Targeting a parasite enzyme to find new Chagas disease medicines
Official title: Validation of Trypanosoma cruzi dihydroorotate dehydrogenase as a drug target for Chagas´disease.
Funded at University of Sao Paulo · NIH-11143812 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Trying to block a key enzyme in the Chagas parasite to create new medicines for people with Chagas disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Sao Paulo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Sao Paulo, Brazil) |
| Project start | July 21, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $130,084 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI160379-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11143812 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This project does not enroll patients, but people with chronic or treatment-resistant Chagas disease would be the intended future beneficiaries of any resulting medicines.
✕Less likely to help
People without Chagas disease or those with irreversible organ damage from very advanced disease may not directly benefit from this early drug-discovery work.
What this research studies
Researchers are searching for chemical compounds that stop an essential enzyme in the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, which causes Chagas disease. They combine computer modeling, lab tests of the enzyme, 3D structural studies, parasite experiments, and medicinal chemistry to find molecules that fit and block the enzyme selectively. The work aims to produce promising lead compounds that can later be turned into drugs. This is preclinical laboratory research rather than a patient treatment program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new drugs that treat chronic or drug-resistant Chagas disease.
How similar studies have gone: DHODH has been targeted successfully in other infectious and proliferative diseases, but applying DHODH inhibition to T. cruzi is relatively new and still at the preclinical stage.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Sao Paulo
Sao Paulo, Brazil Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nonato, Maria Cristina — University of Sao Paulo
- Study coordinator: Nonato, Maria Cristina
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.