The investigators have initiated studies to elucidate the polyamine metabolic pathways of the microsporidia as potential targets for drug design. Preliminary in vitro data suggests that inhibition of this pathway inhibits microsporidial replication. The purpose of this proposal is to investigate the usefulness of drugs designed to inhibit this pathway and thus develop a target for effective treatment of microsporidian infections in man.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI041398-04
Application #
6170443
Study Section
AIDS and Related Research Study Section 5 (ARRE)
Program Officer
Laughon, Barbara E
Project Start
1997-07-01
Project End
2002-06-30
Budget Start
2000-07-01
Budget End
2001-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
$343,632
Indirect Cost
Name
Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Department
Pathology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
009095365
City
Bronx
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10461
Bacchi, C J; Yarlett, N; Weiss, L M (2003) Polyamine metabolism in the Microsporidia. Biochem Soc Trans 31:420-3
Bacchi, Cyrus J; Weiss, Louis M; Lane, Schenella et al. (2002) Novel synthetic polyamines are effective in the treatment of experimental microsporidiosis, an opportunistic AIDS-associated infection. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 46:55-61
Bacchi, C J; Yarlett, N (2002) Polyamine metabolism as chemotherapeutic target in protozoan parasites. Mini Rev Med Chem 2:553-63
Bacchi, C J; Lane, S; Weiss, L M et al. (2001) Polyamine synthesis and interconversion by the Microsporidian Encephalitozoon cuniculi. J Eukaryot Microbiol 48:374-81
Zou, Y; Wu, Z; Sirisoma, N et al. (2001) Novel alkylpolyamine analogues that possess both antitrypanosomal and antimicrosporidial activity. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 11:1613-7