Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei)

Trypanosoma brucei is an extracellular protozoan parasite transmitted by tsetse flies, responsible for human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness). Two subspecies, T. brucei gambiense and T. brucei rhodesiense, infect humans and cause the chronic and acute forms of the disease, respectively. The parasite undergoes complex life cycle stages in both mammalian and insect hosts, displaying the unique ability to evade host immune responses through the periodic switching of its variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) coat. This organism harbors many potential molecular drug targets (including Hsp83, CYP51, CTP synthetase, and alternative oxidase), which are being investigated for the development of new therapies due to limitations and toxicity of existing drugs

Other names

African trypanosomeT. brucei

Drugs target various parasite-specific biochemical pathways including polyamine biosynthesis (eflornithine), glycolysis, mitochondrial oxidase (ascfuranone targeting alternative oxidase), nucleic acid synthesis (CTP synthetase inhibitors), and parasite sterol biosynthesis (CYP51 inhibitors like posaconazole)