David A. Fidock

Mutations in the P. falciparum Digestive Vacuole Transmembrane Protein PfCRT and Evidence for Their Role in Chloroquine Resistance

The determinant of verapamil-reversible chloroquine resistance (CQR) in a Plasmodium falciparum genetic cross maps to a 36 kb segment of chromosome 7. This segment harbors a 13-exon gene, pfcrt, having point mutations that associate completely with CQR in parasite lines from Asia, Africa, and South America. These data, transfection results, and selection of a CQR line harboring a novel K761 mutation point to a central role for the PfCRT protein in CQR. This transmembrane protein localizes to the parasite digestive vacuole (DV), the site of CQ action, where increased compartment acidification associates with PfCRT point mutations. Mutations in PfCRT may result in altered chloroquine flux or reduced drug binding to hematin through an effect on DV pH.

A MOLECULAR MARKER FOR CHLOROQUINE-RESISTANT FALCIPARUM MALARIA

BACKGROUND Chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a major health problem, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Chloroquine resistance has been associated in vitro with point mutations in two genes, pfcrt and pfmdr 1, which encode the P. falciparum digestive-vacuole transmembrane proteins PfCRT and Pgh1, respectively. METHODS To assess the value of these mutations as markers for clinical chloroquine resistance, we measured the association between the mutations and the response to chloroquine treatment in patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Mali. The frequencies of the mutations in patients before and after treatment were compared for evidence of selection of resistance factors as a result of exposure to chloroquine. RESULTS The pfcrt mutation resulting in the substitution of threonine (T76) for lysine at position 76 was present in all 60 samples from patients with chloroquine-resistant infections (those that persisted or recurred after treatment), as compared with a base-line prevalence of 41 percent in samples obtained before treatment from 116 randomly selected patients (P<0.001), indicating absolute selection for this mutation. The pfmdr 1 mutation resulting in the substitution of tyrosine for asparagine at position 86 was also selected for, since it was present in 48 of 56 post-treatment samples from patients with chloroquine-resistant infections (86 percent), as compared with a base-line prevalence of 50 percent in 115 samples obtained before treatment (P<0.001). The presence of pfcrt T76 was more strongly associated with the development of chloroquine resistance (odds ratio, 18.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 6.5 to 58.3) than was the presence of pfmdr 1 Y86 (odds ratio, 3.2; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.5 to 6.8) or the presence of both mutations (odds ratio, 9.8; 95 percent confidence interval, 4.4 to 22.1). CONCLUSIONS This study shows an association between the pfcrt T76 mutation in P. falciparum and the development of chloroquine resistance during the treatment of malaria. This mutation can be used as a marker in surveillance for chloroquine-resistant falciparum malaria.

Spiroindolones, a Potent Compound Class for the Treatment of Malaria

Antimalarial Drug Candidate Spiroindolones were discovered as promising antimalarial drug candidates through a high-throughput screening approach that should be applicable to a range of neglected infectious diseases. Rottmann et al. (p. 1175; see the Perspective by Wells) present the preclinical profile for an optimized spiroindolone drug candidate, NITD609. They obtained evidence for a decrease in drug sensitivity in strains of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum bearing amino acid mutations in the P-type ATPase, indicating possible mechanisms of action and/or resistance. High-throughput screening has offered up an oral antimalarial drug and pointers to its mechanism of action. Recent reports of increased tolerance to artemisinin derivatives—the most recently adopted class of antimalarials—have prompted a need for new treatments. The spirotetrahydro-β-carbolines, or spiroindolones, are potent drugs that kill the blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax clinical isolates at low nanomolar concentration. Spiroindolones rapidly inhibit protein synthesis in P. falciparum, an effect that is ablated in parasites bearing nonsynonymous mutations in the gene encoding the P-type cation-transporter ATPase4 (PfATP4). The optimized spiroindolone NITD609 shows pharmacokinetic properties compatible with once-daily oral dosing and has single-dose efficacy in a rodent malaria model.

Malaria: progress, perils, and prospects for eradication

There are still approximately 500 million cases of malaria and 1 million deaths from malaria each year. Yet recently, malaria incidence has been dramatically reduced in some parts of Africa by increasing deployment of anti-mosquito measures and new artemisinin-containing treatments, prompting renewed calls for global eradication. However, treatment and mosquito control currently depend on too few compounds and thus are vulnerable to the emergence of compound-resistant parasites and mosquitoes. As discussed in this Review, new drugs, vaccines, and insecticides, as well as improved surveillance methods, are research priorities. Insights into parasite biology, human immunity, and vector behavior will guide efforts to translate parasite and mosquito genome sequences into novel interventions.

Antimalarial drug discovery: efficacy models for compound screening

Increased efforts in antimalarial drug discovery are urgently needed. The goal must be to develop safe and affordable new drugs to counter the spread of malaria parasites that are resistant to existing agents. Drug efficacy, pharmacology and toxicity are important parameters in the selection of compounds for development, yet little attempt has been made to review and standardize antimalarial drug-efficacy screens. Here, we suggest different in vitro and in vivo screens for antimalarial drug discovery and recommend a streamlined process for evaluating new compounds on the path from drug discovery to development.

pfmdr1 mutations contribute to quinine resistance and enhance mefloquine and artemisinin sensitivity in Plasmodium falciparum

