The Protein Farnesyltransferase Inhibitor Tipifarnib as a New Lead for the Development of Drugs against Chagas Disease

Abstract

Tipifarnib (R115777), an inhibitor of human protein farnesyltransferase (PFT), is shown to be a highly potent inhibitor of Trypanosoma cruzi growth (ED(50) = 4 nM). Surprisingly, this is due to the inhibition of cytochrome P450 sterol 14-demethylase (CYP51, EC 1.14.13.70). Homology models of the T. cruzi CYP51 were used for the prediction of the binding modes of the substrate lanosterol and of Tipifarnib, providing a basis for the design of derivatives with selectivity for TcCYP51 over human PFT.