PLoS ONE (Jan 2021)

Drug repurposing for Chagas disease: In vitro assessment of nimesulide against Trypanosoma cruzi and insights on its mechanisms of action.

  • Joana D'Arc S Trindade,
  • Célio Geraldo Freire-de-Lima,
  • Suzana Côrte-Real,
  • Debora Decote-Ricardo,
  • Marco Edilson Freire de Lima

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0258292
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 16, no. 10
p. e0258292

Abstract

Read online

Chagas disease is a neglected illness caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and its treatment is done only with two drugs, nifurtimox and benznidazole. However, both drugs are ineffective in the chronic phase, in addition to causing serious side effects. This context of therapeutic limitation justifies the continuous research for alternative drugs. Here, we study the in vitro trypanocidal effects of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug nimesulide, a molecule that has in its chemical structure a toxicophoric nitroaromatic group (NO2). The set of results obtained in this work highlights the potential for repurposing nimesulide in the treatment of this disease that affects millions of people around the world.