days are consistent clinical recommendations for children and adults, respectively. A high correlation between negative parasitological, serological, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays in long-term post-therapeutic follow-up has been consistently used to evaluate therapeutic efficacy. These methods support the evidence that the success of benznidazole-based chemotherapy is closely correlated with the phase of infection in which the treatment is administered. The greater therapeutic efficacy is obtained in acute infections, gradually worsening as the infection becomes chronic. When therapeutic failure is confirmed by any diagnostic assay, benznidazole treatment does not always ensure better long-term prognosis, and Chagas cardiomyopathy may develop as well as in untreated patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivo S Caldas
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG) , Alfenas , Minas Gerais , Brazil
| | - Elda G Santos
- Department of Structural Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG) , Alfenas , Minas Gerais , Brazil
| | - Rômulo D Novaes
- Department of Structural Biology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Universidade Federal de Alfenas (UNIFAL-MG) , Alfenas , Minas Gerais , Brazil
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Hennig K, Abi-Ghanem J, Bunescu A, Meniche X, Biliaut E, Ouattara AD, Lewis MD, Kelly JM, Braillard S, Courtemanche G, Chatelain E, Béquet F. Metabolomics, lipidomics and proteomics profiling of myoblasts infected with Trypanosoma cruzi after treatment with different drugs against Chagas disease. Metabolomics 2019; 15:117. [PMID: 31440849 DOI: 10.1007/s11306-019-1583-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chagas disease, the most important parasitic infection in Latin America, is caused by the intracellular protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi. To treat this disease, only two nitroheterocyclic compounds with toxic side effects exist and frequent treatment failures are reported. Hence there is an urgent need to develop new drugs. Recently, metabolomics has become an efficient and cost-effective strategy for dissecting drug mode of action, which has been applied to bacteria as well as parasites, such as different Trypanosome species and forms. OBJECTIVES We assessed if the metabolomics approach can be applied to study drug action of the intracellular amastigote form of T. cruzi in a parasite-host cell system. METHODS We applied a metabolic fingerprinting approach (DI-MS and NMR) to evaluate metabolic changes induced by six different (candidate) drugs in a parasite-host cell system. In a second part of our study, we analyzed the impact of two drugs on polar metabolites, lipid and proteins to evaluate if affected pathways can be identified. RESULTS Metabolic signatures, obtained by the fingerprinting approach, resulted in three different clusters. Two can be explained by already known of mode actions, whereas the three experimental drugs formed a separate cluster. Significant changes induced by drug action were observed in all the three metabolic fractions (polar metabolites, lipids and proteins). We identified a general impact on the TCA cycle, but no specific pathways could be attributed to drug action, which might be caused by a high percentage of common metabolome between a eukaryotic host cell and a eukaryotic parasite. Additionally, ion suppression effects due to differences in abundance between host cells and parasites may have occurred. CONCLUSION We validated the metabolic fingerprinting approach to a complex host-cell parasite system. This technique can potentially be applied in the early stage of drug discovery and could help to prioritize early leads or reconfirmed hits for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Hennig
- BIOASTER, 40 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - J Abi-Ghanem
- BIOASTER, 40 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - A Bunescu
- BIOASTER, 40 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - X Meniche
- BIOASTER, 40 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - E Biliaut
- BIOASTER, 40 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - A D Ouattara
- BIOASTER, 40 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon, France
| | - M D Lewis
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - J M Kelly
- Department of Pathogen Molecular Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - S Braillard
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), 15 Chemin Louis-Dunant, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - E Chatelain
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi), 15 Chemin Louis-Dunant, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - F Béquet
- BIOASTER, 40 avenue Tony Garnier, 69007, Lyon, France.
