학술논문

A novel multiple-stage antimalarial agent that inhibits protein synthesis
Document Type
article
Source
Nature. 522(7556)
Subject
Medical Microbiology
Biomedical and Clinical Sciences
Clinical Sciences
Biotechnology
Infectious Diseases
Malaria
Orphan Drug
Vector-Borne Diseases
Rare Diseases
5.1 Pharmaceuticals
Development of treatments and therapeutic interventions
Infection
Good Health and Well Being
Animals
Antimalarials
Drug Discovery
Female
Gene Expression Regulation
Life Cycle Stages
Liver
Male
Models
Molecular
Peptide Elongation Factor 2
Plasmodium
Plasmodium berghei
Plasmodium falciparum
Plasmodium vivax
Protein Biosynthesis
Quinolines
General Science & Technology
Language
Abstract
There is an urgent need for new drugs to treat malaria, with broad therapeutic potential and novel modes of action, to widen the scope of treatment and to overcome emerging drug resistance. Here we describe the discovery of DDD107498, a compound with a potent and novel spectrum of antimalarial activity against multiple life-cycle stages of the Plasmodium parasite, with good pharmacokinetic properties and an acceptable safety profile. DDD107498 demonstrates potential to address a variety of clinical needs, including single-dose treatment, transmission blocking and chemoprotection. DDD107498 was developed from a screening programme against blood-stage malaria parasites; its molecular target has been identified as translation elongation factor 2 (eEF2), which is responsible for the GTP-dependent translocation of the ribosome along messenger RNA, and is essential for protein synthesis. This discovery of eEF2 as a viable antimalarial drug target opens up new possibilities for drug discovery.