ABSTRACT
To maximize the chances of success, the development of drugs against parasitic protozoa should be aimed at those steps in a metabolic pathway that either are absent from the host or differ from analogous steps in the host. Ideally, such steps should catalyse a rate-limiting reaction somewhere in a metabolic sequence that is directly involved in, or of vital importance to, the parasite’s growth or generation of energy. The ability of such a drug to reach its target without having to cross the parasite’s plasma membrane would mean that there are fewer restrictions on its structure and properties. The aim of this chapter is to examine the possibility that the glucose carriers present in the various members of the family Trypanosomatidae meet these requirements and so may serve as suitable targets for future drug development. Evidence that the uptake of glucose may be the overall rate-limiting step in the catabolism of carbohydrates is discussed. The glucose uptake mechanisms in the Trypanosomatidae are compared with those of other eukaryotic cells, especially erythrocytes, to establish whether there are sufficient differences between the two groups to warrant expectations of a successful chemotherapy with drugs that interfere with glucose uptake by the parasites.
