Single drug targets three deadly parasitic infections

Breakthrough: Single drug targets three deadly parasitic infections

Submitted by Diana Bretting on Tue, 08/09/2016

Recent studies conducted on animals have shown that a drug has been able to treat three deadly infections, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness. The advancement is considered a significant step to tackle parasitic infections that affect millions of people in the poorest parts of the world.

Now, the drug that has proved its efficacy during animal studies will be tested on humans. As per the researchers, all the three diseases take place due to same parasite owing to which it was considered one therapy might be able to handle them.

Sleeping sickness takes place due to the Trypanosoma brucei parasite, spread by the bite of the tsetse fly. The disease is quite commonly found in sub-Saharan Africa. Chagas disease happens due to the Trypansosoma cruzi parasite.

It can make heart and digestive system to get bigger and that is not at all healthy. The disease majorly affects in Latin America, but has now spread to other continents as well. Leishmaniasis takes place due to infection owing to Leishmania parasites and spreads by the bite of sand-flies.

All the three parasites combined infect 20 million people and kill 50,000 each year. There are drugs to treat the infections, but they are expensive and toxic and generally given through intravenous drop. These drugs do not work in poor regions.

The researchers have tested three million compounds made by Novartis to find the ones that could kill multiple parasites in the lab. It was found that the upgrade, codenamed GNF6702, could treat Trypanosoma brucei, Trypansosoma cruzi and Leishmania infections in mice.

One of the researchers Dr. Elmarie Myburgh from the University of York said, “What makes it special is the fact it is targeting all three parasites. That's the first time it has been done, so it is quite special”.

Source: http://perfscience.com/content/2144603-breakthrough-single-drug-targets-three-deadly-parasitic-infections