Lead optimisation of a series of antimalarial Plasmepsin IX/X beta-hydroxyethylamine based inhibitors
Date: 01/02/2024 – 31/01/2026
Principal investigator: Paul O’Neill (University of Liverpool)
Participants:
- Nicoletta Basilico, Silvia Parapini, Sarah D’Alessandro (University of Milan)
- Neil Berry, David Hong (University of Liverpool)
- Giancarlo Biagini, Stephen Ward (Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine)
Summary
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results in over 600.000 deaths annually, primarily among children under the age of five in Africa. The project aims to find new antimalarial molecules, capable of inhibiting two enzymes, Plasmepsin IX and X, crucial for the survival of the parasite. It is a multinational effort involving researchers from the UK (University of Liverpool, Imperial College, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine), Italy (University of Milan), and Switzerland (MMV, University of Geneva).