Last Updated: 13/02/2025
Combatting antimicrobial resistance by novel antimalarial molecules against Plasmodium vivax and P. falciparum from South America and South-East Asia
Objectives
- To develop collaborative research on strategies for development and implementation of novel antiplasmodial agents, with a special view to also target proteins expressed in parasite life cycle stages that are otherwise difficult to access
- To implement innovative genetic screening technology in yeast to reveal biological mode-of-action of natural antiplasmodial compounds, as well as to identify molecules selective for the Plasmodium orthologue of a target, and systematically enhance this selectivity
- To evaluate candidate bioactive molecules against drug-resistant strains of P. vivax and P. falciparum
- To design and synthesize improved bioactive compounds in a target-based approach
Malaria, caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, is a global health concern, killing half a million humans yearly, mostly in the least developed countries. Malaria puts a heavy burden on the economic progress of the afflicted countries, especially in the low-income strata of those societies. Despite the severity of the problem, global efforts to combat malaria remain insufficient. No efficient malaria vaccine has been developed, and resistance to existing antimalarial drugs is emerging. This project aims at identifying novel promising lead compounds to combat resistant Plasmodium strains. Frontline techniques in yeast genomics will be used to identify the targets of molecules with antiplasmodial activity, and to improve the selectivity for the parasite ortholog of the target over the human counterpart. We have a special view to use the yeast system to access protein targets expressed in parasite life cycle stages that are difficult to access by other methods. The Brazilian partners contribute knowledge about disease models and genetic engineering of the malaria parasite, as well as dedicated genetic drug screening systems. The Cambodian partner is a world-leading expert in Plasmodium drug resistance genomics. The Swedish partners contribute bioinformatics, high-throughput yeast screening methodology, and medicinal chemistry for redesign and development of leads. We want to further develop a long-lasting international collaboration in this field of great global importance.
Jan 2017 — Dec 2020
$480,000
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