The emergence and spread of multidrug resistant Plasmodium falciparum has severely limited the therapeutic options for the treatment of malaria. With ever‐increasing failure rates associated with chloroquine or sulphadoxine‐pyrimethamine treatment, attention has turned to the few alternatives, which include quinine and mefloquine. Here, we have investigated the role of pfmdr1 3′ coding region point mutations in antimalarial drug susceptibility by allelic exchange in the GC03 and 3BA6 parasite lines. Results with pfmdr1‐recombinant clones indicate a significant role for the N1042D mutation in contributing to resistance to quinine and its diastereomer quinidine. The triple mutations S1034C/N1042D/D1246Y, highly prevalent in South America, were also found to enhance parasite susceptibility to mefloquine, halofantrine and artemisinin. pfmdr1 3′ mutations showed minimal effect on P. falciparum resistance to chloroquine or its metabolite mono‐desethylchloroquine in these parasite lines, in contrast to previously published results obtained with 7G8 parasites. This study supports the hypothesis that pfmdr1 3′ point mutations can significantly affect parasite susceptibility to a wide range of antimalarials in a strain‐specific manner that depends on the parasite genetic background.

Decreasing pfmdr1 Copy Number in Plasmodium falciparum Malaria Heightens Susceptibility to Mefloquine, Lumefantrine, Halofantrine, Quinine, and Artemisinin

The global dissemination of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is spurring intense efforts to implement artemisinin (ART)-based combination therapies for malaria, including mefloquine (MFQ)-artesunate and lumefantrine (LUM)-artemether. Clinical studies have identified an association between an increased risk of MFQ, MFQ-artesunate, and LUM-artemether treatment failures and pfmdr1 gene amplification. To directly address the contribution that pfmdr1 copy number makes to drug resistance, we genetically disrupted 1 of the 2 pfmdr1 copies in the drug-resistant FCB line, which resulted in reduced pfmdr1 mRNA and protein expression. These knockdown clones manifested a 3-fold decrease in MFQ IC(50) values, compared with that for the FCB line, verifying the role played by pfmdr1 expression levels in mediating resistance to MFQ. These clones also showed increased susceptibility to LUM, halofantrine, quinine, and ART. No change was observed for chloroquine. These results highlight the importance of pfmdr1 copy number in determining P. falciparum susceptibility to multiple agents currently being used to combat malaria caused by multidrug-resistant parasites.

Artemisinin-based combination therapies: a vital tool in efforts to eliminate malaria.

Plasmodium falciparum resistance to chloroquine and sulphadoxine–pyrimethamine has led to the recent adoption of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) as the first line of treatment against malaria. ACTs comprise semisynthetic artemisinin derivatives paired with distinct chemical classes of longer acting drugs. These artemisinins are exceptionally potent against the pathogenic asexual blood stages of Plasmodium parasites and also act on the transmissible sexual stages. These combinations increase the rates of clinical and parasitological cures and decrease the selection pressure for the emergence of antimalarial resistance. This Review article discusses our current knowledge about the mode of action of ACTs, their pharmacological properties and the proposed mechanisms of drug resistance.

K13-propeller mutations confer artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates

Mechanisms propelling drug resistance If it were to spread, resistance to the drug artemisinin would seriously derail the recent gains of global malaria control programs (see the Perspective by Sibley). Mutations in a region called the K13-propeller are predictive for artemisinin resistance in Southeast Asia. Mok et al. looked at the patterns of gene expression in parasites isolated from more than 1000 patients sampled in Africa, Bangladesh, and the Mekong region. A range of mutations that alter protein repair pathways and the timing of the parasites developmental cycle were only found in parasites from the Mekong region. Straimer et al. genetically engineered the K13 region of parasites obtained from recent clinical isolates. Mutations in this region were indeed responsible for the resistance phenotypes. Science, this issue p. 431, p. 428; see also p. 373 Resistance to the primary antimalarial drug lies in mutations in protein repair and developmental pathways. [Also see Perspective by Sibley] The emergence of artemisinin resistance in Southeast Asia imperils efforts to reduce the global malaria burden. We genetically modified the Plasmodium falciparum K13 locus using zinc-finger nucleases and measured ring-stage survival rates after drug exposure in vitro; these rates correlate with parasite clearance half-lives in artemisinin-treated patients. With isolates from Cambodia, where resistance first emerged, survival rates decreased from 13 to 49% to 0.3 to 2.4% after the removal of K13 mutations. Conversely, survival rates in wild-type parasites increased from ≤0.6% to 2 to 29% after the insertion of K13 mutations. These mutations conferred elevated resistance to recent Cambodian isolates compared with that of reference lines, suggesting a contemporary contribution of additional genetic factors. Our data provide a conclusive rationale for worldwide K13-propeller sequencing to identify and eliminate artemisinin-resistant parasites.

Imaging of Plasmodium liver stages to drive next-generation antimalarial drug discovery

Imidazolopiperazine compounds inhibit liver-stage malaria parasites with one oral dose in mice. Most malaria drug development focuses on parasite stages detected in red blood cells, even though, to achieve eradication, next-generation drugs active against both erythrocytic and exo-erythrocytic forms would be preferable. We applied a multifactorial approach to a set of >4000 commercially available compounds with previously demonstrated blood-stage activity (median inhibitory concentration < 1 micromolar) and identified chemical scaffolds with potent activity against both forms. From this screen, we identified an imidazolopiperazine scaffold series that was highly enriched among compounds active against Plasmodium liver stages. The orally bioavailable lead imidazolopiperazine confers complete causal prophylactic protection (15 milligrams/kilogram) in rodent models of malaria and shows potent in vivo blood-stage therapeutic activity. The open-source chemical tools resulting from our effort provide starting points for future drug discovery programs, as well as opportunities for researchers to investigate the biology of exo-erythrocytic forms.