In vitro screening technologies for the discovery and development of novel drugs against Toxoplasma gondii.

Introduction: Toxoplasmosis constitutes a challenge for public health, animal production and welfare. Since more than 60 years, only a limited panel of drugs has been in use for clinical applications.

Areas covered: Herein, the authors describe the methodology and the results of library screening approaches to identify inhibitors of Toxoplasma gondii and related strains. The authors then provide the reader with their expert perspectives for the future.

Expert opinion: Various library screening projects, in particular those using reporter strains, have led to the identification of numerous compounds with good efficacy and specificity in vitro. However, only few compounds are effective in suitable animal models such as rodents. Whereas no novel compound has cleared the hurdle to applications in humans, the few compounds with known indication and application profiles in human patients are of interest for further investigations. Taken together, drug repurposing as well as high-throughput screening of novel compound libraries may shorten the way to novel drugs against toxoplasmosis.