Who invented suramin?
Suramin was first made by the chemists Oskar Dressel, Richard Kothe and Bernhard Heymann at Bayer AG laboratories in Elberfeld, after research on a series of urea-like compounds.
What is the history of trypanosomiasis?
Probably soon after their emergence, Salivarian trypanosomes became gut parasites or commensals of early insects, which evolved around 380 million years ago. With the appearance of tsetse flies some 35 million years ago, trypanosomes have been transmitted to mammals by these bloodsucking insects.
Does suramin cross the blood brain barrier?
Our results indicate that [3H]suramin does not rapidly cross the BBB in the frontal cortex, caudate putamen, occipital cortex, hippocampus, hypothalamus, thalamus, cerebellum, and pons.
What is the drug of choice for sleeping sickness?
From the first decade of this century arsenicals have been the most universal and most effective drugs for all cases of sleeping sickness. Melarsoprol, introduced in the 1940s, remains the most universal of these compounds.
Is suramin available in Canada?
Suramin is not clinically available in the U. S. and Canada but can be obtained from the respective national health organizations.
What is natural suramin?
Suramin (Fig. 1a) is a century-old drug that has been used to treat African sleeping sickness and river blindness4,5. It has also been shown to be effective in inhibiting the replication of a wide range of viruses, including enteroviruses6, Zika virus7, Chikungunya8 and Ebola viruses9.
Who discovered trypanosomiasis?
2) discovered T. brucei as the cause of cattle trypanosomiasis (cattle nagana) [16]. The first unequivocal observation of trypanosomes in human blood was made by the British Colonial surgeon Robert Michael Forde (1861–1948) in 1901 when he examined a steamboat captain in The Gambia [17].
When was the cure for sleeping sickness discovered?
Eventually, it was Ehrlich’s former assistant Wilhelm Roehl (1881–1929) who in 1916, with the help of a small team of chemists and the German chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer, developed the first effective drug for treatment of sleeping sickness.
Is African sleeping sickness curable?
In 2017–2018, fewer than 2000 cases were reported to WHO (https://www.who.int/gho/neglected_diseases/human_african_trypanosomiasis/en/ ). Sleeping sickness is curable with medication but is fatal if left untreated.
How much does suramin cost?
Suramin is used much differently for treating sleeping sickness, but the cost for a one month course of treatment is modest: approximately $27.
Can you still get suramin?
Suramin is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and is not commercially available.
What kind of disease is Melarsoprol used for?
Melarsoprol is a medication used for the treatment of sleeping sickness (African trypanosomiasis). It is specifically used for second-stage disease caused by Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense when the central nervous system is involved.
When to use melarsoprol in late stage t.b.rhodesiense?
Melarsoprol is a treatment used during the second stage of the disease. So far, it is the only treatment available for late-stage T. b. rhodesiense. Due to high toxicity, melarsoprol is reserved only for the most dangerous cases.
How long is the half life of melarsoprol?
Melarsoprol clearance is 21.5 ml/min/kg and the Mel Ox half-life is approximately 3.9 hours. Two arsenic-containing stereoisomers exist in a 3:1 molar ratio. Since melarsoprol is insoluble in water, dosage occurs via a 3.6% propylene glycol intravenous injection.
How is Melarsoprol used to treat African trypanosomiasis?
Since melarsoprol is insoluble in water, dosage occurs via a 3.6% propylene glycol intravenous injection. To avoid the risk of injection site reactions, melarsoprol must be given slowly. Melarsoprol used for the treatment of African trypanosomiasis with CNS involvement is given under a complicated dosing schedule.