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Gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and tryparedoxin 1 exert high control on the antioxidant system in Trypanosoma cruzi contributing to drug resistance and infectivity. Redox Biol 2019; 26:101231. [PMID: 31203195 PMCID: PMC6581782 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2019.101231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2018] [Revised: 01/31/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanothione (T(SH)2) is the main antioxidant metabolite for peroxide reduction in Trypanosoma cruzi; therefore, its metabolism has attracted attention for therapeutic intervention against Chagas disease. To validate drug targets within the T(SH)2 metabolism, the strategies and methods of Metabolic Control Analysis and kinetic modeling of the metabolic pathway were used here, to identify the steps that mainly control the pathway fluxes and which could be appropriate sites for therapeutic intervention. For that purpose, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase (γECS), trypanothione synthetase (TryS), trypanothione reductase (TryR) and the tryparedoxin cytosolic isoform 1 (TXN1) were separately overexpressed to different levels in T. cruzi epimastigotes and their degrees of control on the pathway flux as well as their effect on drug resistance and infectivity determined. Both experimental in vivo as well as in silico analyses indicated that γECS and TryS control T(SH)2 synthesis by 60–74% and 15–31%, respectively. γECS overexpression prompted up to a 3.5-fold increase in T(SH)2 concentration, whereas TryS overexpression did not render an increase in T(SH)2 levels as a consequence of high T(SH)2 degradation. The peroxide reduction flux was controlled for 64–73% by TXN1, 17–20% by TXNPx and 11–16% by TryR. TXN1 and TryR overexpression increased H2O2 resistance, whereas TXN1 overexpression increased resistance to the benznidazole plus buthionine sulfoximine combination. γECS overexpression led to an increase in infectivity capacity whereas that of TXN increased trypomastigote bursting. The present data suggested that inhibition of high controlling enzymes such as γECS and TXN1 in the T(SH)2 antioxidant pathway may compromise the parasite's viability and infectivity. The trypanothione synthesis flux is primarily but not exclusively controlled by γECS. Tryparedoxin exerts high control on the peroxide reduction flux. Kinetic metabolic modeling may reliably predict the in vivo pathway behavior. TXN1 overexpression provides benznidazole resistance. γECS and TXN contribute to parasite infectivity.
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Téllez J, Romero I, Romanha AJ, Steindel M. Drug transporter and oxidative stress gene expression in human macrophages infected with benznidazole-sensitive and naturally benznidazole-resistant Trypanosoma cruzi parasites treated with benznidazole. Parasit Vectors 2019; 12:262. [PMID: 31126349 PMCID: PMC6534881 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3485-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chagas disease is a potentially life-threatening disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. Current therapeutic management is limited to treatment with nitroheterocyclic drugs, such as nifurtimox (NFX) and benznidazole (BZ). Thus, the identification of affordable and readily available drugs to treat resistant parasites is urgently required worldwide. To analyse the effects of BZ on human macrophage gene expression, a quantitative PCR (qPCR) array analysis was performed using drug transporter and oxidative stress pathway genes to compare the gene expression profiles of human differentiated THP-1 macrophage (THP-1 MΦ) cells infected or not with benznidazole-sensitive (CL Brener) and naturally benznidazole-resistant (Colombiana) T. cruzi parasites followed by treatment with BZ. Results The gene expression analysis indicated that the expression levels of 62 genes were either up- or downregulated at least 3-fold in the host upon infection with CL Brener and BZ treatment, of which 46 were upregulated and 16 were downregulated. Moreover, the expression level of 32 genes was altered in THP-1 MФ cells infected with Colombiana and treated with BZ, of which 29 were upregulated and 3 were downregulated. Our results revealed that depending on the specific condition, human THP-1 MΦ cells infected with T. cruzi strains with sensitive or resistant phenotypes and treated with BZ expressed high mRNA levels of AQP1, AQP9 and ABCB1 (MDR1) compared to those of the control cells. Conclusions Our findings suggest that the proteins encoded by AQP1, AQP9 and ABCB1 may be implicated in benznidazole detoxification. Therefore, studies on gene expression are required to better understand the host response to pathogens and drug treatment integrated with functional and metabolic data to identify potentially novel targets for the treatment of this important and neglected tropical disease. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13071-019-3485-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jair Téllez
- Laboratorio de Protozoologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil. .,Vicerrectoría de Investigaciones, Universidad Manuela Beltrán, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia.
| | - Ibeth Romero
- Laboratorio de Protozoologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.,Programa de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Manuela Beltrán, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Alvaro José Romanha
- Laboratorio de Protozoologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil
| | - Mario Steindel
- Laboratorio de Protozoologia, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil.
