Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

Abstract

Knowledge of trypanosome biochemistry is relevant to many aspects of the problem of controlling trypanosomiasis. We shall hear from Dr. Godfrey how information about the chemical composition, molecular structure and enzyme content of trypanosomes is providing a basis for the identification of morphologically similar species and subspecies: further knowledge of this type may well lead to the development of new diagnostic methods. We know that there is an urgent requirement for new curative and preventative drugs, but escalating costs are forcing the pharmaceutical industry to decrease its efforts in this area, thus the need for a more rational approach to chemotherapy is greater than ever before. Detailed knowledge of trypanosome nutrition and metabolism is essential to such an approach, since differences between parasite and host, which are a sine qua non for the development of a selectively toxic agent, must be identified. Professor Borst will discuss this aspect and report some recent findings