The cell cycle of parasitic protozoa: potential for chemotherapeutic exploitation

Hammarton, T.C. , Mottram, J.C. and Doerig, C. (2003) The cell cycle of parasitic protozoa: potential for chemotherapeutic exploitation. In: Progress in Cell Cycle Research. Nova Science Publishers Inc., pp. 91-101.

Abstract

There is an urgent need to develop new drugs against eukaryotic parasitic protozoa such as Plasmodium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania, which cause the diseases malaria, trypanosomiasis and the leishmaniases respectively. The biology of these organisms has many unusual facets that might be exploited for drug design, and the recent availability of parasite genome sequence data has facilitated the search for novel drug targets. Here we review current understanding of the cell cycle in these parasites and show that important structural and functional differences exist between parasite and mammalian cell cycle control machineries and signal transduction pathways, which might be utilised for rational drug design. Potential targets include protein kinases from the cyclin-dependent kinase, cAMP-dependent kinase and mitogen activated protein kinase families.

• Item Type: Book Sections
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Doerig, Dr Christian and Hammarton, Dr Tansy and Mottram, Professor Jeremy
• Authors: Hammarton, T.C., Mottram, J.C., and Doerig, C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity
• Publisher: Nova Science Publishers Inc.