Evaluation of the biochemical characteristics of P. falciparum resistant to atovaquone

• Grant number: 20/12563-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2020
• End date: January 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Biochemistry - Biochemistry of Microorganisms
• Principal Investigator: Alejandro Miguel Katzin
• Grantee: Sofia Ferreira Silva de Oliveira
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/22452-1 - Biosynthesis of isoprenoids in Plasmodium falciparum: evaluation of possible targets to obtain new anti-malarial drugs, AP.TEM

Abstract

Malaria is a disease that has been a major public health problem in underdeveloped and emerging countries like Brazil, India, Indonesia, and much of the African continent that suffer from the growing number of cases. Caused by the species of parasites Plasmodium, the disease is serious and can lead to death. Therefore, in an attempt to control the effects of the disease, many drugs were developed, among them Atovaquone. Although it is an effective antimalarial, the event of resistance to this drug has been shown to be a constant fact, including in association with Proguanil (Malarone). Bearing in mind that atovaquone is one of the few antimalarials whose molecular target is known and involves competition with ubiquinone, the project's central objective is to carry out an analysis of the biochemical characteristics of parasites resistant to atovaquone, with a primary focus on the biosynthesis pathway of ubiquinones and the electron transport chain of the malaria parasite.