Caio Haddad Franco

@pasteur-sp.org.br

Therapeutics to Combat Multi-Drug Resistant Pathogens
Institut Pasteur de São Paulo

Caio Haddad Franco


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https://researchid.co/caiohaddadfranco
Caio H. Franco completed a PhD in Sciences (Major in Microbiology and Immunology) from the Federal University of São Paulo in 2018. The main research developed by C. Franco is in Cell Biology, Microbiology and Parasitology. His main activities are focused on the design and establishment of numerous high-content microscopy assays, performing large-scale screenings with libraries of small molecules/natural products, and phenotypic and genetic characterisation of drug-resistant pathogens. C. Franco investigated relevant factors for the infection of mammalian cells by S. aureus through microscopy-based genomic screenings; in addition, he dedicated himself to characterising the intracellular lifestyle of antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains. He was also the Principal Investigator of an Exploratory Project funded by FCT on the field of functional genomics scre

EDUCATION

PhD in Sciences (Major in Microbiology and Immunology) - Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil
Bachelor’s degree in biotechnology engineering - São Paulo State University, Brazil

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Microbiology, Drug Discovery, Cell Biology, Immunology and Microbiology

FUTURE PROJECTS

Microscopy-based high-throughput screening of natural compounds to identify novel host-directed therapeutics for combating intracellular bacteria

Infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus are a leading cause of death worldwide, exacerbated by antibiotic-resistant strains such as MRSA. As a facultative intracellular pathogen, S. aureus can survive within host cells, where it is protected from immune responses and many antibiotics, contributing to persistent infections and treatment failure. The MICRONATIB project aims to develop innovative host-directed therapies (HDT) by targeting host pathways essential for intracellular bacterial survival. Leveraging the chemical diversity of Brazilian biodiversity, the project will screen 2,000 natural products using a high-throughput phenotypic platform. Promising compounds will be validated across host cell models, clinical isolates, and in combination with antibiotics, followed by mechanism-of-action studies using Cell Painting and in vivo evaluation in a murine sepsis model.


