A new drug target for sleeping sickness and Chagas? Why the PEX38 protein stands out
Medical Xpress
February 27, 2026
Researchers working with Professor Ralf Erdmann at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, have discovered a critical vulnerability shared by the pathogens that cause African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis. The PEX38 protein plays a crucial role in the formation of certain organelles of the trypanosomes that are essential for their energy supply. Because humans do not require this protein, it represents a promising target for new treatments against tropical diseases that affect more than 1 billion people worldwide every year.
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Originally published on Medical Xpress on 2/27/2026