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Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches to the Treatment of African Trypanosomiasis

Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches to the Treatment of African Trypanosomiasis There are only a handful of drugs available today for treating African trypano­ somiasis, most of which were discovered more than forty years ago. These drugs are plagued by various problems, ranging from oral inabsorption, acute toxicities, short durations of action, and low efficacies to the emergence of trypanosomal resistance. Mechanisms of antitrypanosomal action of these drugs are mostly unknown, except for eflomithine, which is a suicide inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase. On the other hand, the African trypanosomes are among the most extensively studied parasitic protozoa to date. Many of their intriguing biological features have been well documented and can be viewed as attractive targets for antitrypanosomal chemotherapy. These features include the glycosomal functions and protein import, the trans-splicing of mRNAs, the machineries for controlled protein degradations, the polyamine metabo­ lism, the trypanothione metabolism, the purine salvage enzymes, and the glycolipid anchor for the surface glycoproteins. INTRODUCTION African trypanosomiasis, transmitted by the tsetse flies of the genus Glossina in Africa, causes sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle. It also 0362-1642/95/0415-0093$05.00 WANG affects a variety of other domestic livestock and game animals. The African trypanosomes are flagellated parasitic protozoa belonging to the order kineto­ plastidae and the http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology Annual Reviews

Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Approaches to the Treatment of African Trypanosomiasis

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References (49)

Publisher
Annual Reviews
Copyright
Copyright 1995 Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
Subject
Review Articles
ISSN
0362-1642
eISSN
1545-4304
DOI
10.1146/annurev.pa.35.040195.000521
pmid
7598514
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

There are only a handful of drugs available today for treating African trypano­ somiasis, most of which were discovered more than forty years ago. These drugs are plagued by various problems, ranging from oral inabsorption, acute toxicities, short durations of action, and low efficacies to the emergence of trypanosomal resistance. Mechanisms of antitrypanosomal action of these drugs are mostly unknown, except for eflomithine, which is a suicide inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase. On the other hand, the African trypanosomes are among the most extensively studied parasitic protozoa to date. Many of their intriguing biological features have been well documented and can be viewed as attractive targets for antitrypanosomal chemotherapy. These features include the glycosomal functions and protein import, the trans-splicing of mRNAs, the machineries for controlled protein degradations, the polyamine metabo­ lism, the trypanothione metabolism, the purine salvage enzymes, and the glycolipid anchor for the surface glycoproteins. INTRODUCTION African trypanosomiasis, transmitted by the tsetse flies of the genus Glossina in Africa, causes sleeping sickness in humans and nagana in cattle. It also 0362-1642/95/0415-0093$05.00 WANG affects a variety of other domestic livestock and game animals. The African trypanosomes are flagellated parasitic protozoa belonging to the order kineto­ plastidae and the

Journal

Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology – Annual Reviews

Published: Apr 1, 1995

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