Searching for a drug target against parasitic protozoa, Trypanosoma

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H07474
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: Takagi Yuko 国立研究開発法人産業技術総合研究所, 生命工学領域, 研究員 (50783669)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-08-26 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 感染症 / 創薬標的 / 遺伝子 / 原虫 / 熱帯病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Chagas' disease, one of "Neglected Tropical Diseases," is caused by a pathogenic protozoa called Trypanosoma cruzi via insect transmission. About 12,000 people die annually due to this disease, mainly in Latin America. Development of a new drug is a pressing matter, since current drugs are accompanied by serious side effects and are not effective for patients in the chronic phase.
In this study, we searched for a drug target against Trypanosoma cruzi. We knocked out several candidate target genes using CRISPR/Cas9 system, and identified essential genes for the parasite survival. We also cloned the gene for protein overexpression in bacteria, and started inhibitor screening and crystal structure analysis, which are the next step leading to drug development.

Free Research Field

分子生物学