Identification of Potential Therapeutic Agents for Primary Amebic Meningoencephalitis Using Text Mining and...

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Bioinformatics
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Naegleria fowleri causes fatal primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), a central nervous system (CNS) infection.
• Understanding PAM pathogenesis and identifying therapeutic targets is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate functions and potential drugs targeting PAM using text mining and bioinformatics.
• To identify PAM-associated genes and explore their functional enrichment.
• To discover novel therapeutic agents for PAM.

Main Methods:

• Text mining of literature to identify PAM-associated genes.
• Bioinformatic analyses including Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Gene Ontology (GO).
• Drug databases (PanDrugs, MATADOR, CTD) were used to identify candidate drugs.

Main Results:

• GO analysis revealed PAM genes involved in leukocyte differentiation and cytokine regulation.
• KEGG pathway enrichment identified links to inflammatory bowel disease, malaria, and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Ten potential drugs, including arsenic trioxide and bortezomib, were identified.

Conclusions:

• PAM is potentially linked to diseases like Zellweger syndrome, leishmaniasis, and periodontitis.
• Identified genes are enriched in peroxisome and protein localization pathways.
• This study provides potential drug candidates for effective PAM treatment.