Drugs for Neglected Diseases
Protozoan and helminthic parasitic diseases affect more than 3 billion people worldwide mostly in tropical and subtropical areas. These diseases also have a high prevalence in animals provoking a great health, social and economic loss in the less-developed countries.
The development of vaccines is an unachieved goal and drugs currently used for protozoan parasitic diseases such as human African trypanosomiasis (HAT or sleeping sickness), leishmaniases, or American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease) are old, many dating from the colonial era. These drugs have low efficiency, (sometimes severe) side effects, complex administration protocols, and high prices that are unaffordable for the affected countries. Besides, drug resistance is increasingly common. It is therefore urgent to develop new drugs to target these diseases.
Our group is interested in the search of new chemotherapeutic agents against protozoan parasites of the genus Trypanosoma (Trypanosoma brucei and Trypanosoma cruzi), Leishmania, Plasmodium, and Trichomonas.
Credit:
Logo by D. Cisneros
