Postdoctoral researcher at CNPEM receives Zigman Brener Award for work introducing a new molecule with potential to become an alternative for treating infections by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite
Image of rat myoblast H9c2 cells infected with Trypanosoma cruzi, in the intracellular amastigote stage. Fluorescence microscopy image showing the genetic material from the rat and parasite cell nuclei in blue, the mitochondria in red, and the cytoskeleton in green
Caio Cesar de Lima Silva, a postdoctoral fellow linked to the FINEP project “Development of new molecules to combat Chagas disease exploring non-conventional targets,” coordinated by Dr. Artur Cordeiro, leader of the Chagas disease research group at LNBio/CNPEM, received the Zigman Brener Award for best scientific poster presentation at the 39th Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Protozoology Society held November 4–7 in Caxambu, MG.
The prize was awarded for de Lima Silva’s project entitled “Lysyl-tRNA synthetase: a new protein target for the development of treatments for Chagas disease.” The poster presented a new molecule called M002 which has potential as an alternative for treating infections by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite that causes Chagas disease, which affects roughly 8 to 10 million people around the world, mostly in Latin America. The disease, transmitted by insects known popularly as kissing bugs, currently lacks safe and effective treatment options, especially for patients in the chronic stages. The standard medications often have limited effects in the chronic phase of the disease and cause severe side effects, leading to a significant gap in terms of therapeutic options.
Image of protein against a white background: Predicted three-dimensional structure of the Trypanosoma cruzi lysyl-tRNA synthetase (TcKRS) protein generated by artificial intelligence using the AlphaFold 2 tool (DeepMind, Google)
In the study, the M002 molecule demonstrated the ability to inhibit enzymatic activity of Trypanosoma cruzi lysyl-tRNA synthetase (TcKRS), a protein that is essential for the parasite to produce new proteins. The molecule was also able to eliminate the free form of the parasite as well as its intracellular form in laboratory testing.
Identification of the M002 compound as an inhibitor of the TcKRS enzyme offers an innovative approach for developing medications with the potential to treat Chagas disease in a more targeted and effective manner. This discovery is especially promising because it utilizes a family of proteins that has not been studied in detail within this context. These advances represent a promising step in the search for new treatments for Chagas disease. The development of new therapeutic strategies and a new class of molecular targets, like the family of proteins related to TcKRS, is expected to pave the way toward safer and more effective medications.
About CNPEM
The Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) is home to a state-of-the-art, multi-user and multidisciplinary scientific environment and works on different fronts within the Brazilian National System for Science, Technology and Innovation. A social organization overseen by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), CNPEM is driven by research that impacts the areas of health, energy, renewable materials, and sustainability. It is responsible for Sirius, the largest assembly of scientific equipment constructed in the country, and is currently constructing Project Orion, a laboratory complex for advanced pathogen research. Highly specialized science and engineering teams, sophisticated infrastructure open to the scientific community, strategic lines of investigation, innovative projects involving the productive sector, and training for researchers and students are the pillars of this institution that is unique in Brazil and able to serve as a bridge between knowledge and innovation. It is responsible for operating the Brazilian Synchrotron Light (LNLS), Biosciences (LNBio), Nanotechnology (LNNano), and Biorenewables (LNBR) National Laboratories, as well as the Ilum School of Science, which offers a bachelor’s degree program in science and technology with support from the Ministry of Education (MEC).
