Mércya Lopes Braga

Mrs. Mércya Lopes Braga


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

1Year (2026-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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8 January 2026 in Pathogens
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ASAirton Lucas Sousa dos Santos
Airton Lucas Sousa dos Santos
VSVanessa Maria Rodrigues De Souza
Vanessa Maria Rodrigues De Souza
JSJulyanne Maria Saraiva de Sousa
Julyanne Maria Saraiva de Sousa
RRRaiza Raianne Luz Rodrigues
Raiza Raianne Luz Rodrigues
MBMércya Lopes Braga
Mércya Lopes Braga
Klinger RodriguesKlinger Rodrigues
Klinger Rodrigues
Chagas disease remains a significant neglected tropical disease that predominantly affects vulnerable populations in rural, low-income areas of Latin America. The management of this condition is severely hindered by the limitations of current therapies, which are characterized by substantial toxicity, diminished efficacy during the chronic phase, and the emergence of parasitic resistance. Given the promising activity of SB-83 (a 2-aminothiophenic derivative) against Leishmania spp., the present study sought to evaluate its trypanocidal activity against Trypanosoma cruzi. The results showed that SB-83 exhibited potent inhibitory effects on the epimastigote forms of T. cruzi (IC50 = 6.23 ± 0.84 μM), trypomastigotes (EC50 = 7.31 ± 0.52 μM) and intracellular amastigotes (EC50 = 5.12 ± 0.49 μM). Furthermore, the cellular proliferation assay results indicated CC50 values of 77.80 ± 2.05 µM for LLC-MK2 CCL-7 and 24.21 ± 1.2 µM for Vero CCL-87, with a selectivity index above 10 for LLC-MK2 cells. In addition, the compound increased TNF-α, IL-12, nitric oxide, and ROS while decreasing IL-10. Moreover, in silico and in vitro assays confirmed its binding to trypanothione reductase, disrupting redox balance. Flow cytometry further revealed apoptosis induction in trypomastigotes, whereas electron microscopy showed cellular disruption and organelle disorganization. Therefore, SB-83 demonstrated potent activity against the TcI-resistant strain linked to Chagas cardiomyopathy at non-toxic concentrations for host cells, supporting its potential as a therapeutic candidate.