The limited ability of posaconazole to cure both acute and chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infections revealed highly sensitive in vivo imaging
The anti-fungal drug posaconazole has shown significant activity against Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro and in vivo
Abstract
The anti-fungal drug posaconazole has shown significant activity against Trypanosoma cruzi in vitro and in vivo, but despite this displayed limited curative potential. Drug testing is problematic in experimental Chagas disease because of difficulties in demonstrating sterile cure, particularly during the chronic stage of infection when parasite burden is extremely low and tissue distribution ill-defined. As an in vivo screening model for Chagas, this highly sensitive bioluminescence imaging system is predictive, reproducible and adaptable to diverse treatment schedules. It should provide greater assurance that drugs are not advanced prematurely into clinical trial.
This study was supported by the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi)
Citation
Francisco AF, Lewis MD, Jayawardhana S, Taylor MC, Chatelain E, Kelly JM. 2015. Limited ability of posaconazole to cure both acute and chronic Trypanosoma cruzi infections revealed by highly sensitive in vivo imaging. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 59:4653–4661. doi:10.1128/AAC.00520-15.