Combating Chagas Disease Through Inhibition of Tiam1, a Rho GTPase Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor

Abstract

Chagas disease is a major cardiovascular affliction primarily endemic to Latin American countries, affecting some ten to twelve million people worldwide. The currently available drugs, Benznidazole and Nifurtimox, are ineffective in the chronic stages and induce severe side effects. In an attempt to improve this situation we use an in silico drug repurposing strategy to correlate drug-protein interactions with positive clinical outcomes. The strategy involves a protein functional site similarity search, along with computational docking studies and, given the findings, a phosphatidylinositol (PIP) strip test to determine the activity of Posaconazole, a recently developed antifungal triazole, in conjunction with Tiam1, a Rho GTPase Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor. The results from both computational and in vitro studies indicate possible inhibition of phosphoinositides via Posaconazole, preventing Rho GTPase-induced proliferation of T. cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas Disease.