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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Targeting the vitamin biosynthesis pathways for the treatment of malaria

Full text
Author(s):
Kronenberger, Thales [1] ; Schettert, Isolmar [2] ; Wrenger, Carsten [1]
Total Authors: 3
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Parasitol, Unit Drug Discovery, BR-00508000 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[2] Heart Inst InCor, Lab Genet & Mol Cardiol, BR-05403000 Sao Paulo - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Review article
Source: Future Medicinal Chemistry; v. 5, n. 7, p. 769-779, MAY 2013.
Web of Science Citations: 4
Abstract

The most severe form of malaria is Malaria tropica, caused by Plasmodium falciparum. There are more than I billion people that are exposed to malaria parasites leading to more than 500,000 deaths annually. Vaccines are not available and the increasing drug resistance of the parasite prioritizes the need for novel drug targets and chemotherapeutics, which should be ideally designed to target selectively the parasite. In this sense, parasite-specific pathways, such as the vitamin biosyntheses, represent perfect drug-target characteristics because they are absent in humans. In the past, the vitamin B9 (folate) metabolism has been exploited by antifolates to treat infections caused by malaria parasites. Recently, two further vitamin biosynthesis pathways - for the vitamins B6 (pyridoxine) and B1 (thiamine) - have been identified in Plasmodium and analyzed for their suitability to discover new drugs. In this review, the current status of the druggability of plasmodial vitamin biosynthesis pathways is summarized. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 09/54325-2 - Elucidation of vitamin B metabolism in the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and their validation as a target for chemotherapy
Grantee:Carsten Wrenger
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
FAPESP's process: 10/20647-0 - Elucidation of vitamin B metabolism in the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum and their validation as a target for chemotherapy
Grantee:Carsten Wrenger
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Young Researchers
FAPESP's process: 11/13706-3 - Implications from pyridoxine kinase of Plasmodium falciparum and study if its spacer regions
Grantee:Thales Kronenberger
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master