Fighting Leishmaniasis: Developing Small Molecule Drugs with Computer-Aided Drug Design and Synthesis

Visceral Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease that kills around 70,000 people per year. It is most common in equatorial areas in both Africa and South America. Due to the deadly nature of this disease, research regarding its treatment must be taken more seriously. Leishmaniasis is spread through the bite of an infected sandfly, and can cause fever, weakness, and sores at the site of bites. By designing a small molecule that binds to and targets the Cysteine Synthase from Leishmania Infantum, we can try to incapacitate the parasite and treat the disease. Results of the experiment will be presented.