Anti-trypanosomal peptides and uses thereof

1. A composition formulated for the delivery of a hydrophobic drug, the composition comprising an isolated trypanocidal peptide,

wherein the isolated trypanocidal peptide consists of 17 to 25 amino acid residues and comprises a positively charged amino acid at position minus five relative to the C-terminus of the trypanocidal peptide, and

wherein the trypanocidal peptide comprises at least seventeen consecutive amino acid residues of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a derivative of SEQ ID NO: 1,

wherein a derivative of SEQ ID NO: 1 has a tryptophan substitution at position 1, 8, and/or 18, a deletion of a single leucine from the C-terminal leucine triplicate, one hydrophobic amino acid residue of SEQ ID NO: 1 exchanged for another hydrophobic amino acid, or one positively charged amino acid residue of SEQ ID NO: 1 exchanged for another positively charged amino acid and

wherein the isolated trypanocidal peptide induces rigidification of the plasma membrane of a bloodstream form of a kinetoplastid protozoan of the genus Trypanosoma.

2. A composition formulated for the delivery of a hydrophobic drug, the composition comprising an isolated trypanocidal peptide, wherein the isolated trypanocidal peptide consists of 17 to 25 amino acid residues and comprises a positively charged amino acid at position minus five relative to the C-terminus of the trypanocidal peptide and wherein the trypanocidal peptide comprises at least seventeen consecutive amino acid residues of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:2, SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16 or SEQ ID NO:17, and wherein the isolated trypanocidal peptide induces rigidification of the plasma membrane of a bloodstream form of a kinetoplastid protozoan of the genus Trypanosoma.

3. A composition formulated for the delivery of a hydrophobic drug, the composition comprising an isolated trypanocidal peptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:1, amino acid residues 2-19 of SEQ ID NO:1, SEQ ID NO:1 having a single leucine deletion from the C-terminal leucine triplicate, SEQ ID NO:1 having a tryptophan to glycine substitution at position 1, SEQ ID NO:1 having tryptophan to glycine substation at position 8, and SEQ ID NO:1 having a tryptophan to glycine substitution at position 18.

4. A composition formulated for the delivery of a hydrophobic drug, the composition comprising an isolated trypanocidal peptide,

wherein the isolated trypanocidal peptide consists of 17 to 25 amino acid residues in length and comprises at least seventeen consecutive amino acid residues of SEQ ID NO:1 or a derivative of SEQ ID NO:1, wherein the derivative of SEQ ID NO:1 has a tryptophan substitution at position 1, 8, and/or 18, a deletion of a single leucine from the C-terminal leucine triplicate, one-hydrophobic amino acid residue of SEQ ID NO:1 exchanged for another hydrophobic amino acid, or one positively charged amino acid residue of SEQ ID NO:1 exchanged for another positively charge amino acid, and

wherein the isolated trypanocidal peptide induces rigidification of the plasma membrane of a bloodstream form of a kinetoplastid protozoan of the genus Trypanosoma.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the isolated trypanocidal peptide consists of amino acid residues 2-19 of SEQ ID NO: 1.

6. The composition of claim 1 , the composition comprising an amphiphilic polymer, lipid-based nanocapsules, nanoformulation, polymeric micelles, magnetic nanocarriers, nano-sized carriers comprising a hydrophobic core, polymeric vectors, lipidic vectors, emulsions, lipid emulsion, or microemulsion comprising the isolated trypanocidal peptide.

7. A composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises a liposome, emulsion, or micelle comprising the isolated trypanocidal peptide.

8. The composition of claim 7 , further comprising an RNA aptamer that binds to a structurally conserved region of a trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein (VSG).

9. The composition of claim 1 , the composition comprising nanoparticles or microparticles comprising the isolated trypanocidal peptide.

10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the nanoparticles or microparticles encapsulate the peptide.

11. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the nanoparticles of microparticles comprise a colloidal particle.

12. The composition of claim 6 , wherein the isolated trypanocidal peptide consists of amino acid residues 2-19 of SEQ ID NO: 1.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the trypanosome is selected from the group consisting of Trypanosoma brucei brucei, T. b. gambiense , and T. b. rhodesiense, T. congolense , and T. vivax.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the plasma membrane rigidification results in killing, inhibition of growth, inhibition of reproduction, plasma membrane degradation, and/or constricted cell motility of the bloodstream form of a kinetoplastid protozoan of the genus Trypanosoma.

15. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

16. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional therapeutic agents known to be effective for the treatment of a protozoan disease and/or a targeting moiety.

17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the targeting moiety comprises an RNA aptamer that binds to a structurally conserved region of a trypanosome variant surface glycoprotein (VSG).

18. A method of inducing rigidification of the plasma membrane of a bloodstream form of a kinetoplastid protozoan of the genus Trypanosoma , the method comprising contacting the protozoan with a composition of claim 1 .

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the plasma membrane rigidification results in killing, inhibition of growth, inhibition of reproduction, plasma membrane degradation, and/or constricted cell motility of the bloodstream form of a kinetoplastid protozoan of the genus Trypanosoma.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the trypanosome is selected from the group consisting of Trypanosoma brucei brucei, T. b. gambiense , and T. b. rhodesiense, T. congolense , and T. vivax.