A Two-pronged Attack: Dual Inhibition of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> M1 and M17 Metalloaminopeptidases. — ASN Events

A Two-pronged Attack: Dual Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum M1 and M17 Metalloaminopeptidases. (#207)

Nyssa Drinkwater 1 , Shailesh Mistry 2 , Komgal Kannan Sivaraman 1 , Sabine Fletcher 3 , Allesandro Paiardini 4 , Vicky Avery 3 , Peter Scammells 2 , Sheena McGowan 1
  1. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
  2. Medicinal Chemistry, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Melbourne, Victoria
  3. Eskitis Institute for Drug Discovery, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD
  4. Dipartmento di Scienze Biochimiche, Sapienza Universita di Roma, Rome, Italy

Malaria is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, with Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) causing the most deaths. The prevention and treatment of Pf malaria is becoming increasingly difficult due to the spread of drug resistant parasites. New therapeutics with a novel mode of action are desperately required. Two Plasmodium falciparum aminopeptidases, PfA-M1 and PfA-M17, play crucial roles in the erythrocytic stage of infection, and have been validated as potential antimalarial targets. Using compound-bound crystal structures of both enzymes, we were able to identify key similarities and differences in the mechanism of inhibitor binding by PfA-M1 versus PfA-M17, which we exploited to design inhibitors capable of potently inhibiting both enzymes. The resultant hydroxamic acid-based inhibitors represent the first compounds capable of potent dual inhibition of both PfA-M1 and PfA-M17. The compounds additionally possess nanomolar activity against 3D7 malaria parasites and no observable cytotoxicity, and are therefore extremely attractive lead molecules for further development into antimalarial therapeutics with a novel mode of action.