Foreword

Abstract

ForewordThe ALCUE HEALTH Project is an initiative for collaboration between Latin America, the Caribbean, and the European Union, with the aim of undertaking a series of health-related and quality-of-life activities. Its objectives are to strengthen the capacity for cooperation and develop a critical mass of knowledge within this network in relation to priority public health issues, by means of investigation projects, training programs and workshops, with experts from different countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and from Europe, with a view of transforming the knowledge generated into public health policies and practices.This first workshop, on "Epidemiological and Social Determinants of Chagas Disease", had the objective of assessing the present situation regarding this disease and the initiatives undertaken for controlling it in the Southern Cone of South America, the Andean Countries, the Amazon Region, Central America, and Mexico. The aim was to obtain basic information for formulating surveillance and control policies, as a model for emerging, reemerging, and neglected infectious diseases.The workshop discussed the consequences of Chagas disease in non-endemic countries in the light of international migrations, access to diagnosis and treatment for this disease in endemic and non-endemic countries, and a strategic plan for diseases that are not dealt with, in neglected populations. Chagas disease was chosen as a model for this seminar because it is a neglected disease that affects socially excluded groups in 21 countries of Latin America and presents high morbidity and mortality, with intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are related to the poverty cycle, the ecology of its vectors and hosts, and human activities. All of these factors make its control difficult.Twenty-two experts took part in the workshop, coming from 15 countries:

Virtual Screening for the Selection of New Candidates to Trypanosoma cruzi Farnesyl Pyrophosphate Synthase Inhibitors

“…1 This disease presents an initial acute phase, which may be characterized by fever, myalgia, headache, generalized lymphadenopathy, oedema, hepatosplenomegaly, cardiac inflammation, and in severe cases, meningoencephalitis. 2,3 This phase is followed by a chronic stage that is characterized by cardiac, digestive, nervous or other clinical changes and, in some cases, it is only observed years after T. cruzi infection. 4,5 According to the World Health Organization, 6 Chagas disease is categorized among the neglected diseases, which are strongly associated with a population's poverty status and limited access to health services, and these diseases are not seen as needing investment in research and development by the pharmaceutical industry.…”

Design, synthesis and cruzain docking of 3-(4-substituted-aryl)-1,2,4-oxadiazole-N-acylhydrazones as anti-Trypanosoma cruzi agents

“…There are, however, major concerns regarding its high toxicity and low effectiveness during the chronic phase of infection. 1,2 Therefore, there has been a considerable interest in trying to find novel approaches to drug design and biological targets, as new ways of combating the parasite. 3 Molecular targets of the parasite, such as the cruzain, 4 trypanothione reductase 5 and trans-sialidase 6 of T. cruzi have proved to be useful for the medicinal chemistry of new anti-T. cruzi drug candidates.…”