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Targeting the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes: a promising approach to therapy of African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, and leishmaniasis

Heby, O. ; Persson, Lo LU and Rentala, M. (2007) In Amino Acids 33(2). p.359-366
Abstract
Trypanosomatids depend on spermidine for growth and survival. Consequently, enzymes involved in spermidine synthesis and utilization, i.e. arginase, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), spermidine synthase, trypanothione synthetase (TryS), and trypanothione reductase (TryR), are promising targets for drug development. The ODC inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is about to become a first-line drug against human late-stage gambiense sleeping sickness. Another ODC inhibitor, 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane (APA), is considerably more effective than DFMO against Leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes multiplying in macrophages. AdoMetDC inhibitors can cure animals infected with isolates from... (More)
Trypanosomatids depend on spermidine for growth and survival. Consequently, enzymes involved in spermidine synthesis and utilization, i.e. arginase, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), spermidine synthase, trypanothione synthetase (TryS), and trypanothione reductase (TryR), are promising targets for drug development. The ODC inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is about to become a first-line drug against human late-stage gambiense sleeping sickness. Another ODC inhibitor, 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane (APA), is considerably more effective than DFMO against Leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes multiplying in macrophages. AdoMetDC inhibitors can cure animals infected with isolates from patients with rhodesiense sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis, but have not been tested on humans. The antiparasitic effects of inhibitors of polyamine and trypanothione formation, reviewed here, emphasize the relevance of these enzymes as drug targets. By taking advantage of the differences in enzyme structure between parasite and host, it should be possible to design new drugs that can selectively kill the parasites. (Less)
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, leishmaniasis, polyamines
in
Amino Acids
volume
33
issue
2
pages
359 - 366
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000248770400023
  • scopus:34547654456
ISSN
0939-4451
DOI
10.1007/s00726-007-0537-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a4388834-b68c-4975-bbfd-24d4d8cda1f1 (old id 692950)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:28:24
date last changed
2022-04-21 07:54:13
@article{a4388834-b68c-4975-bbfd-24d4d8cda1f1,
  abstract     = {{Trypanosomatids depend on spermidine for growth and survival. Consequently, enzymes involved in spermidine synthesis and utilization, i.e. arginase, ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), S-adenosylmethionine decarboxylase (AdoMetDC), spermidine synthase, trypanothione synthetase (TryS), and trypanothione reductase (TryR), are promising targets for drug development. The ODC inhibitor alpha-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) is about to become a first-line drug against human late-stage gambiense sleeping sickness. Another ODC inhibitor, 3-aminooxy-1-aminopropane (APA), is considerably more effective than DFMO against Leishmania promastigotes and amastigotes multiplying in macrophages. AdoMetDC inhibitors can cure animals infected with isolates from patients with rhodesiense sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis, but have not been tested on humans. The antiparasitic effects of inhibitors of polyamine and trypanothione formation, reviewed here, emphasize the relevance of these enzymes as drug targets. By taking advantage of the differences in enzyme structure between parasite and host, it should be possible to design new drugs that can selectively kill the parasites.}},
  author       = {{Heby, O. and Persson, Lo and Rentala, M.}},
  issn         = {{0939-4451}},
  keywords     = {{African sleeping sickness; Chagas' disease; leishmaniasis; polyamines}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{359--366}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Amino Acids}},
  title        = {{Targeting the polyamine biosynthetic enzymes: a promising approach to therapy of African sleeping sickness, Chagas' disease, and leishmaniasis}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00726-007-0537-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s00726-007-0537-9}},
  volume       = {{33}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}