Applications Invited
Postdoctoral fellows (Cell Painting, HCS, Informatics)
26

Scopus Publications

938

Scholar Citations

17

Scholar h-index

23

Scholar i10-index

Scopus Publications

  • Drug Repurposing in Chagas Disease: Chloroquine Potentiates Benznidazole Activity against Trypanosoma cruzi In Vitro and In Vivo
    Ramendra P. Pandey, Marilda Savoia Nascimento, Caio Haddad Franco, Karina Bortoluci, Marcelo Nunes Silva, Bianca Zingales, Daniel Gibaldi, Leda Castaño Barrios, Joseli Lannes-Vieira, Leonardo Moro Cariste, Jose Ronnie Vasconcelos, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Jorge Kalil, Laura Alcântara, Edecio Cunha-Neto
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, 2022
    Drug combinations and drug repurposing have emerged as promising strategies to develop novel treatments for infectious diseases, including Chagas disease. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the repurposed drugs chloroquine (CQ) and colchicine (COL), known to inhibit Trypanosoma cruzi infection in host cells, could boost the anti- T. cruzi effect of the trypanocidal drug benznidazole (BZN), increasing its therapeutic efficacy while reducing the dose needed to eradicate the parasite. The combination of BZN and COL exhibited cytotoxicity to infected cells and low antiparasitic activity.
  • In vitro anti-trypanosoma cruzi activity of halophytes from southern portugal reloaded: A special focus on sea fennel (crithmum maritimum l.)
    Catarina G. Pereira, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Caio H. Franco, Clarissa Feltrin, Raphaël Grougnet, Euzébio Guimarães Barbosa, Michele Panciera, Carlos Roque D. Correia, Maria João Rodrigues, Luísa Custódio
    Plants, 2021
    Marine halophytes are an outstanding reservoir of natural products and several species have anti-infectious traditional uses. However, reports about their potential use against neglected tropical ailments, such as Chagas disease, are scarce. This work evaluated for the first time the in vitro anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of extracts from the aromatic and medicinal species Helichrysum italicum subsp. picardii (Boiss. & Reut.) Franco (Asteraceae, everlasting) and Crithmum maritimum L. (Apiaceae, sea fennel). For that purpose, decoctions, tinctures, and essential oils from everlasting’s flowers and sea fennel’s stems, leaves, and flowers were tested against intracellular amastigotes of two T. cruzi strains. The extract from the sea fennel flower decoction displayed significant anti-trypanosomal activity and no toxicity towards the host cell (EC50 = 17.7 µg/mL, selectivity index > 5.65). Subsequent fractionation of this extract afforded 5 fractions that were re-tested in the same model of anti-parasitic activity. Fraction 1 was the most active and selective (EC50 = 0.47 μg/mL, selectivity index = 59.6) and was submitted to preparative thin-layer chromatography. One major compound was identified, falcarindiol, which was likely the one responsible for the observed anti-trypanosomal activity. This was confirmed using a commercially sourced molecule. Target-fishing studies showed falcarindiol as a ligand of T. cruzi spermidine synthase, pointing to a potential enzyme-inhibiting anti-trypanosomal mechanism of action. Overall, this work shows that sea fennel can provide effective anti-parasitic molecule(s) with potential pharmacological applications in the treatment of CD.
  • On the intrinsic reactivity of highly potent trypanocidal cruzain inhibitors
    Vinicius Bonatto, Pedro Henrique Jatai Batista, Lorenzo Cianni, Daniela De Vita, Daniel G. Silva, Rodrigo Cedron, Daiane Y. Tezuka, Sérgio de Albuquerque, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Caio Haddad Franco, Jerônimo Lameira, Andrei Leitão, Carlos A. Montanari
    Rsc Medicinal Chemistry, 2020
    Aldehyde peptide like compounds display a bivalent reactive profile and improved antichagasic potency.
  • Novel structural CYP51 mutation in Trypanosoma cruzi associated with multidrug resistance to CYP51 inhibitors and reduced infectivity
    Caio H. Franco, David C. Warhurst, Tapan Bhattacharyya, Ho Y.A. Au, Hai Le, Miriam A. Giardini, Bruno S. Pascoalino, Ana Claudia Torrecilhas, Lavinia M.D. Romera, Rafael Pedro Madeira, Sergio Schenkman, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Eric Chatelain, Michael A. Miles, Carolina B. Moraes
    International Journal for Parasitology Drugs and Drug Resistance, 2020
    Ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors, such as posaconazole and ravuconazole, have been proposed as drug candidates for Chagas disease, a neglected infectious tropical disease caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. To understand better the mechanism of action and resistance to these inhibitors, a clone of the T. cruzi Y strain was cultured under intermittent and increasing concentrations of ravuconazole until phenotypic stability was achieved. The ravuconazole-selected clone exhibited loss in fitness in vitro when compared to the wild-type parental clone, as observed in reduced invasion capacity and slowed population growth in both mammalian and insect stages of the parasite. In drug activity assays, the resistant clone was above 300-fold more tolerant to ravuconazole than the sensitive parental clone, when the half-maximum effective concentration (EC50) was considered. The resistant clones also showed reduced virulence in vivo, when compared to parental sensitive clones. Cross-resistance to posaconazole and other CYP51 inhibitors, but not to other antichagasic drugs that act independently of CYP51, such as benznidazole and nifurtimox, was also observed. A novel amino acid residue change, T297M, was found in the TcCYP51 gene in the resistant but not in the sensitive clones. The structural effects of the T297M, and of the previously described P355S residue changes, were modelled to understand their impact on interaction with CYP51 inhibitors.
  • Prospecting and Identifying Phyllanthus amarus Lignans with Antileishmanial and Antitrypanosomal Activity
    Gabrielly Galdino Conrado, Nathalia Grazzia, Adriana da Silva S. de Oliveira, Caio Haddad Franco, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Fernanda Ramos Gadelha, Danilo Ciccone Miguel, Vera Lucia Garcia
    Planta Medica, 2020
    Ten lignans (1 – 10) were isolated from the hexane-ethyl acetate extract of Phyllanthus amarus leaves. Three of them, cubebin dimethyl ether (3), urinatetralin (4), and lintetralin (7) are described for the first time in this species, while phyllanthin (1), niranthin (2), 5-demethoxyniranthin (5), isolintetralin (6), hypophyllanthin (8), nirtetralin (9), and phyltetralin (10) have been already reported from P. amarus. Among the lignans tested against Trypanosoma cruzi intracellular amastigotes, 2 was the most active with an EC50 of 35.28 µM. Lignans 2, 5, 7, and 9 showed inhibitory effects against Leishmania amazonensis promastigotes with EC50 of 56.34, 51.86, 23.57, and 43.27 µM, respectively. During in vitro infection assays, 5 reduced amastigotes by 91% at 103.68 µM concentration, whereas 7 and 9 reduced amastigotes by approximately 84% at 47.5 and 86.04 µM, respectively. Lignans 5, 7, and 9 were more potent in intracellular amastigotes with EC50 of 2.76, 8.30, and 15.83 µM, respectively, than in promastigotes. CC50 for all samples was > 100 µg/mL, thus revealing low cytotoxicity against macrophages, and selectivity against the parasite. L. amazonensis promastigotes treated with compounds 2 and 9 showed decreased respiratory control of 38% and 25%, respectively, suggesting a change in mitochondrial membrane potential and lower ATP production.
  • Identification of inhibitors to trypanosoma cruzi sirtuins based on compounds developed to human enzymes
    Tanira Matutino Bastos, Milena Botelho Pereira Soares, Caio Haddad Franco, Laura Alcântara, Lorenzo Antonini, Manuela Sabatino, Nicola Mautone, Lucio Holanda Freitas-Junior, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Rino Ragno, Dante Rotili, Sergio Schenkman, Antonello Mai, Nilmar Silvio Moretti
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2020
