Discovering new drug leads against Chagas Disease Based on Brazilian bioactive plant molecules

• Grant number: 19/13906-4
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: December 01, 2019
• End date: May 31, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Organic Chemistry
• Mobility Program: SPRINT - Projetos de pesquisa - Mobilidade
• Principal Investigator: João Henrique Ghilardi Lago
• Grantee: João Henrique Ghilardi Lago
• Principal researcher abroad: David Sarlah
• Institution abroad: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas (CCNH). Universidade Federal do ABC (UFABC). Ministério da Educação (Brasil). Santo André , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: André Gustavo Tempone Cardoso
• Associated research grant: 18/07885-1 - Biomolecules from plant species of remnant areas of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado to treat neglected tropical diseases - chemical and pharmacological aspects, AP.BTA.R

Abstract

Natural products obtained from Brazilian flora constitute a powerful and diverse source of bioactive molecules, which are increasingly in high demand for the development of new human therapeutics. These bioactive molecules can be considered 'pre-optimized' by Nature to possess bioactivity and 'drug-like' properties. Affirmation of these statements is realized in the fact that more than 50% of the 1,355 new drugs registered between 1981 and 2016 were derived directly or in part from natural products. In this project, we aim to embrace the concept of "Brazilian Flora Drug Discovery (BFDD)", and apply it to the neglected disease American trypanosomiasis (Chagas disease). The project will encompass natural product isolation (Federal University of ABC), bioactivity guided screening (Adolfo Lutz Institute) and chemical synthesis and preparation of novel analogs (University of Illinois). This trident approach to BFDD will bridge the gap between molecular structure/bioactivity and novel drug scaffolds, thus expediting drug discovery for treating Chagas disease. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

SOUZA, DALETE CHRISTINE S.; COSTA-SILVA, THAIS A.; MORAIS, THIAGO R.; BRITO, JULIANA R.; FERREIRA, EDGARD A.; ANTAR, GUILHERME M.; SARTORELLI, PATRICIA; TEMPONE, ANDRE G.; LAGO, JOAO HENRIQUE G.. implified Derivatives of Dibenzylbutyrolactone Lignans from Hydrocotyle bonariensis as Antitrypanosomal Candidate. CHEMISTRY & BIODIVERSITY, v. 18, n. 10, SEP 2021. (19/13906-4, 21/02789-7, 21/04464-8)