Synthesis of Benzoxazole-based Compounds for Leishmaniasis
Session Number
Project ID: MEDH 41
Advisor(s)
Dr. John Thurmond, Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
Discipline
Medical and Health Sciences
Start Date
17-4-2024 10:00 AM
End Date
17-4-2024 10:15 AM
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by parasites of the Leishmania genus. The disease is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, such as parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Leishmaniasis is caused by the bite of infected sandflies, which transmit the parasites during their blood-feeding process. It starts out with an infected sandfly biting a mammalian host, introducing the Leishmania parasites into the bloodstream. Once in the host's bloodstream, the parasites invade and replicate within macrophages, the immune system cells. There are treatments present to combat this disease but there are some failures surrounding it. For example, the drugs used to treat this disease such as amphotericin B and miltefosine, can cause toxicity which can lead to gastrointestinal disturbances. There have also been reports of drug resistance against these treatments which means that the disease can fight against the medications made to kill the virus or bacteria. Another failure is that access to effective treatment for Leishmaniasis is limited because drugs can be very costly and there is low availability of healthcare facilities. This contributes to the lack of access to treatment to people affected by this disease. The purpose of our study is to synthesize potential therapeutics for Leishmaniasis. This is performed by combining an amine and an acid to develop new compounds that had not been tested before. Our first reaction was an amine combined with the carboxylic acid called 4-(Methylsulfonyl) Benzoic Acid - C8H9O4S. Our second reaction was an amine combined with a carboxylic acid called m-tolylacetic acid. After developing two compounds by combining acids with amine, we tested them to see how much of a pharmaceutical benefit they can have in battling Leishmaniasis.
Synthesis of Benzoxazole-based Compounds for Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by parasites of the Leishmania genus. The disease is prevalent in tropical and subtropical regions, such as parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Leishmaniasis is caused by the bite of infected sandflies, which transmit the parasites during their blood-feeding process. It starts out with an infected sandfly biting a mammalian host, introducing the Leishmania parasites into the bloodstream. Once in the host's bloodstream, the parasites invade and replicate within macrophages, the immune system cells. There are treatments present to combat this disease but there are some failures surrounding it. For example, the drugs used to treat this disease such as amphotericin B and miltefosine, can cause toxicity which can lead to gastrointestinal disturbances. There have also been reports of drug resistance against these treatments which means that the disease can fight against the medications made to kill the virus or bacteria. Another failure is that access to effective treatment for Leishmaniasis is limited because drugs can be very costly and there is low availability of healthcare facilities. This contributes to the lack of access to treatment to people affected by this disease. The purpose of our study is to synthesize potential therapeutics for Leishmaniasis. This is performed by combining an amine and an acid to develop new compounds that had not been tested before. Our first reaction was an amine combined with the carboxylic acid called 4-(Methylsulfonyl) Benzoic Acid - C8H9O4S. Our second reaction was an amine combined with a carboxylic acid called m-tolylacetic acid. After developing two compounds by combining acids with amine, we tested them to see how much of a pharmaceutical benefit they can have in battling Leishmaniasis.