Project description
Targeted protein degradation is an innovative therapeutic strategy that uses the body’s own machinery to eliminate harmful proteins. This study targets Tropical Theileriosis and East Coast Fever, tick-borne diseases caused by Theileria parasites, affecting livestock in tropical regions and causing economic losses across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Theileria induces severe pathology by transforming leukocytes, triggering uncontrolled proliferation of infected cells. Current treatments are hindered by drug resistance, incomplete immunity, and high costs. Using proteolysis-targeting chimeras, we aim to degrade essential parasite proteins exported into the bovine cell nuclei, advancing new treatments and deepening our understanding of parasite-host interactions.
