Trichomonas vaginalis Drug Targets and Their Role in Drug Discovery and Development

Trichomonas vaginalis is the causative agent of trichomoniasis, the most common and prevalent sexually transmitted infection (STI) globally, with about 156 million cases annually. Trichomoniasis is a critical public health problem, and it is aggravated due to its association with a higher risk of HIV-1 acquisition and transmission and complications such as preterm delivery and pelvic inflammatory disease. This STI is treated mainly through the 5-nitroimidazole class, specifically metronidazole and tinidazole. However, drug resistance, which can represent between 5 and 20% of clinical cases, and hypersensitivity reactions are a general concern. In this context, drug development for trichomoniasis is an ever-growing research field. Therefore, considering how important drug targets and the mechanism of action of compounds can be to drug discovery, there is a growing interest in better understanding how some molecules can be used as targets. This article offers an overview of T. vaginalis drug targets, their significance in metabolism, pathogenesis, or survival, and their contribution to drug development for trichomoniasis.