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The fecal, oral, and skin microbiota of children with Chagas disease treated with benznidazole. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212593. [PMID: 30807605 PMCID: PMC6391005 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Chagas disease is still prevalent in rural areas of South America. In endemic areas of Bolivia, school children are screened for the program of Chagas disease eradication of the Ministry of Health, and positive children are treated. Here, we compared the fecal, oral and skin microbiomes of children with or without Chagas disease, and before and after benznidazol treatment of infected children. Methods A total of 543 Bolivian children (5–14 years old) were tested for Chagas disease, and 20 positive children were treated with Benznidazole. Fecal samples and oral and skin swabs were obtained before and after treatment, together with samples from a group of 35 uninfected controls. The 16S rRNA genes were sequenced and analyzed using QIIME to determine Alpha diversity differences and community distances, and linear discriminant analyses to determine marker taxa by infection status or treatment. Results Twenty out of 543 children screened were seropositive for Chagas disease (3.7%) and were included in the study, together with 35 control children that were seronegative for the disease. Fecal samples, oral and skin swabs were taken at the beginning of the study and after the anti-protozoa therapy with Benznidazole to the chagasic children. Infected children had higher fecal Firmicutes (Streptococcus, Roseburia, Butyrivibrio, and Blautia), and lower Bacteroides and also showed some skin -but not oral- microbiota differences. Treatment eliminated the fecal microbiota differences from control children, increasing Dialister (class Clostridia) and members of the Enterobacteriaceae, and decreasing Prevotella and Coprococcus, with minor effects on the oral and skin bacterial diversity. Conclusions The results of this study show differences in the fecal microbiota associated with Chagas disease in children, and also evidence that treatment normalizes fecal microbiota (makes it more similar to that in controls), but is associated with oral and skin microbiota differences from control children. Since microbiota impacts in children, it is important to determine the effect of drugs on the children microbiota, since dysbiosis could lead to physiological effects which might be avoidable with microbiota restoration interventions.
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Mesías AC, Sasoni N, Arias DG, Pérez Brandán C, Orban OCF, Kunick C, Robello C, Comini MA, Garg NJ, Zago MP. Trypanothione synthetase confers growth, survival advantage and resistance to anti-protozoal drugs in Trypanosoma cruzi. Free Radic Biol Med 2019; 130:23-34. [PMID: 30359758 PMCID: PMC6331241 DOI: 10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2018.10.436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chagas cardiomyopathy, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi infection, continues to be a neglected illness, and has a major impact on global health. The parasite undergoes several stages of morphological and biochemical changes during its life cycle, and utilizes an elaborated antioxidant network to overcome the oxidants barrier and establish infection in vector and mammalian hosts. Trypanothione synthetase (TryS) catalyzes the biosynthesis of glutathione-spermidine adduct trypanothione (T(SH)2) that is the principal intracellular thiol-redox metabolite in trypanosomatids. METHODS AND RESULTS We utilized genetic overexpression (TryShi) and pharmacological inhibition approaches to examine the role of TryS in T. cruzi proliferation, tolerance to oxidative stress and resistance to anti-protozoal drugs. Our data showed the expression and activity of TryS was increased in all morphological stages of TryShi (vs. control) parasites. In comparison to controls, the TryShi epimastigotes (insect stage) recorded shorter doubling time, and both epimastigotes and infective trypomastigotes of TryShi exhibited 36-71% higher resistance to H2O2 (50-1000 μM) and heavy metal (1-500 μM) toxicity. Treatment with TryS inhibitors (5-30 μM) abolished the proliferation and survival advantages against H2O2 pressure in a dose-dependent manner in both TryShi and control parasites. Further, epimastigote and trypomastigote forms of TryShi (vs. control) T. cruzi tolerated higher doses of benznidazole and nifurtimox, the drugs currently administered for acute Chagas disease treatment. CONCLUSIONS TryS is essential for proliferation and survival of T. cruzi under normal and oxidant stress conditions, and provides an advantage to the parasite to develop resistance against currently used anti-trypanosomal drugs. TryS indispensability has been chemically validated with inhibitors that may be useful for drug combination therapy against Chagas disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea C Mesías
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Universidad Nacional de Salta - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Salta, Argentina
| | - Natalia Sasoni
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral - CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Diego G Arias
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología del Litoral, Universidad Nacional del Litoral - CONICET, Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Cecilia Pérez Brandán
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Universidad Nacional de Salta - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Salta, Argentina
| | - Oliver C F Orban
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Chemie, Beethovenstraße 55, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Conrad Kunick
- Technische Universität Braunschweig, Institut für Medizinische und Pharmazeutische Chemie, Beethovenstraße 55, D-38106 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Carlos Robello
- Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, and Departamento de Bioquímica, Facultad de Medicina, Uruguay
| | - Marcelo A Comini
- Redox Biology of Trypanosomes - Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Nisha J Garg
- Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Pathology, Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA.
| | - M Paola Zago
- Instituto de Patología Experimental, Universidad Nacional de Salta - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Salta, Argentina.
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Müller Kratz J, Garcia Bournissen F, Forsyth CJ, Sosa-Estani S. Clinical and pharmacological profile of benznidazole for treatment of Chagas disease. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2018; 11:943-957. [DOI: 10.1080/17512433.2018.1509704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jadel Müller Kratz
- Chagas Clinical Program, Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative (DNDi), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Facundo Garcia Bournissen
- Parasitology and Chagas Service, Buenos Aires Children Hospital Ricardo Gutiérrez, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Colin J. Forsyth
- Chagas Clinical Program, Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative (DNDi), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sergio Sosa-Estani
- Chagas Clinical Program, Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative (DNDi), Geneva, Switzerland
- Epidemiology and Public Health Research Center, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Quebrada Palacio LP, González MN, Hernandez-Vasquez Y, Perrone AE, Parodi-Talice A, Bua J, Postan M. Phenotypic diversity and drug susceptibility of Trypanosoma cruzi TcV clinical isolates. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0203462. [PMID: 30183775 PMCID: PMC6124804 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0203462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Trypanosoma cruzi is a genetically heterogeneous group of organisms that cause Chagas disease. It has been long suspected that the clinical outcome of the disease and response to therapeutic agents are, at least in part, related to the genetic characteristics of the parasite. Herein, we sought to validate the significance of the genotype of T. cruzi isolates recovered from patients with different clinical forms of Chagas disease living in Argentina on their biological behaviour and susceptibility to drugs. Genotype identification of the newly established isolates confirmed the reported predominance of TcV, with a minor frequency of TcI. Epimastigote sensitivity assays demonstrated marked dissimilar responses to benznidazole, nifurtimox, pentamidine and dihydroartemisinin in vitro. Two TcV isolates exhibiting divergent response to benznidazole in epimastigote assays were further tested for the expression of anti-oxidant proteins. Benznidazole-resistant BOL-FC10A epimastigotes had decreased expression of Old Yellow Enzyme and cytosolic superoxide dismutase, and overexpression of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and tryparedoxin- 1, compared to benznidazole-susceptible AR-SE23C parasites. Drug sensitivity assays on intracellular amastigotes and trypomastigotes reproduced the higher susceptibility of AR-SE23C over BOL-FC10A parasites to benznidazole observed in epimastigotes assays. However, the susceptibility/resistance profile of amastigotes and trypomastigotes to nifurtimox, pentamidine and dihydroartemisinin varied markedly with respect to that of epimastigotes. C3H/He mice infected with AR-SE23C trypomastigotes had higher levels of parasitemia and mortality rate during the acute phase of infection compared to mice infected with BOL-FC10A trypomastigotes. Treatment of infected mice with benznidazole or nifurtimox was efficient to reduce patent parasitemia induced by either isolate. Nevertheless, qPCR performed at 70 dpi revealed parasite DNA in the blood of mice infected with AR-SE23C but not in BOL-FC10A infected mice. These results demonstrate high level of intra-type diversity which may represent an important obstacle for the testing of chemotherapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luz P. Quebrada Palacio
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología “Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mariela N. González
- Departamento de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología “Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Yolanda Hernandez-Vasquez
- Departamento de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología “Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alina E. Perrone
- Departamento de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología “Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Adriana Parodi-Talice
- Unidad de Biología Molecular, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Sección Genética, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Jacqueline Bua
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología “Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Miriam Postan
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Investigación, Instituto Nacional de Parasitología “Dr. Mario Fatala Chabén”, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- * E-mail:
