SYNTHESIS OF VISCOSIN, A POTENTIAL THERAPEUTIC FOR CHAGAS' DISEASE

THE ANTIBIOTIC VISCOSIN, A CYCLIC DEPSIPEPTIDE ISOLATED FROMPSEUDOMONAS VISCOSA, SHOWS PROMISING IN VITRO AND IN VIVO (MICE) CYTOTOXICITY AGAINST TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI, THE CAUSATIVEAGENT IN CHAGAS" DISEASE. THE TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF VISCOSIN IS PROPOSED IN ORDER TO CONFIRM ITS CHEMICAL STRUCTURE AND AND TO PROVIDE MATERIAL FOR RESEARCH. METHODS DEVELOPED DURING SYNTHESIS WILL BE USEFUL FOR FUTURE SYNTHESIS OF FRAGMENTS AND ANALOGS NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE STRUCTURE- ACTIVITY RELATIONSHIPS OF THE COMPOUND. VISCOSIN AND RELATED COMPOUNDS REPRESENT A POTENTIAL CLASS OF CHEMOTHERAPEUTIC AGENTS FOR CHAGAS' DISEASE WHICH AT PRESENTIS AN INCURABLE AND POTENTIALLY FATAL DISEASE AFFECTING MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.