W14-036 : Novel nitro antimicrobial drugs for treatment-refractory feline Tritrichomonas foetus infection, $15,000 (Winn-funded study)
Lars Eckmann, MD, Yukiko Miyamoto, DVM, PhD; University of California-San Diego
Tritrichomonas foetus is a parasite affecting cats that may manifest as severe inflammation of the colon with diarrhea. Treatment is difficult as effective drugs are not available for cats. Eradication of the infection is challenging for veterinarians and breeders alike. Different drugs have been tried for the treatment of T. foetus infection, but with only limited success.
The investigators’ proposal for the study was to develop a new and effective drug for treatment. They tested over 600 drug candidates in the laboratory to see if any would be effective in clearing the organism. They found over 50 possible candidates in their experiments on the parasite in culture. Ultimately, they found two new compounds that could reduce infection. Their results provide a strong basis for future commercial development of a new antimicrobial drug for the improved treatment of feline tritrichomoniasis.