The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that an estimated 40 million people in the U.S. carry the parasite T. gondii, but very few have symptoms because the immune system usually keeps the parasite from causing illness. However, toxoplasmosis can have severe consequences for women newly infected during pregnancy and anyone with a compromised immune system.

Those who have severe toxoplasmosis can harbor a cyst version of the parasite within brain and muscle tissue. These cysts are responsible for causing serious disease, especially in people who are immunocompromised. [1]

Figure 1. New Drug Shows Promise Against Toxoplasmosis

Figure 1 shows in previous research, Gentry identified an enzyme in T. gondii called TgLaforin, which he hypothesized was critical in allowing the parasite to access energy from a carbohydrate storage molecule. The team developed a new drug that inhibits TgLaforin with the aim of preventing enzymes from accessing and supplying energy to the parasite.

While there are FDA-approved medications to treat the symptoms of toxoplasmosis, no therapeutics currently target the cyst form of the parasite. [2]

The new discovery was made possible thanks to the multidisciplinary collaboration of experts from the four labs, says Gentry.Robert Murphy, Ph.D., a member of the Gentry and Sinai labs, conducted initial experiments that characterized TgLaforin and provided a baseline for understanding the enzyme's function.

Tiantian Chen, a graduate student in Vander Kooi's lab, generated models of TgLaforin using a new program called AlphaFold2, which is an artificial intelligence algorithm that provides valuable insights into research. Chen generated models that provided a picture of the enzyme that demonstrated TgLaforin was a unique and possible drug target.

Future work from these labs will test the drug on parasites. The team will then seek to increase its potency and selectivity and adapt its chemical properties to allow for animal studies. [3]

References:

1. https://neurosciencenews.com/toxoplasmosis-drug-20960/
2. https://newsbeezer.com/new-drug-shows-promise-against-toxoplasmosis/
3. https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-07-drug-toxoplasmosis.html

Cite this article:

Thanusri swetha J (2022), New Drug Shows Promise Against Toxoplasmosis, Anatechmaz, pp.155