Journal of Tropical Diseases & Public Health

Institute of Biochemistry, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany

Biography

Gerd Birkenmeier is a professor at the University of Leipzig, Institute of Biochemistry (Faculty of Medicine). Gerd Birkenmeier has done research works in the field of Parasitic Diseases, Tropical Diseases, Zoonotic Diseases, Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Infectious Disease Transmission, Molecular Diagnostics, Emerging Infectious Diseases, Infectious Disease Control and Prevention, Drug Resistance, Biochemistry.

Publications

• Research Article   
  Preliminary Results Indicate the Anti-Proliferative Effect of HIV-1 Protease Inhibitors on Trypanosoma brucei Cells can be Due to the Non-Specific Targeting of Metallo-and Cysteine-Proteases
  Author(s): Netsanet Worku* and Gerd Birkenmeier
  
  Background: Initial studies have confirmed the efficacy of protease inhibitors in the treatment of Trypanosoma cruzi, Plasmodium falciparum, and Leishmania major. However, studies on efficacy and specific protease inhibition of HIV-1 protease inhibitors on Trypanosoma brucei cells remained untouched. The objective of the current study was to determine the efficacy of two HIV-1 protease inhibitors, ritonavir, and saquinavir, in Trypanosoma brucei proliferation and to determine if these HIV-1 protease inhibitors target the activity of the Trypanosoma brucei major proteases. Methods: Time dependency test at variable increasing concentrations, motile cell counts, alamarBlue® cell proliferation/viability assay and zymography were among the methods applied. Re.. View more»
  

  Abstract PDF