Selective transport of a new class of purine antimetabolites by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei

Purine antimetabolites have been very successful therapeutic agents against a host of infectious diseases and malignancies. Success of the treatment relies as much on the efficient accumulation by the target cell or organism as it does on selective action on a vital biochemical pathway of the target cell. Here we compare the ability of a new class of tricyclic purine antimetabolites to interact with transporters from human erythrocytes or Trypanosoma brucei. We show that these compounds display a remarkable selectivity for the parasite's transporters. The adenine analogue showed greater trypanocidal activity than the hypoxanthine or guanine analogues in vitro.