Ascofuranone (AF) : Inhibiting Trypanosomal Cyan-resistant Oxidase (TAO) and Blocking Mammalian PAK

AF was an antibiotic isolated from a phytopathogenic fungus by Gakuzo Tamura's
group at Tokyo University in 1972. It  was found in 1980s that AF lowers
the lipid level in serum and suppresses the growth of cancers. In 1996,
AF was found  by Kiyoshi Kita's group at Tokyo University to inhibit the
Cyan-resistant oxidase in Trypanosoma (TAO) which causes sleeping disease
in Sub-Sahara Africa. More recently AF was found by a Korean group led by
Young-Chae Chang to block the oncogenic kinase PAK and activate the anti-oncogenic
kinases LKB1-AMPK in mammals, leading to the activation of adiponectin gene. 
Thus, like "Adiporon" (an adiponectin agonist), AF would be useful for
the therapy of sleeping disease as well as a variety of PAK-dependent diseases
such as cancer, diabetes (type 2), obesity and  AD (Alzheimer's).