Is haemozoin a target for antimalarial drugs?
Malarial parasites utilize a unique pathway to degrade haemoglobin. Most of the haem which is released during haemoglobin degradation is incorporated into haemozoin. The mechanism of haemozoin synthesis and the structure of haemozoin are controversial. Neither chloroquine nor artemisinin appear to affect haemozoin synthesis in vivo. Artemisinin is activated by intraparasitic haem and iron into a free radical which then alkylates specific malarial proteins.
Meshnick
S R
SR
Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor 48109-2029, USA.
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037621:Artemisinins; D002738:Chloroquine / Q000494:pharmacology; D006420:Hemeproteins; D051379:Mice; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000187:drug effects*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000494:pharmacology
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D006420:Hemeproteins; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C020753:hemozoin; D002738:Chloroquine; C031327:artemisinin