Apoptosis-inducing active ingredients in chemotherapy for American trypanosomiasis and leishmaniasis

Among the most widespread tropical parasitic diseases on the planet, those caused by Trypanosoma and Leishmania stand out due to their importance. In the case of leishmaniasis, there is a significant field of action, not only in human health but also in veterinary medicine. Both diseases have some active drugs available; however, these are toxic and can lead to resistance. There is a need to find new, effective treatments against both parasites, which is the main objective of this project. To this end, in vitro assessments of the activity of active ingredients against Trypanosoma cruzi and different species of the genus Leishmania will be carried out. These assays will also include activity assays in intracellular amastigotes of L. amazonensis and the calculation of the selectivity index of active molecules. Cytotoxicity assays will be performed on those molecules of greatest interest for their antiparasitic activity. The molecules evaluated are of natural or synthetic origin and come from collaborative groups at the Antonio González University Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry. Another objective of this project is to study cellular damage and the type of cell death induced by the active compounds. Finally, the project will search for potential targets of action for those active ingredients with antiparasitic activity, evaluating the variation in protein profiles in parasites subjected to treatment.

---

ULL Team

• Atteneri López Arencibia
• José Enrique Piñero Barroso