María Cruz Mollo gave a seminar about the synthesis of compounds for the treatment of Chagas disease. It is important to highlight that the title of the conference was “Benzoxazinones with anti T.Cruzi activity: Hit-to-Lead campaign and multiparametric optimization”. The speaker is a PhD in Chemistry (State University of Campinas -UNICAMP-, Brazil) and a member of the medicinal chemistry laboratory of the Center for Research in Bio Nanosciences (CIBION).
Mollo explained that Chagas disease is an endemic and neglected tropical disease that affects 21 Latin American countries, including Argentina. The vector that produces the contagion is the vinchuca, which carries the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. The chemist explained that there are currently only two treatments for this condition: benznidazole and nifurtimox, which are effective only in the acute phase of the infection, while presenting some side effects.
The speaker emphasized that it is estimated that more than 6 million people have Chagas disease, although only 30% of them are diagnosed. In addition, 30% of infected people have heart problems as a result of the disease, while 75 million people are at risk of contracting it.
During his presentation, Mollo explained the life cycle of the T.cruzi parasite and how the infection occurs in humans. At the same time, I develop how the discovery process of new drugs works and what the Hit-to-lead stage -one of its specialty areas- of drug development consists of.
