The translational challenge in Chagas disease drug development

Chagas disease is a neglected tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. There is an urgent need for safe, effective, and accessible new treatments since the currently approved drugs have serious limitations. Drug development for Chagas disease has historically been hampered by the complexity of the disease, critical knowledge gaps, and lack of coordinated R&D efforts. This review covers some of the translational challenges associated with the progression of new chemical entities from preclinical to clinical phases of development, and discusses how recent technological advances might allow the research community to answer key questions relevant to the disease and to overcome hurdles in R&D for Chagas disease.

查加斯病（Chagas disease）是由原生动物寄生虫克鲁斯锥虫（Trypanosoma cruzi）引发的被忽视热带病。目前获批的治疗药物存在严重局限性，因此亟需安全、有效且可及的新型治疗方案。长期以来，查加斯病的药物研发受限于疾病本身的复杂性、关键认知空白以及协同研发工作的缺失。本综述涵盖了新化学实体从临床前研发阶段推进至临床研发阶段所面临的部分转化研究挑战，并探讨了近年技术进步如何助力科研界解答与该疾病相关的核心问题，同时攻克查加斯病研发进程中的诸多障碍。