Research at the Cell Biology Laboratory analyzes the action of cancer drug derivatives against Trypanosoma cruzi. Photo: Rudson Amorim
Celebrated on April 14th, World Chagas Disease Day draws attention to a neglected disease that affects more than 7 million people worldwide, with an estimated 1,9 million infected in Brazil, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health.
In the search for new therapies for the condition, recent research led by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) seek to identify substances active against the parasite trypanosoma cruzi, which causes the infection, including everything from açaí seed extract to derivatives of a cancer drug.
"The medications available to combat the T. cruzi "They are not very effective in the chronic phase of Chagas disease and cause adverse effects, leading many people to abandon therapy. Finding promising new compounds against the parasite is essential to improve the treatment of the disease," emphasizes Mirian Claudia de Souza Pereira, head of the Cellular Ultrastructure Laboratory at [Institution Name]. IOC.
The research employs different strategies in the search for new options against the T. cruzi.
Seeds are a discarded natural resource in the açaí production chain. Photo: Rudson Amorim
The study led by Protozoology Laboratory do IOC, published in the scientific journal 'Biology', is based on açaí, betting on the therapeutic potential of the seed, which represents 90% of the fruit and is usually discarded.
“Studying this seed, we observed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which are interesting characteristics for the therapy of Chagas disease, especially in the chronic phase, when inflammation contributes to the damage caused by the infection,” said Flávia Cardoso, a researcher at the Protozoology Laboratory.
Looking at the benefits of a treatment capable of simultaneously combating the T. cruzi Given the inflammation it caused, the group began investigating the action of açaí seed extract against the parasite, using tests on cell cultures.
Research at the Protozoology Laboratory showed the effectiveness of açaí seed extract against T. cruzi. Photo: Rudson Amorim
The extract was produced by the Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology (Farmanguinhos/Fioc(ruz). The experiments showed more potent and selective activity against the form of the parasite that lodges inside mammalian cells, called amastigote, which is the multiplicative form of the parasite. T. cruzi in Chagas disease.
“In the next stage of the study, we will isolate some compounds from the açaí seed extract to assess whether they may be even more potent. We will also test the combination of these bioproducts with benznidazole [a reference drug for treating the infection] to investigate whether this enhances the action against the virus.” T. cruzi "And it modulates inflammation," explains Kátia Calabrese, head of the Protozoology Laboratory.
With collaboration from Farmanguinhos/FiocThe study, conducted by Henrique Previtalli-Silva and the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), is part of his doctoral thesis in the Tropical Medicine Graduate Program. IOC, with guidance from Flávia Cardoso and Kátia Calabrese.
To attack the T. cruzi, the research led by Cell Ultrastructure Laboratory do IOC It targets a molecule essential for the parasite's survival: the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which acts to maintain the cell's internal balance by regulating cell pH.
A study at the Cellular Ultrastructure Laboratory identified a promising compound among carbonic anhydrase enzyme inhibitors. Photo: Rudson Amorim
In an article published in the scientific journal 'International Journal of Biological Macromolecules'Scientists report tests with 19 inhibitors of this enzyme, revealing a promising compound, named 1j.'
One of the study's distinguishing features is the performance of tests on three-dimensional cultures of heart cells, called spheroids or cardiac microtissues. Developed in the IOCThis model contributes to research on the effectiveness of new chemotherapeutic candidates against... T. cruzi.
“The spheroid replicates the architecture of cardiac tissue. Thus, we can see that compound 1j is able to penetrate the tissue and reduce the parasite load. This is interesting because it increases the chance of success in the next stages of testing,” explains Mirian Claudia de Souza Pereira, head of the Cellular Ultrastructure Laboratory at [Institution Name]. IOC.
Among other results, microscopy images demonstrated the compounds' action against the parasite. Photo: Rudson Amorim
Other experiments have shown the compound's ability to suppress the parasite for an extended period after the end of treatment and an additive effect when applied in combination with benznidazole.
"We've made progress in testing compound 1j, initiating trials in a murine model [conducted with mice], and we will continue testing other carbonic anhydrase inhibitors," commented Mirian.
This study is part of Sarah Lanera's master's thesis, completed in the Postgraduate Program in Parasitic Biology at [Institution Name]. IOC, supervised by Mirian Pereira and Leonardo Lara, a postdoctoral researcher in the same program. The research had collaboration with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ); the University of Florence, in Italy; the University of Montpellier, in France; and the Institute of Organic Synthesis of Latvia.
To use a drug already approved for another disease, which is capable of acting on biological targets of T. cruziThis is a strategy to shorten the path and reduce costs in the development of new therapies for Chagas disease. This approach guides the research led by Cell Biology Laboratory do IOC, which had recent results published in the scientific journal 'parasitology'.
The scientists started with the drug imatinib, used in cancer treatment, which showed activity against... T. cruziBased on this finding, the group began investigating the activity of derivatives of the molecule, obtained through small modifications to its chemical structure. In the most recent article, 23 compounds developed by Farmanguinhos/F were analyzed.iocroz.