    Chagas disease is an illness caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, affecting more than 7 million people in the world. Benznidazole and nifurtimox are the only drugs available for treatment and in addition to causing several side effects, are only satisfactory in the acute phase of the disease. Sirtuins are NAD+-dependent deacetylases involved in several biological processes, which have become drug target candidates in various disease settings. T. cruzi presents two sirtuins, one cytosolic (TcSir2rp1) and the latter mitochondrial (TcSir2rp3). Here, we characterized the effects of human sirtuin inhibitors against T. cruzi sirtuins as an initial approach to develop specific parasite inhibitors. We found that, of 33 compounds tested, two inhibited TcSir2rp1 (15 and 17), while other five inhibited TcSir2rp3 (8, 12, 13, 30, and 32), indicating that specific inhibitors can be devised for each one of the enzymes. Furthermore, all inhibiting compounds prevented parasite proliferation in cultured mammalian cells. When combining the most effective inhibitors with benznidazole at least two compounds, 17 and 32, demonstrated synergistic effects. Altogether, these results support the importance of exploring T. cruzi sirtuins as drug targets and provide key elements to develop specific inhibitors for these enzymes as potential targets for Chagas disease treatment.
  • Discovery of a benzothiophene-flavonol halting miltefosine and antimonial drug resistance in Leishmania parasites through the application of medicinal chemistry, screening and genomics
    Chiara Borsari, María Dolores Jiménez-Antón, Julia Eick, Eugenia Bifeld, Juan José Torrado, Ana Isabel Olías-Molero, María Jesús Corral, Nuno Santarem, Catarina Baptista, Leda Severi, Sheraz Gul, Markus Wolf, Maria Kuzikov, Bernhard Ellinger, Jeanette Reinshagen, Gesa Witt, Pasquale Linciano, Annalisa Tait, Luca Costantino, Rosaria Luciani, Paloma Tejera Nevado, Dorothea Zander-Dinse, Caio H. Franco, Stefania Ferrari, Carolina B. Moraes, Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva, Glauco Ponterini, Joachim Clos, José María Alunda, Maria Paola Costi
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2019
  • Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of nitrile-based cruzain inhibitors incorporating a trifluoroethylamine-based P2 amide replacement
    Juliana C. Gomes, Lorenzo Cianni, Jean Ribeiro, Fernanda dos Reis Rocho, Samelyn da Costa Martins Silva, Pedro Henrique Jatai Batista, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Caio Haddad Franco, Lucio H.G. Freitas-Junior, Peter W. Kenny, Andrei Leitão, Antonio C.B. Burtoloso, Daniela de Vita, Carlos A. Montanari
    Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry, 2019
  • Drug discovery for chagas disease: Impact of different host cell lines on assay performance and hit compound selection
    Caio Haddad Franco, Laura Maria Alcântara, Eric Chatelain, Lucio Freitas-Junior, Carolina Borsoi Moraes
    Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, 2019
    Cell-based screening has become the major compound interrogation strategy in Chagas disease drug discovery. Several different cell lines have been deployed as host cells in screening assays. However, host cell characteristics and host-parasite interactions may play an important role when assessing anti-T. cruzi compound activity, ultimately impacting on hit discovery. To verify this hypothesis, four distinct mammalian cell lines (U2OS, THP-1, Vero and L6) were used as T. cruzi host cells in High Content Screening assays. Rates of infection varied greatly between different host cells. Susceptibility to benznidazole also varied, depending on the host cell and parasite strain. A library of 1,280 compounds was screened against the four different cell lines infected with T. cruzi, resulting in the selection of a total of 82 distinct compounds as hits. From these, only two hits were common to all four cell lines assays (2.4%) and 51 were exclusively selected from a single assay (62.2%). Infected U2OS cells were the most sensitive assay, as 55 compounds in total were identified as hits; infected THP-1 yielded the lowest hit rates, with only 16 hit compounds. Of the selected hits, compound FPL64176 presented selective anti-T. cruzi activity and could serve as a starting point for the discovery of new anti-chagasic drugs.
  • Enhancement of Benzothiazoles as Pteridine Reductase-1 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Trypanosomatidic Infections
    Pasquale Linciano, Cecilia Pozzi, Lucia dello Iacono, Flavio di Pisa, Giacomo Landi, Alessio Bonucci, Sheraz Gul, Maria Kuzikov, Bernhard Ellinger, Gesa Witt, Nuno Santarem, Catarina Baptista, Caio Franco, Carolina B. Moraes, Wolfgang Müller, Ulrike Wittig, Rosaria Luciani, Antony Sesenna, Antonio Quotadamo, Stefania Ferrari, Ina Pöhner, Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva, Stefano Mangani, Luca Costantino, Maria Paola Costi
    Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2019
    2-Amino-benzo[d]thiazole was identified as a new scaffold for the development of improved pteridine reductase-1 (PTR1) inhibitors and anti-trypanosomatidic agents. Molecular docking and crystallography guided the design and synthesis of 42 new benzothiazoles. The compounds were assessed for Trypanosoma brucei and Leishmania major PTR1 inhibition and in vitro activity against T. brucei and amastigote Leishmania infantum. We identified several 2-amino-benzo[d]thiazoles with improved enzymatic activity (TbPTR1 IC50 = 0.35 μM; LmPTR1 IC50 = 1.9 μM) and low μM antiparasitic activity against T. brucei. The ten most active compounds against TbPTR1 were able to potentiate the antiparasitic activity of methotrexate when evaluated in combination against T. brucei, with a potentiating index between 1.2 and 2.7. The compound library was profiled for early ADME toxicity, and 2-amino-N-benzylbenzo[d]thiazole-6-carboxamide (4c) was finally identified as a novel potent, safe, and selective anti-trypanocydal agent (EC50 = 7.0 μM). Formulation of 4c with hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin yielded good oral bioavailability, encouraging progression to in vivo studies.
  • Discovery of new potent hits against intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi by QSAR-based virtual screening
    Cleber C. Melo-Filho, Rodolpho C. Braga, Eugene N. Muratov, Caio Haddad Franco, Carolina B. Moraes, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Carolina Horta Andrade
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2019
  • Identification of di-substituted ureas that prevent growth of trypanosomes through inhibition of translation initiation
    Fabricio Castro Machado, Caio Haddad Franco, Jose Vitorino dos Santos Neto, Karina Luiza Dias-Teixeira, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Ulisses Gazos Lopes, Bertal Huseyin Aktas, Sergio Schenkman
    Scientific Reports, 2018
  • Tetracycline@silver ions-functionalized mesoporous silica for high bactericidal activity at ultra-low concentration
    Karim Bouchmella, Felipe Davi Campanaro, Gabriela Borba Mondo, Murilo Izidoro Santos, Caio Haddad Franco, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Christine Biolley, Ahmad Mehdi, Mateus Borba Cardoso
    Nanomedicine London England, 2018
  • Correction to: Bacteria from Antarctic environments: diversity and detection of antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and antiparasitic activities (Polar Biology, (2018), 41, 7, (1505-1519), 10.1007/s00300-018-2300-y)
    Tiago R. Silva, Alysson W. F. Duarte, Michel R. Z. Passarini, Ana Lucia T. G. Ruiz, Caio Haddad Franco, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Itamar Soares de Melo, Rodney A. Rodrigues, Fabiana Fantinatti-Garboggini, Valéria Maia Oliveira
    Polar Biology, 2018
  • Bacteria from Antarctic environments: diversity and detection of antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and antiparasitic activities
    Tiago R. Silva, Alysson W. F. Duarte, Michel R. Z. Passarini, Ana Lucia T. G. Ruiz, Caio Haddad Franco, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Itamar Soares de Melo, Rodney A. Rodrigues, Fabiana Fantinatti-Garboggini, Valéria Maia Oliveira
    Polar Biology, 2018
