Pep5, a Fragment of Cyclin D2, Shows Antiparasitic Effects in Different Stages of the <i>Trypanosoma cruzi</i> Life Cycle and Blocks Parasite Infectivity.

ABSTRACT: Pep5 (WELVVLGKL) is a fragment of cyclin D2 that exhibits a 2-fold increase in the S phase of the HeLa cell cycle. When covalently bound to a cell-penetrating peptide (Pep5-cpp), the nonapeptide induces cell death in several tumor cells, including breast cancer and melanoma cells. Additionally, Pep5-cpp reduces the in vivo tumor volume of rat glioblastoma. Chagas disease, which is caused by the flagellated parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is a neglected disease that occurs mainly in the Americas, where it is considered an important public health issue. Given that there are only two options for treating the disease, it is exceptionally crucial to search for new molecules with potential pharmacological action against the parasites. In this study, we demonstrate that Pep5-cpp induces

SUBMITTER: de Araujo CB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6496079 | biostudies-literature | 2019 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature