Perspectives in drug design against malaria

Abstract

Development of drug resistance by Plasmodium falciparum and insecticide resistance by the mosquito has lead to the resurgence of the most virulent forms of malaria. This review aims to provide a general perspective on drug design for P. falciparum malaria. Though numerous targets have been identified, new clinically useful target-specific inhibitors remain a distant prospect. This review focuses on pathways and enzymes for which some structural information and detailed biochemistry along with specificity of inhibitor action is available. Aspects of the parasite glycolytic pathway, nucleotide metabolism, proteases, redox metabolism and organelle function have been used to highlight possible targets and molecules that could inhibit their function.