  • Aryl thiosemicarbazones for the treatment of trypanosomatidic infections
    Pasquale Linciano, Carolina B. Moraes, Laura M. Alcantara, Caio H. Franco, Bruno Pascoalino, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Sara Macedo, Nuno Santarem, Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva, Sheraz Gul, Gesa Witt, Maria Kuzikov, Bernhard Ellinger, Stefania Ferrari, Rosaria Luciani, Antonio Quotadamo, Luca Costantino, Maria Paola Costi
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2018
  • Investigating the structure-activity relationships of N’-[(5-nitrofuran-2-yl) methylene] substituted hydrazides against Trypanosoma cruzi to design novel active compounds
    Fanny Palace-Berl, Kerly Fernanda Mesquita Pasqualoto, Bianca Zingales, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Mariana Bury, Caio Haddad Franco, Adelson Lopes da Silva Neto, João Sussumu Murayama, Solange Lessa Nunes, Marcelo Nunes Silva, Leoberto Costa Tavares
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2018
  • A comparative study of warheads for design of cysteine protease inhibitors
    Daniel G. Silva, Jean F.R. Ribeiro, Daniela De Vita, Lorenzo Cianni, Caio Haddad Franco, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Josmar R. Rocha, Antonio C.B. Burtoloso, Peter W. Kenny, Andrei Leitão, Carlos A. Montanari
    Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters, 2017
  • Synthesis and trypanocidal activity of a library of 4-substituted 2-(1H-pyrrolo[3,2-c]pyridin-2-yl)propan-2-ols
    Michael N. Balfour, Caio H. Franco, Carolina B. Moraes, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Hélio A. Stefani
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2017
  • Methoxylated 2'-hydroxychalcones as antiparasitic hit compounds
    Chiara Borsari, Nuno Santarem, Juan Torrado, Ana Isabel Olías, María Jesús Corral, Catarina Baptista, Sheraz Gul, Markus Wolf, Maria Kuzikov, Bernhard Ellinger, Gesa Witt, Philip Gribbon, Jeanette Reinshagen, Pasquale Linciano, Annalisa Tait, Luca Costantino, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Carolina B. Moraes, Pascoalino Bruno dos Santos, Laura Maria Alcântara, Caio Haddad Franco, Claudia Danielli Bertolacini, Vanessa Fontana, Paloma Tejera Nevado, Joachim Clos, José María Alunda, Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva, Stefania Ferrari, Maria Paola Costi
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2017
  • Design, synthesis and antitrypanosomal activity of some nitrofurazone 1,2,4-triazolic bioisosteric analogues
    Fredson T. Silva, Caio H. Franco, Denize C. Favaro, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Carolina B. Moraes, Elizabeth I. Ferreira
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2016
  • Novel drug discovery for Chagas disease
    Carolina B. Moraes, Caio H. Franco
    Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 2016
  • Highly improved antiparasitic activity after introduction of an N -benzylimidazole moiety on protein farnesyltransferase inhibitors
    Damien Bosc, Elisabeth Mouray, Sandrine Cojean, Caio Haddad Franco, Philippe M. Loiseau, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Carolina Borsoi Moraes, Philippe Grellier, Joëlle Dubois
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 2016
  • Mutagenic potential of lettuce grown from irradiated seeds
    Caio Haddad Franco, Valter H.M. dos Santos, Luciana P. Silva, Valter Arthur, Regildo M.G. Silva
    Scientia Horticulturae, 2015
  • Nitroheterocyclic compounds are more efficacious than CYP51 inhibitors against Trypanosoma cruzi: Implications for Chagas disease drug discovery and development
    Carolina B. Moraes, Miriam A. Giardini, Hwayoung Kim, Caio H. Franco, Adalberto M. Araujo-Junior, Sergio Schenkman, Eric Chatelain, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior
    Scientific Reports, 2014
  • Chemosensitization potential of P-glycoprotein inhibitors in malaria parasites
    Laura M. Alcantara, Junwon Kim, Carolina B. Moraes, Caio H. Franco, Kathrin D. Franzoi, Sukjun Lee, Lucio H. Freitas-Junior, Lawrence S. Ayong
    Experimental Parasitology, 2013

RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Leveraging chemoinformatics and high-throughput screening for the identification of novel ubiquitin specific protease 7 (USP7) inhibitors
    RI Oliveira, C Franco, M Mano, A Leal, KT Liby, JAR Salvador
    Cancer Research 85 (8_Supplement_1), 3165-3165 , 2025
    2025
  • Drug discovery for emerging and neglected tropical diseases: advances, challenges and perspectives
    L Alcântara, C Franco, N Moretti, D Pilger
    Frontiers in Drug Discovery 3, 1346042 , 2023
    2023
    Citations: 1
  • Drug Repurposing in Chagas Disease: Chloroquine Potentiates Benznidazole Activity against Trypanosoma cruzi In Vitro and In Vivo
    RP Pandey, MS Nascimento, CH Franco, K Bortoluci, MN Silva, ...
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 66 (11), e00284-22 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 30
  • In Vitro Anti- Trypanosoma cruzi Activity of Halophytes from Southern Portugal Reloaded: A Special Focus on Sea Fennel ( Crithmum maritimum L.)
    CG Pereira, CB Moraes, CH Franco, C Feltrin, R Grougnet, EG Barbosa, ...
    Plants 10 (11), 2235 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 17
  • Novel structural CYP51 mutation in Trypanosoma cruzi associated with multidrug resistance to CYP51 inhibitors and reduced infectivity
    CH Franco, DC Warhurst, T Bhattacharyya, HYA Au, H Le, MA Giardini, ...
    International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance 13, 107-120 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 17
  • Prospecting and identifying Phyllanthus amarus lignans with antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activity
    GG Conrado, N Grazzia, S Adriana da Silva, CH Franco, CB Moraes, ...
    Planta medica 86 (11), 782-789 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 14
  • Identification of inhibitors to Trypanosoma cruzi sirtuins based on compounds developed to human enzymes
    TM Bastos, MBP Soares, CH Franco, L Alcântara, L Antonini, M Sabatino, ...
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21 (10), 3659 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 15
  • Fármacos usados no tratamento das protozooses e ectoparasitoses
    AB Leite, ACCN Sousa, CH Franco, LMS Moura, L Alcântara, ...
    2020
  • On the intrinsic reactivity of highly potent trypanocidal cruzain inhibitors
    V Bonatto, PHJ Batista, L Cianni, D De Vita, DG Silva, R Cedron, ...
    RSC Medicinal Chemistry 11 (11), 1275-1284 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 13
  • Discovery of a benzothiophene-flavonol halting miltefosine and antimonial drug resistance in Leishmania parasites through the application of medicinal chemistry, screening and …
    C Borsari, MD Jiménez-Antón, J Eick, E Bifeld, JJ Torrado, ...
    European journal of medicinal chemistry 183, 111676 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 32
  • Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of nitrile-based cruzain inhibitors incorporating a trifluoroethylamine-based P2 amide replacement
    JC Gomes, L Cianni, J Ribeiro, F dos Reis Rocho, SCM Silva, PHJ Batista, ...
    Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 27 (22), 115083 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 25
  • Drug discovery for Chagas disease: impact of different host cell lines on assay performance and hit compound selection
    CH Franco, LM Alcântara, E Chatelain, L Freitas-Junior, CB Moraes
    Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 4 (2), 82 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 51
  • Enhancement of benzothiazoles as pteridine reductase-1 inhibitors for the treatment of trypanosomatidic infections
    P Linciano, C Pozzi, LD Iacono, F di Pisa, G Landi, A Bonucci, S Gul, ...
    Journal of medicinal chemistry 62 (8), 3989-4012 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 41
  • Discovery of new potent hits against intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi by QSAR-based virtual screening
    CC Melo-Filho, RC Braga, EN Muratov, CH Franco, CB Moraes, ...
    European journal of medicinal chemistry 163, 649-659 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 30
  • Chemical composition and Trypanocidal activity evaluation of the volatile oil from Mentha pulegium L.
    NC Tropéia, LM Alcântara, CH Franco, CB Moraes, DCH Fischer
    Abstracts , 2019
    2019
  • Taxonomic assessment and antimicrobial screening of isolated bacteria from marine and terrestrial Antarctic samples.
    TR Silva, AWF Duarte, MRZ Passarini, ALTG Ruiz, CH FRANCO, ...
    2019
  • Antimicrobial, antiparasitic and antiproliferative effects of the extract of Bacillus safensis SG-32 isolated from a Brazilian oil reservoir
    VSN Eugenio, LTGR Ana, AF Mary, HF Caio, BM Carolina, MO Valéria
    African Journal of Microbiology Research 12 (37), 897-907 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 4
  • Tetracycline@ silver ions-functionalized mesoporous silica for high bactericidal activity at ultra-low concentration
    K Bouchmella, FD Campanaro, GB Mondo, MI Santos, CH Franco, ...
    Nanomedicine 13 (14), 1731-1751 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 7
  • Bacteria from Antarctic environments: diversity and detection of antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and antiparasitic activities
    TR Silva, AWF Duarte, MRZ Passarini, ALTG Ruiz, CH Franco, ...
    Polar Biology 41 (7), 1505-1519 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 74
  • Identification of di-substituted ureas that prevent growth of trypanosomes through inhibition of translation initiation
    FC Machado, CH Franco, JV dos Santos Neto, KL Dias-Teixeira, ...
    Scientific reports 8 (1), 4857 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 8

MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS

  • Nitroheterocyclic compounds are more efficacious than CYP51 inhibitors against Trypanosoma cruzi : implications for Chagas disease drug discovery and …
    CB Moraes, MA Giardini, H Kim, CH Franco, AM Araujo-Junior, ...
    Scientific reports 4 (1), 4703 , 2014
    2014
    Citations: 234
  • Bacteria from Antarctic environments: diversity and detection of antimicrobial, antiproliferative, and antiparasitic activities
    TR Silva, AWF Duarte, MRZ Passarini, ALTG Ruiz, CH Franco, ...
    Polar Biology 41 (7), 1505-1519 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 74
  • A comparative study of warheads for design of cysteine protease inhibitors
    DG Silva, JFR Ribeiro, D De Vita, L Cianni, CH Franco, LH Freitas-Junior, ...
    Bioorganic & medicinal chemistry letters 27 (22), 5031-5035 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 58
  • Aryl thiosemicarbazones for the treatment of trypanosomatidic infections
    P Linciano, CB Moraes, LM Alcantara, CH Franco, B Pascoalino, ...
    European journal of medicinal chemistry 146, 423-434 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 53
  • Drug discovery for Chagas disease: impact of different host cell lines on assay performance and hit compound selection
    CH Franco, LM Alcântara, E Chatelain, L Freitas-Junior, CB Moraes
    Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease 4 (2), 82 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 51
  • Design, synthesis and antitrypanosomal activity of some nitrofurazone 1, 2, 4-triazolic bioisosteric analogues
    FT Silva, CH Franco, DC Favaro, LH Freitas-Junior, CB Moraes, ...
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 121, 553-560 , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 42
  • Enhancement of benzothiazoles as pteridine reductase-1 inhibitors for the treatment of trypanosomatidic infections
    P Linciano, C Pozzi, LD Iacono, F di Pisa, G Landi, A Bonucci, S Gul, ...
    Journal of medicinal chemistry 62 (8), 3989-4012 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 41
  • Methoxylated 2'-hydroxychalcones as antiparasitic hit compounds
    C Borsari, N Santarem, J Torrado, AI Olías, MJ Corral, C Baptista, S Gul, ...
    European journal of medicinal chemistry 126, 1129-1135 , 2017
    2017
    Citations: 34
  • Discovery of a benzothiophene-flavonol halting miltefosine and antimonial drug resistance in Leishmania parasites through the application of medicinal chemistry, screening and …
    C Borsari, MD Jiménez-Antón, J Eick, E Bifeld, JJ Torrado, ...
    European journal of medicinal chemistry 183, 111676 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 32
  • Chemosensitization potential of P-glycoprotein inhibitors in malaria parasites
    LM Alcantara, J Kim, CB Moraes, CH Franco, KD Franzoi, S Lee, ...
    Experimental parasitology 134 (2), 235-243 , 2013
    2013
    Citations: 31
  • Drug Repurposing in Chagas Disease: Chloroquine Potentiates Benznidazole Activity against Trypanosoma cruzi In Vitro and In Vivo
    RP Pandey, MS Nascimento, CH Franco, K Bortoluci, MN Silva, ...
    Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy 66 (11), e00284-22 , 2022
    2022
    Citations: 30
  • Discovery of new potent hits against intracellular Trypanosoma cruzi by QSAR-based virtual screening
    CC Melo-Filho, RC Braga, EN Muratov, CH Franco, CB Moraes, ...
    European journal of medicinal chemistry 163, 649-659 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 30
  • Novel drug discovery for Chagas disease
    CB Moraes, CH Franco
    Expert opinion on drug discovery 11 (5), 447-455 , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 27
  • Synthesis and structure-activity relationship of nitrile-based cruzain inhibitors incorporating a trifluoroethylamine-based P2 amide replacement
    JC Gomes, L Cianni, J Ribeiro, F dos Reis Rocho, SCM Silva, PHJ Batista, ...
    Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry 27 (22), 115083 , 2019
    2019
    Citations: 25
  • Investigating the structure-activity relationships of N’-[(5-nitrofuran-2-yl) methylene] substituted hydrazides against Trypanosoma cruzi to design novel active compounds
    F Palace-Berl, KFM Pasqualoto, B Zingales, CB Moraes, M Bury, ...
    European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 144, 29-40 , 2018
    2018
    Citations: 23
  • Highly improved antiparasitic activity after introduction of an N-benzylimidazole moiety on protein farnesyltransferase inhibitors
    D Bosc, E Mouray, S Cojean, CH Franco, PM Loiseau, LH Freitas-Junior, ...
    European journal of medicinal chemistry 109, 173-186 , 2016
    2016
    Citations: 20
  • In Vitro Anti- Trypanosoma cruzi Activity of Halophytes from Southern Portugal Reloaded: A Special Focus on Sea Fennel ( Crithmum maritimum L.)
    CG Pereira, CB Moraes, CH Franco, C Feltrin, R Grougnet, EG Barbosa, ...
    Plants 10 (11), 2235 , 2021
    2021
    Citations: 17
  • Novel structural CYP51 mutation in Trypanosoma cruzi associated with multidrug resistance to CYP51 inhibitors and reduced infectivity
    CH Franco, DC Warhurst, T Bhattacharyya, HYA Au, H Le, MA Giardini, ...
    International Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance 13, 107-120 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 17
  • Mutagenic potential of lettuce grown from irradiated seeds
    CH Franco, VHM dos Santos, LP Silva, V Arthur, RMG Silva
    Scientia Horticulturae 182, 27-30 , 2015
    2015
    Citations: 17
  • Identification of inhibitors to Trypanosoma cruzi sirtuins based on compounds developed to human enzymes
    TM Bastos, MBP Soares, CH Franco, L Alcântara, L Antonini, M Sabatino, ...
    International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21 (10), 3659 , 2020
    2020
    Citations: 15