Chagas Disease: Still a Threat to our World?

Chagas disease is a parasitosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, that affects approximately 10 million people around the world, mainly in Latin America. There are different types of transmission, and in the last few years, due to the increase in human migration, this pathology has been detected in other continents. Awareness that this disease is now found in places far from endemic areas is relevant since it leads to the development of strategies to prevent potential sources of transmission. The disease was discovered 100 years ago, and until now, no vaccine has been developed and the drugs currently in use, benznidazole and nifurtimox, have limited efficacy and potentially serious side effects. Chagas disease patients can have gastrointestinal, heart and nervous system related complications, requiring precise and rapid methods of diagnosis. The biology of T. cruzi has been intensively studied allowing for the translation of basic scientific knowledge into a number of selected drug candidates for the development of a more specific treatment. Coverage of the latest research techniques and advances in the topics mentioned above, and, most importantly, the new therapeutic targets noted for the development of an improved therapy will be discussed.