Jaksha Chandrathas
Life Sciences
New drug targets to combat sleeping sickness
Sleeping Sickness is a neglected tropical disease that affects 36 countries in subSaharan Africa. This disease is caused by infection with microscopic parasites
(Trypanosoma brucei or trypanosomes) which are spread by tsetse flies. Infected
patients exhibit symptoms ranging from mild fevers to coma and death. There is an
urgent need for new treatments for Sleeping Sickness due to the severe side effects
of available drugs and emergence of drug resistance. Possible targets for new drugs
are the ADP-ribosylation factors (ARFs), proteins which are known to be involved in
several essential functions within the parasite.