Researchers from University of the Republic Detail New Studies and Findings in the Area of Chagas Disease [Pt(Ii) and Pd(Ii) Complexes With Coumarin-thiosemicarbazone Hybrid Ligands and Triphenylphosphine Coligand As Potential Anti T....].

A report from the University of the Republic in Montevideo, Uruguay discusses research on Chagas disease, a neglected tropical disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. The researchers designed and synthesized eight novel palladium and platinum complexes containing bioactive ligands for potential use as drugs for the treatment of Chagas disease. The compounds were tested for their activity against T. cruzi and their cytotoxicity on mammalian cell lines. The results showed that the palladium complexes improved the ligands' anti-T. cruzi activity but also had cytotoxic effects. Further studies are needed to optimize the design of new compounds with less toxicity and higher anti-T. cruzi activity. [Extracted from the article]