This project represents a multi-disciplinary state-of-the-art research training project, as it builds on various recent exciting new findings and achievements. The excellent scientific levels of the Molgen group and the stimulating and international research environment in the department have allowed me to complement my capabilities in the areas of great expertise where the MolGen research group is a top team. Identification of new and promising compounds active against T. brucei, would lead to industrial collaborations, possible clinical applications and maybe patents.
WHO´s ultimate objective is the elimination of human and animal African trypanosomiasis as a public health problem and the implementation of sustained surveillance in all diseases-endemic countries. Although during the last years the number of infected people has been reduced considerably, the difficulty of reaching endemic areas, the application of the treatments, the absence of vaccines, and the diagnosis of making it are not controlled, especially in the wake of the COVID pandemic. COVID-19 outbreak stretched the capacity of the health systems in Africa, promoting inaccessibility to quality health services. Despite the implementation of the health insurance scheme in some African countries like Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya; a good number of the population affected by the Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and people at-risk still wallow in abject poverty due to disease co-morbidities and out-of-pocket expenditures. Although NTDs have desolating effects on human health and socioeconomic development, COVID-19 further intensified the undesirable effects associated with the diseases on the impoverished communities.
The fight against neglected tropical diseases is a major international challenge, one that is vital to the development of some of the most vulnerable populations. G-quadruplexes and bismuth-salts compounds offer excellent opportunities for the development of innovative treatments for trypanosomiasis that could perhaps be extended to other protozoan diseases such as malaria or leishmaniasis: the genomes of T.brucei contain multiple putative G-quadruplex (G4) forming sequences which have recently been proposed to mediate processes relevant for parasite survival. G4 could be considered a potential target for a novel approach towards the development of antiparasitic drugs; on the other hand, bismuth-based salts as repurposing drugs for the treatment of human African trypanosomiasis is a highly strategy efficient, time-saving, low-cost and minimum risk of failure. The utilization of these drugs, which having already been tested safe in humans (bismuth salts have been used in medicine for over three centuries, particularly in the treatment of dyspepsia. Commonly used agents include colloidal bismuth subcitrate, bismuth subsalicylate and the newer ranitidine bismuth citrate. These are safe drugs which exert local effects on the gastroduodenal mucosa), and could be redirected to combat particularly, rare, difficult-to-treat diseases and neglected diseases.
Developed countries, and specifically the European Union, have the moral and legal obligation to collaborate in the development of “Third World countries” through economic, political and sanitary policies. These kinds of studies are essential within this type of policy
