title: Inhibition of an Erythrocyte Tyrosine Kinase with Imatinib Prevents Plasmodium falciparum Egress and Terminates Parasitemia.
abstract: With half of the world's population at risk for malaria infection and with drug resistance on the rise, the search for mutation-resistant therapies has intensified. We report here a therapy for Plasmodium falciparum malaria that acts by inhibiting the phosphorylation of erythrocyte membrane band 3 by an erythrocyte tyrosine kinase. Because tyrosine phosphorylation of band 3 causes a destabilization of the erythrocyte membrane required for parasite egress, inhibition of the erythrocyte tyrosine kinase leads to parasite entrapment and termination of the infection. Moreover, because one of the kinase inhibitors to demonstrate antimalarial activity is imatinib, i.e. an FDA-approved drug authorized for use in children, translation of the therapy into the clinic will be facilitated. At a time when drug resistant strains of P. falciparum are emerging, a strategy that targets a host enzyme that cannot be mutated by the parasite should constitute a therapeutic mechanism that will retard evolution of resistance.
authors: Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, 47907, United States of America.|Purdue Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, 47907, United States of America.
authors: Kristina R
authors: KR
authors: Kesely
authors: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors: Antonella
authors: A
authors: Pantaleo
authors: Department of Genetics, Biology and Biochemistry, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
authors: Francesco M
authors: FM
authors: Turrini
authors: Department of Paediatrics/Research Unit, Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, Mbale, Uganda.
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Olupot-Olupot
authors: Purdue Institute for Drug Discovery, Purdue University, West Lafayette, 47907, United States of America.|Purdue Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, 47907, United States of America.
authors: Philip S
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9042-5528
authors: PS
authors: Low
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology*; D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018512:Parasitemia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
chemical_list: D000068877:Imatinib Mesylate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases