Abstract
Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) or sleeping sickness is a parasitic infection
caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei. The disease occurs in sub-Saharan Africa where it is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in man. Combinations of toxicity and poor efficacy of current anti-sleeping sickness drugs means that new, effective, and better tolerated chemotherapies are needed for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis. Proteases play a key role in the life cycle of T. brucei and in the pathogenesis of sleeping sickness. In vitro and in vivo studies over the last decades have shown that proteases are valid targets for the development of new drugs against T. brucei. Here, the major proteases of T. brucei and their cellular roles and potential as drug targets will be reviewed.
caused by the protozoan Trypanosoma brucei. The disease occurs in sub-Saharan Africa where it is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in man. Combinations of toxicity and poor efficacy of current anti-sleeping sickness drugs means that new, effective, and better tolerated chemotherapies are needed for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis. Proteases play a key role in the life cycle of T. brucei and in the pathogenesis of sleeping sickness. In vitro and in vivo studies over the last decades have shown that proteases are valid targets for the development of new drugs against T. brucei. Here, the major proteases of T. brucei and their cellular roles and potential as drug targets will be reviewed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Trypanosomatid Diseases: Molecular Routes to Drug Discovery |
| Editors | T. Jäger, O. Koch, L. Flohé |
| Place of Publication | Weinheim |
| Publisher | Wiley |
| Pages | 365-382 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Publication status | Published - 2013 |
