# LIPIDS OF LEISHMANIAS AND TRYPANOSOMES

> **NIH NIH R01** · UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY · 1989 · $113,653

## Abstract

The long term objective of this project is to identify and to study
novel chemotherapeutic approaches to the control of leishmanial and
American trypanosomal infections of substantial medical importance,
by exploiting knowledge that aspects of the lipid biochemistry of
the responsible trypanosomatid flagellates are characteristic of
fungi and other plants and not of vertebrates.  The immediate
specific aims to realize this objective are to investigate the:
a) sterol, phospholipid and glycosphingolipid biochemistry of the
life-cycle stages of representative leishmania species and
Trypanosoma cruzi strains, b) perturbations of that biochemistry,
and impairment of growth, cause by drugs targeted to specific
enzymatic reactions, and c) mechanisms of action of the most
effective of those drugs.  Life-cycle stages are to be cultured
within and without tissue cells exposed to drugs and radio- and
stable isotopic tracers, and the consequences to growth and to
lipid metabolism assessed by population enumeration, and by lipid
analyses employing chromatographic (CC, TLC, HPLC, GLC), and
spectrometric (GC/MS, 1H & 13C NMR, UV/VIS, liquid scintillation)
methodologies.  By these means, drugs active on enzymatic reactions
unique to leishmanias and trypanosomes, or with properties
different from those of analogous reactions in man, are to be
identified, and their selective toxicities for the parasites and
for host tissue cells established.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3124256
- **Project number:** 2R01AI005802-25
- **Recipient organization:** UPSTATE MEDICAL UNIVERSITY
- **SAM.gov UEI:** HYN3WD58HNN7
- **Principal Investigator:** JOHN J LUCAS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1989
- **Award amount:** $113,653
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 1979-04-01 → 1993-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3124256

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3124256, LIPIDS OF LEISHMANIAS AND TRYPANOSOMES (2R01AI005802-25). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3124256. Licensed CC0.

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