Tuberculosis Drug SQ109 has potent activity against amastigote of L. mexicana

What is it about?

We report that the tuberculosis drug SQ109 (N-adamantan-2-yl-N'-((E)-3,7-dimethyl-octa-2,6-dienyl)-ethane-1,2-diamine) has potent activity against the intracellular, amastigote form of Leishmania mexicana (IC50 ~11 nM) with a good selectivity index (>500). It is also active against promastigotes (IC50 ~ 500 nM) and acts as a protonophore uncoupler, in addition to disrupting Ca2+ homeostasis by releasing organelle Ca2+ into the cytoplasm and as such it is an interesting new leishmaniasis drug hit candidate.

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