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Project

Study of the molecular basis of resistance to Isometamidium Chloride in Trypanosoma congolense

Trypanosoma congolense is one of the major pathogens responsible for animal African Trypanosomiasis (AAT), a disease affecting about 10 million km2 of the sub-Saharan region on the African continent and is considered as one of the principal causes of hunger and poverty in those countries. Few drugs are currently available to treat animal trypanosome infections and it is unlikely that new compounds will be accessible in the near future. Isometamidium Chloride (ISM) is the principal drug used to counteract T. congolense infection in livestock, both as a prophylactic as well as curative treatment. Here, numerous cases of ISM resistance in different African regions have been reported, representing a serious problem in the battle against AAT. To date, the molecular mechanism of ISM cellular uptake, its action, and development of resistance are still poorly characterized. Therefore, the main objective of this PhD is to gain a better insight into the molecular mechanisms that underly ISM resistance in the T. congolense parasite. To achieve this objective, a whole genome comparison of a selection of sensitive and resistant strains of T. congolense will be assessed to determine the putative modulations associated with the establishment of the drug resistance phenotype. Then, functional experimental work will allow to validate the biological significance of the obtained ‘genomic’ results resulting in a better understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) involved in ISM resistance
Datum:4 feb 2013 →  4 okt 2017
Trefwoorden:B780-tropische-geneeskunde