Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives
Objectives: Malaria has been a major global health problem in recent times with increasing mortality. Current treatment methods include parasiticidal drugs and vaccinations. However, resistance among malarial parasites to the existing drugs has emerged as a significant area of concern in anti-malari...
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Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute
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doaj-17aeb507809e416e8f6060cf15ddde982020-11-25T01:42:25ZengKorean Pharmacopuncture InstituteJournal of Pharmacopuncture2093-69662234-68562016-03-0119171510.3831/KPI.2016.19.001DHOCBS_2016_v19n1_7Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New PerspectivesAvinaba Mukherjee0Gobinda Chandra Sadhukhan1Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Natural Science Laboratory, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, IndiaUGC-Human Resource Development Sector, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, IndiaObjectives: Malaria has been a major global health problem in recent times with increasing mortality. Current treatment methods include parasiticidal drugs and vaccinations. However, resistance among malarial parasites to the existing drugs has emerged as a significant area of concern in anti-malarial drug design. Researchers are now desperately looking for new targets to develop anti-malarials drug which is more target specific. Malarial parasites harbor a plastid-like organelle known as the ‘apicoplast’, which is thought to provide an exciting new outlook for the development of drugs to be used against the parasite. This review elaborates on the current state of development of novel compounds targeted againstemerging malaria parasites. Methods: The apicoplast, originates by an endosymbiotic process, contains a range of metabolic pathways and housekeeping processes that differ from the host body and thereby presents ideal strategies for anti-malarial drug therapy. Drugs are designed by targeting the unique mechanism of the apicoplasts genetic machinery. Several anabolic and catabolic processes, like fatty acid, isopenetyl diphosphate and heme synthess in this organelle, have also been targeted by drugs. Results: Apicoplasts offer exciting opportunities for the development of malarial treatment specific drugs have been found to act by disrupting this organelle’s function, which wouldimpede the survival of the parasite. Conclusion: Recent advanced drugs, their modes of action, and their advantages in the treatment of malaria by using apicoplasts as a target are discussed in this review which thought to be very useful in desigining anti-malarial drugs. Targetting the genetic machinery of apicoplast shows a great advantange regarding anti-malarial drug design. Critical knowledge of these new drugs would give a healthier understanding for deciphering the mechanism of action of anti-malarial drugs when targeting apicoplasts to overcome drug resistance.http://dx.doi.org/10.3831/KPI.2016.19.001anti-malarial drugsapicoplastdrug resistancemalaria |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Avinaba Mukherjee Gobinda Chandra Sadhukhan |
spellingShingle |
Avinaba Mukherjee Gobinda Chandra Sadhukhan Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives Journal of Pharmacopuncture anti-malarial drugs apicoplast drug resistance malaria |
author_facet |
Avinaba Mukherjee Gobinda Chandra Sadhukhan |
author_sort |
Avinaba Mukherjee |
title |
Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives |
title_short |
Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives |
title_full |
Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives |
title_fullStr |
Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives |
title_full_unstemmed |
Anti-malarial Drug Design by Targeting Apicoplasts: New Perspectives |
title_sort |
anti-malarial drug design by targeting apicoplasts: new perspectives |
publisher |
Korean Pharmacopuncture Institute |
series |
Journal of Pharmacopuncture |
issn |
2093-6966 2234-6856 |
publishDate |
2016-03-01 |
description |
Objectives: Malaria has been a major global health problem in recent times with increasing mortality. Current treatment methods include parasiticidal drugs and vaccinations. However, resistance among malarial parasites to the existing drugs has emerged as a significant area of concern in anti-malarial drug design. Researchers are now desperately looking for new targets to develop anti-malarials drug which is more target specific. Malarial parasites harbor a plastid-like organelle known as the ‘apicoplast’, which is thought to provide an exciting new outlook for the development of drugs to be used against the parasite. This review elaborates on the current state of development of novel compounds targeted againstemerging malaria parasites. Methods: The apicoplast, originates by an endosymbiotic process, contains a range of metabolic pathways and housekeeping processes that differ from the host body and thereby presents ideal strategies for anti-malarial drug therapy. Drugs are designed by targeting the unique mechanism of the apicoplasts genetic machinery. Several anabolic and catabolic processes, like fatty acid, isopenetyl diphosphate and heme synthess in this organelle, have also been targeted by drugs. Results: Apicoplasts offer exciting opportunities for the development of malarial treatment specific drugs have been found to act by disrupting this organelle’s function, which wouldimpede the survival of the parasite. Conclusion: Recent advanced drugs, their modes of action, and their advantages in the treatment of malaria by using apicoplasts as a target are discussed in this review which thought to be very useful in desigining anti-malarial drugs. Targetting the genetic machinery of apicoplast shows a great advantange regarding anti-malarial drug design. Critical knowledge of these new drugs would give a healthier understanding for deciphering the mechanism of action of anti-malarial drugs when targeting apicoplasts to overcome drug resistance. |
topic |
anti-malarial drugs apicoplast drug resistance malaria |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.3831/KPI.2016.19.001 |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT avinabamukherjee antimalarialdrugdesignbytargetingapicoplastsnewperspectives AT gobindachandrasadhukhan antimalarialdrugdesignbytargetingapicoplastsnewperspectives |
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