The Action will pave the way for the development of novel drugs to treat neglected diseases such as African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and Leishmaniasis. Related approaches of molecular genetics, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, crystallography and bioinformatics will be coordinated and complemented with industrial experience. Established genomes are used to identify drug targets essential to the parasites but absent or different in the host, since inhibitors thereof hold promise as safe and efficacious therapeutics. Validated drug targets will serve as tools in drug discovery processes using complementary strategies: i) high-throughput screening of natural product and other compound libraries and ii) in silico screening of virtual libraries to identify novel leads; iii) chemical synthesis and optimization of identified leads; and iv) structure-based inhibitor design based on established structures or molecular models. The potential therapeutic profile of novel compounds active in vitro will be worked out by techniques of high prognostic value in respect to drug safety. The most promising compounds will be tested in established infection models for all the diseases to choose the most attractive candidates for preclinical and clinical development. The Action members will cover all expertises required for the multidisciplinary early drug discovery phase.

Chair: Leopold Flohé

Vice chair: Theodora Calogeropoulou

Science officer: Erwan Arzel, Administrative officer: Svetlana Voinova

DC Rapporteur : Vasile Parvulescu

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MoU : 225/08

CSO Approval date : 18/06/2008

Entry into force : 30/07/2008

End of Action : 27/11/2012

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