Abstract
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) make up a diverse group of debilitating illnesses disproportionately affecting impoverished communities in tropical and subtropical regions. Despite their significant global health burden, they are often overshadowed by more prominent diseases, resulting in a critical lack of investment in the research and development of new treatments. A renewed focus on NTDs is, therefore, urgently needed, particularly in terms of novel therapeutic strategies. The Open Synthesis Network, launched by DNDi and partner institutions in 2016, is an innovation powerhouse that taps into the potential of students to help drive the discovery of new drugs for patients living with NTDs. We present the results of student-led work into the development of a series of aminopyrazoles for Chagas disease, a multisystemic disease caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite. Seventy-four compounds were synthesized by undergraduate and postgraduate students from six universities from Brazil, Ghana, Germany, USA, and UK, illustrating that open innovation and collaboration for education can drive drug discovery forward. Early evaluation of the structure-activity relationships identified a range of potent hit compounds with selectivity for T. cruzi and no observable cytotoxicity.