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Puente V, Demaria A, Frank FM, Batlle A, Lombardo ME. Anti-parasitic effect of vitamin C alone and in combination with benznidazole against Trypanosoma cruzi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006764. [PMID: 30240395 PMCID: PMC6169970 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Drugs currently used for the treatment of Chagas' disease, nifurtimox and benznidazole, have a limited effectiveness and toxic side effects. With the aim of finding new therapeutic approaches, in vitro and in vivo anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of vitamin C alone and combined with benznidazole were investigated. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The trypanocidal activity on epimastigote and trypomastigote forms was evaluated by counting parasites in a Neubauer chamber after treatment with the compounds. For the amastigote stage, transgenic parasites expressing β-galactosidase were used and quantified by measuring the β-galactosidase activity. The cytotoxicity of compounds was tested on Vero cells. The redox state of the parasite was evaluated by determining the reduced thiol levels (spectrophotometric assay) and the intracellular oxidative state (by flow cytometry). The in vivo trypanocidal activity was evaluated on a murine model of Chagas' disease. The trypanocidal activity of vitamin C and benznidazole was similar for the three parasite forms. When combining both drugs, vitamin C did not induce any change in the antiparasitic activity of benznidazole on trypomastigotes; however, on mammal cells, vitamin C diminished the cytotoxicity degree of benznidazole. Two mechanisms of action may be postulated for vitamin C: a lethal pro-oxidant effect on the parasite when used alone, and an antioxidant effect, when combined with benznidazole. A similar behavior was observed on infected mice; i.e., parasite counts in infected mice treated with vitamin C were lower than that of the control group. Animals treated with benznidazole presented lower parasitemia levels, as compared with those treated with vitamin C alone. Again, vitamin C did not cause any effect on the antiparasitic profile of benznidazole. Even though a combined treatment was employed, the antioxidant effect of vitamin C on the host was evidenced; a 100% survival was observed and the weight loss occurring during the acute phase of the infection was reduced. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Based on these results, the combination of vitamin C with benznidazole could be considered as an alternative treatment for Chagas' disease. These preliminary results encourage further research to improve the treatment of Chagas' disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanesa Puente
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias, CIPYP (UBA-CONICET), Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Agostina Demaria
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias, CIPYP (UBA-CONICET), Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Fernanda M. Frank
- Instituto de Microbiología y Parasitología Médica, IMPAM (Universidad de Buenos Aires—Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Facultad de Medicina, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Cátedra de Inmunología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Alcira Batlle
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias, CIPYP (UBA-CONICET), Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Elisa Lombardo
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias, CIPYP (UBA-CONICET), Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, UBA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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A role for trypanosomatid aldo-keto reductases in methylglyoxal, prostaglandin and isoprostane metabolism. Biochem J 2018; 475:2593-2610. [PMID: 30045874 PMCID: PMC6117947 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20180232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Trypanosomatid parasites are the infectious agents causing Chagas disease, visceral and cutaneous leishmaniasis and human African trypanosomiasis. Recent work of others has implicated an aldo-keto reductase (AKR) in the susceptibility and resistance of Trypanosoma cruzi to benznidazole, a drug used to treat Chagas disease. Here, we show that TcAKR and homologues in the related parasites Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania donovani do not reductively activate monocyclic (benznidazole, nifurtimox and fexinidazole) or bicyclic nitro-drugs such as PA-824. Rather, these enzymes metabolise a variety of toxic ketoaldehydes, such as glyoxal and methylglyoxal, suggesting a role in cellular defence against chemical stress. UPLC-QToF/MS analysis of benznidazole bioactivation by T. cruzi cell lysates confirms previous reports identifying numerous drug metabolites, including a dihydro-dihydroxy intermediate that can dissociate to form N-benzyl-2-guanidinoacetamide and glyoxal, a toxic DNA-glycating and cross-linking agent. Thus, we propose that TcAKR contributes to benznidazole resistance by the removal of toxic glyoxal. In addition, three of the four enzymes studied here display activity as prostaglandin F2α synthases, despite the fact that there are no credible cyclooxygenases in these parasites to account for formation of the precursor PGH2 from arachidonic acid. Our studies suggest that arachidonic acid is first converted non-enzymatically in parasite lysates to (PGH2-like) regioisomers by free radical-mediated peroxidation and that AKRs convert these lipid peroxides into isoprostanes, including prostaglandin F2α and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2α.