In cell culture assays, two derivatives stood out against the intracellular forms of the parasite, being approximately 5 times more potent than benznidazole and up to 30 times more active than imatinib itself. A third compound showed similar action to benznidazole against the blood form of the parasite. T. cruzi.
Study revealed compounds approximately five times more active than the reference drug for Chagas disease. Photo: Rudson Amorim
“Starting with the initial study with imatinib in 2019, we have progressed to developing derivatives that are more potent than the reference drug and have excellent selectivity, which justifies future testing in animal models,” highlighted Maria de Nazaré Soeiro, head of the Cell Biology Laboratory at [Institution Name]. IOC.
The results will also guide the synthesis of new imatinib derivatives, in partnership with Farmanguinhos/FiocRuz and the University of Catania, in Italy.
“It is important to find new drug candidates active against the two forms of the parasite relevant to human infection, including the intracellular forms, called amastigotes, which are capable of multiplying, and the blood forms, called trypomastigotes, which do not proliferate but have a high capacity to infect mammalian cells,” Nazaré concluded.
World Chagas Disease Day, celebrated on April 14th, was declared by the WHO in 2020, following mobilization by people affected by the disease, with support from the medical and scientific community, including... IOCThe date aims to raise awareness of a historically neglected disease that primarily affects socially vulnerable populations, associated with poor housing conditions and limited access to diagnosis and treatment.
April 14th commemorates the date when physician Carlos Chagas, a researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, identified the first patient infected with the virus. T. cruzi, in 1909. Since then, the IOC It maintains continuous activity in combating Chagas disease, developing research and reference services to improve its prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
*Articles:
Previtalli-Silva H, Hardoim DdJ, Banaggia RdL, et al. Effect of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Açaí) Seed Bioproducts on Trypanosoma cruzi. Biology. 2026; 15(1):96. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15010096
Lanera, SC, Lara, L. da S., Orlando, LMR, Souza, et al. Trypanosoma cruzi carbonic anhydrase inhibitors as a potential antiparasitic agent. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2026; 351, Article 150985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.150985
de Freitas LSFN, Batista D da GJ, da Silva CF, et al. The activity, selectivity and pharmacological profile of imatinib derivatives against Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitology. Published online 2026:1-27. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182026101887
Research at the Cell Biology Laboratory analyzes the action of cancer drug derivatives against Trypanosoma cruzi. Photo: Rudson Amorim
Celebrated on April 14th, World Chagas Disease Day draws attention to a neglected disease that affects more than 7 million people worldwide, with an estimated 1,9 million infected in Brazil, according to data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Ministry of Health.
In the search for new therapies for the condition, recent research led by the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (IOC/Fiocruz) seek to identify substances active against the parasite trypanosoma cruzi, which causes the infection, including everything from açaí seed extract to derivatives of a cancer drug.
"The medications available to combat the T. cruzi "They are not very effective in the chronic phase of Chagas disease and cause adverse effects, leading many people to abandon therapy. Finding promising new compounds against the parasite is essential to improve the treatment of the disease," emphasizes Mirian Claudia de Souza Pereira, head of the Cellular Ultrastructure Laboratory at [Institution Name]. IOC.
The research employs different strategies in the search for new options against the T. cruzi.
Seeds are a discarded natural resource in the açaí production chain. Photo: Rudson Amorim
The study led by Protozoology Laboratory do IOC, published in the scientific journal 'Biology', is based on açaí, betting on the therapeutic potential of the seed, which represents 90% of the fruit and is usually discarded.
“Studying this seed, we observed antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities, which are interesting characteristics for the therapy of Chagas disease, especially in the chronic phase, when inflammation contributes to the damage caused by the infection,” said Flávia Cardoso, a researcher at the Protozoology Laboratory.
Looking at the benefits of a treatment capable of simultaneously combating the T. cruzi Given the inflammation it caused, the group began investigating the action of açaí seed extract against the parasite, using tests on cell cultures.
Research at the Protozoology Laboratory showed the effectiveness of açaí seed extract against T. cruzi. Photo: Rudson Amorim
The extract was produced by the Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology (Farmanguinhos/Fioc(ruz). The experiments showed more potent and selective activity against the form of the parasite that lodges inside mammalian cells, called amastigote, which is the multiplicative form of the parasite. T. cruzi in Chagas disease.
“In the next stage of the study, we will isolate some compounds from the açaí seed extract to assess whether they may be even more potent. We will also test the combination of these bioproducts with benznidazole [a reference drug for treating the infection] to investigate whether this enhances the action against the virus.” T. cruzi "And it modulates inflammation," explains Kátia Calabrese, head of the Protozoology Laboratory.
With collaboration from Farmanguinhos/FiocThe study, conducted by Henrique Previtalli-Silva and the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), is part of his doctoral thesis in the Tropical Medicine Graduate Program. IOC, with guidance from Flávia Cardoso and Kátia Calabrese.
