The biochemical basis of arsenical-diamidine crossresistance in African trypanosomes

Resistance to currently used drugs is a serious problem in mast fields of a ntimicrobial chemotherapy. Crossresistance between two of the major classes of drug used irt the treatment of African trypanosomiasis, the melaminophe nyl arsenicals and diamidines is easily selected in the laboratory. Here, M ike Barrett and Alan Fairlamb outline the mechanism underlying this crossre sistance, which appears to arise as a result of alterations in an unusual a denosine transporter involved in the uptake of these drugs.