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Hong CR, Dickson BD, Jaiswal JK, Pruijn FB, Hunter FW, Hay MP, Hicks KO, Wilson WR. Cellular pharmacology of evofosfamide (TH-302): A critical re-evaluation of its bystander effects. Biochem Pharmacol 2018; 156:265-280. [PMID: 30134191 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2018.08.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Evofosfamide (TH-302) is a clinical-stage hypoxia-activated prodrug with proven efficacy against hypoxic cells in preclinical tumour models. TH-302 is designed to release the DNA crosslinking agent bromo-isophosphoramide mustard (Br-IPM) when reduced in hypoxic tissue. Br-IPM is considered to diffuse locally from hypoxic regions, eliciting additional tumour cell killing, but the latter 'bystander effect' has not been demonstrated directly. Previous studies with multicellular co-cultures that included cells expressing the E. coli nitroreductase NfsA as a model TH-302 reductase have provided clear evidence of a bystander effect (which we confirm in the present study). However, NfsA is an oxygen-insensitive two-electron reductase that is not expected to generate the nitro radical intermediate that has been demonstrated to fragment to release Br-IPM. Here, we use mass spectrometry methods to characterise TH-302 metabolites generated by one-electron reduction (steady-state radiolysis by ionising radiation and cellular metabolism under hypoxia, including HCT116 cells that overexpress P450 oxidoreductase, POR) or by NfsA expressed in HCT116 cells under oxic conditions, and investigate the stability and cytotoxicity of these products. Br-IPM is shown to have very low cytotoxic potency when added to extracellular culture medium and to be rapidly converted to other hydrophilic products including dichloro-isophosphoramide mustard (IPM). Only traces of Br-IPM or IPM were detected in the extracellular medium when generated by cellular metabolism of TH-302. We identify, in NfsA-expressing cells, the hydroxylamine metabolite of TH-302, and downstream products resulting from rearrangement or hydration of the imidazole ring, and demonstrate that formation of these candidate bystander effect mediators is suppressed by hypoxia. This characterisation of the cellular pharmacology of TH-302 implies that bystander effects from hypoxic activation of TH-302 are unlikely to contribute to its anticancer activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cho Rong Hong
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Benjamin D Dickson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jagdish K Jaiswal
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Frederik B Pruijn
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Francis W Hunter
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Michael P Hay
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Kevin O Hicks
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - William R Wilson
- Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Maurice Wilkins Centre for Molecular Biodiscovery, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
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Steketee PC, Vincent IM, Achcar F, Giordani F, Kim DH, Creek DJ, Freund Y, Jacobs R, Rattigan K, Horn D, Field MC, MacLeod A, Barrett MP. Benzoxaborole treatment perturbs S-adenosyl-L-methionine metabolism in Trypanosoma brucei. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006450. [PMID: 29758036 PMCID: PMC5976210 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 04/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The parasitic protozoan Trypanosoma brucei causes Human African Trypanosomiasis and Nagana in other mammals. These diseases present a major socio-economic burden to large areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Current therapies involve complex and toxic regimens, which can lead to fatal side-effects. In addition, there is emerging evidence for drug resistance. AN5568 (SCYX-7158) is a novel benzoxaborole class compound that has been selected as a lead compound for the treatment of HAT, and has demonstrated effective clearance of both early and late stage trypanosomiasis in vivo. The compound is currently awaiting phase III clinical trials and could lead to a novel oral therapeutic for the treatment of HAT. However, the mode of action of AN5568 in T. brucei is unknown. This study aimed to investigate the mode of action of AN5568 against T. brucei, using a combination of molecular and metabolomics-based approaches.Treatment of blood-stage trypanosomes with AN5568 led to significant perturbations in parasite metabolism. In particular, elevated levels of metabolites involved in the metabolism of S-adenosyl-L-methionine, an essential methyl group donor, were found. Further comparative metabolomic analyses using an S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase inhibitor, sinefungin, showed the presence of several striking metabolic phenotypes common to both treatments. Furthermore, several metabolic changes in AN5568 treated parasites resemble those invoked in cells treated with a strong reducing agent, dithiothreitol, suggesting redox imbalances could be involved in the killing mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pieter C. Steketee