To attack the T. cruzi, the research led by Cell Ultrastructure Laboratory do IOC It targets a molecule essential for the parasite's survival: the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, which acts to maintain the cell's internal balance by regulating cell pH.
A study at the Cellular Ultrastructure Laboratory identified a promising compound among carbonic anhydrase enzyme inhibitors. Photo: Rudson Amorim
In an article published in the scientific journal 'International Journal of Biological Macromolecules'Scientists report tests with 19 inhibitors of this enzyme, revealing a promising compound, named 1j.'
One of the study's distinguishing features is the performance of tests on three-dimensional cultures of heart cells, called spheroids or cardiac microtissues. Developed in the IOCThis model contributes to research on the effectiveness of new chemotherapeutic candidates against... T. cruzi.
“The spheroid replicates the architecture of cardiac tissue. Thus, we can see that compound 1j is able to penetrate the tissue and reduce the parasite load. This is interesting because it increases the chance of success in the next stages of testing,” explains Mirian Claudia de Souza Pereira, head of the Cellular Ultrastructure Laboratory at [Institution Name]. IOC.
Among other results, microscopy images demonstrated the compounds' action against the parasite. Photo: Rudson Amorim
Other experiments have shown the compound's ability to suppress the parasite for an extended period after the end of treatment and an additive effect when applied in combination with benznidazole.
"We've made progress in testing compound 1j, initiating trials in a murine model [conducted with mice], and we will continue testing other carbonic anhydrase inhibitors," commented Mirian.
This study is part of Sarah Lanera's master's thesis, completed in the Postgraduate Program in Parasitic Biology at [Institution Name]. IOC, supervised by Mirian Pereira and Leonardo Lara, a postdoctoral researcher in the same program. The research had collaboration with the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ); the University of Florence, in Italy; the University of Montpellier, in France; and the Institute of Organic Synthesis of Latvia.
To use a drug already approved for another disease, which is capable of acting on biological targets of T. cruziThis is a strategy to shorten the path and reduce costs in the development of new therapies for Chagas disease. This approach guides the research led by Cell Biology Laboratory do IOC, which had recent results published in the scientific journal 'parasitology'.
The scientists started with the drug imatinib, used in cancer treatment, which showed activity against... T. cruziBased on this finding, the group began investigating the activity of derivatives of the molecule, obtained through small modifications to its chemical structure. In the most recent article, 23 compounds developed by Farmanguinhos/F were analyzed.iocroz.
In cell culture assays, two derivatives stood out against the intracellular forms of the parasite, being approximately 5 times more potent than benznidazole and up to 30 times more active than imatinib itself. A third compound showed similar action to benznidazole against the blood form of the parasite. T. cruzi.
Study revealed compounds approximately five times more active than the reference drug for Chagas disease. Photo: Rudson Amorim
“Starting with the initial study with imatinib in 2019, we have progressed to developing derivatives that are more potent than the reference drug and have excellent selectivity, which justifies future testing in animal models,” highlighted Maria de Nazaré Soeiro, head of the Cell Biology Laboratory at [Institution Name]. IOC.
The results will also guide the synthesis of new imatinib derivatives, in partnership with Farmanguinhos/FiocRuz and the University of Catania, in Italy.
“It is important to find new drug candidates active against the two forms of the parasite relevant to human infection, including the intracellular forms, called amastigotes, which are capable of multiplying, and the blood forms, called trypomastigotes, which do not proliferate but have a high capacity to infect mammalian cells,” Nazaré concluded.
World Chagas Disease Day, celebrated on April 14th, was declared by the WHO in 2020, following mobilization by people affected by the disease, with support from the medical and scientific community, including... IOCThe date aims to raise awareness of a historically neglected disease that primarily affects socially vulnerable populations, associated with poor housing conditions and limited access to diagnosis and treatment.
April 14th commemorates the date when physician Carlos Chagas, a researcher at the Oswaldo Cruz Institute, identified the first patient infected with the virus. T. cruzi, in 1909. Since then, the IOC It maintains continuous activity in combating Chagas disease, developing research and reference services to improve its prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
*Articles:
Previtalli-Silva H, Hardoim DdJ, Banaggia RdL, et al. Effect of Euterpe oleracea Mart. (Açaí) Seed Bioproducts on Trypanosoma cruzi. Biology. 2026; 15(1):96. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15010096
Lanera, SC, Lara, L. da S., Orlando, LMR, Souza, et al. Trypanosoma cruzi carbonic anhydrase inhibitors as a potential antiparasitic agent. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules. 2026; 351, Article 150985. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.150985
de Freitas LSFN, Batista D da GJ, da Silva CF, et al. The activity, selectivity and pharmacological profile of imatinib derivatives against Trypanosoma cruzi. Parasitology. Published online 2026:1-27. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0031182026101887
The non-profit reproduction of the text is allowed as long as the source is cited (Comunicação / Instituto Oswaldo Cruz)
 |
 |
