Publications by authors named "H J van Rensburg"

Leishmaniasis and trypanosomiasis rank among lethal vector-borne parasitic diseases that are endemic in tropical and sub-tropical countries. There are currently no preventive vaccines against them, and once diagnosed, a handful of less effective drugs clinically accessible are the only therapeutic options offered to treat these ailments. And although curable, the eradication and elimination of these diseases are hampered by the emergence of multidrug-resistant strains of the causal pathogens.

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Article Synopsis
  • Animal African trypanosomosis (AAT) significantly impacts livestock globally, causing economic losses of up to $4.5 billion annually, highlighting the need for effective treatments.
  • Ascofuranone (AF), a potent antifungal compound derived from a genetically modified fungus, shows promise as a treatment for AAT but has been difficult to produce cost-effectively.
  • A study on a mouse model revealed that administering dry-heat-sterilized A. egyptiacum fungus effectively prolonged survival and suppressed the infection, suggesting it could be an affordable solution for AAT in areas with limited veterinary resources.
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Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that is caused by the Leishmania parasite. It is estimated that there are more than 350 million people at risk of infection annually. Current treatments that are in clinical use are expensive, have toxic side effects, and are facing parasitic resistance.

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In a pilot study, eleven pyrrolopyridine and pyrrolopyrimidine derivatives (specifically, 7-azaindole and 7-deazapurine derivatives) were synthesised by Suzuki cross-coupling reactions and evaluated via radioligand binding assays as potential adenosine receptor (AR) antagonists in order to further investigate the structure-activity relationships of these compounds. 6-Chloro-4-phenyl-1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridine, with a 7-azaindole scaffold, was identified as a selective A AR antagonist with a rAK value of 0.16 µM, and interestingly, the addition of a N-atom to the aforementioned fused heterocyclic ring system, creating corresponding 7-deazapurines, led to a dual A/A AR ligand (2-chloro-4-phenyl-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine: rAK: 0.

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