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Isabel M. Vincent
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Fiona Achcar
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Federica Giordani
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Dong-Hyun Kim
- Centre for Analytical Bioscience, Division of Molecular and Cellular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Darren J. Creek
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Drug Delivery Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Yvonne Freund
- Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Robert Jacobs
- Anacor Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Palo Alto, California, United States of America
| | - Kevin Rattigan
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - David Horn
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Mark C. Field
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Annette MacLeod
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Michael P. Barrett
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
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48
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Abstract
The activation of macrophage respiratory burst in response to infection with Trypanosoma cruzi inflicts oxidative damage to the host’s tissues. For decades, the role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the elimination of T. cruzi was taken for granted, but recent evidence suggests parasite growth is stimulated in oxidative environments. It is still a matter of debate whether indeed oxidative environments provide ideal conditions (e.g., iron availability in macrophages) for T. cruzi growth and whether indeed ROS signals directly to stimulate growth. Nitric oxide (NO) and ROS combine to form peroxynitrite, participating in the killing of phagocytosed parasites by activated macrophages. In response to infection, mitochondrial ROS are produced by cardiomyocytes. They contribute to oxidative damage that persists at the chronic stage of infection and is involved in functional impairment of the heart. In this review, we discuss how oxidative stress helps parasite growth during the acute stage and how it participates in the development of cardiomyopathy at the chronic stage.
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Franco J, Scarone L, Comini MA. Drugs and Drug Resistance in African and American Trypanosomiasis. ANNUAL REPORTS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.armc.2018.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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50
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Sales Junior PA, Molina I, Fonseca Murta SM, Sánchez-Montalvá A, Salvador F, Corrêa-Oliveira R, Carneiro CM. Experimental and Clinical Treatment of Chagas Disease: A Review. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2017; 97:1289-1303. [PMID: 29016289 PMCID: PMC5817734 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.16-0761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 165] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Chagas disease (CD) is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi that infects a broad range of triatomines and mammalian species, including man. It afflicts 8 million people in Latin America, and its incidence is increasing in nonendemic countries owing to rising international immigration and nonvectorial transmission routes such as blood donation. Since the 1960s, the only drugs available for the clinical treatment of this infection have been benznidazole (BZ) and nifurtimox (NFX). Treatment with these trypanocidal drugs is recommended in both the acute and chronic phases of CD. These drugs have low cure rates mainly during the chronic phase, in addition both drugs present side effects that may result in the interruption of the treatment. Thus, more efficient and better-tolerated new drugs or pharmaceutical formulations containing BZ or NFX are urgently needed. Here, we review the drugs currently used for CD chemotherapy, ongoing clinical assays, and most-promising new experimental drugs. In addition, the mechanism of action of the commercially available drugs, NFX and BZ, the biodistribution of the latter, and the potential for novel formulations of BZ based on nanotechnology are discussed. Taken together, the literature emphasizes the urgent need for new therapies for acute and chronic CD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Israel Molina
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Adrián Sánchez-Montalvá
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Salvador
- Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, PROSICS Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Rodrigo Corrêa-Oliveira
- Centro de Pesquisas René Rachou, FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Martins Carneiro
- Laboratório de Imunopatologia, Núcleo de Pesquisas em Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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