Heme polymerization by malarial parasite: a potential target for antimalarial drug development

Abstract

Fast spreading drug resistance to commonly used antimalarial drugs like chloroquine and pyrimethamine has posed urgent requirement for newer drugs. Identification of critical biochemical processes necessary for parasite survival and their characterization is necessary for targeted drug design. Despite prolonged research, biochemistry of malaria parasite is poorly understood. Many common biochemical pathways, well characterized in other organisms, are yet to be looked at in malaria parasite. Polymerization of heme to form hemozoin pigment is a process unique to Plasmodia. This has attracted much attention in the recent years as a potential target for antimalarial chemotherapy, as specific inhibitors designed against such a process have the chance of high selectivity in interaction with metabolism of the host harbouring the parasite. Although the last word has yet to be said on mechanism of heme polymerization by malaria parasite, a consensus is evolving between various research groups working in this area, about its potential as a target for antimalarial design. In this review we have discussed the problem of heme polymerization and its possible use as a target for drug design as well as provide an account of the work being done in this direction by us as well as other research groups.