: We have chosen to concentrate on a thorough understanding of the oldest family of anti-malarials, the antifolates. Our work in the last few years has shown that a thorough understanding of why and how resistance to these inhibitors is selected can extend the useful therapeutic life of currently available antifolate drugs like pyrimethamine. More important, these studies have also shown that a third generation antifolate, WR99210, holds great promise as an affordable antimalarial that will be effective over a long period. It is effective even against the most pyrimethamine resistant mutants of P. falciparum that have been identified, and mutants resistant to WR99210 have not been easily selected. It is the """"""""low hanging fruit"""""""" that drug developers often seek! We propose in this grant to determine the biochemical, genetic and biological mechanisms of action that distinguish WR99210 from pyrimethamine and other antifolate drugs that have been previously developed. * We will analyze the biochemical parameters of mutant enzymes that are resistant to DHFR inhibitors. * We will analyze the fitness of mutant alleles of dhfr in P. falciparum and P. vivax in vitro * We will analyze the changes in pools of mRNA, proteins and small molecules to determine the changes that characterize treatment of P. falciparum with inhibitors of DHFR, with sulfa drugs and with both drugs in synergistic combination. We think that this in depth understanding of antifolate action in the parasites will ensure that WR99210 will be developed as a useful drug for the long haul against P. falciparum and P. vivax.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01AI055604-04
Application #
7008491
Study Section
Tropical Medicine and Parasitology Study Section (TMP)
Program Officer
Coyne, Philip Edward
Project Start
2003-09-01
Project End
2007-12-31
Budget Start
2006-01-01
Budget End
2006-12-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$358,211
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Genetics
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
605799469
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Hawkins, Vivian N; Suzuki, Stephanie M; Rungsihirunrat, Kanchana et al. (2009) Assessment of the origins and spread of putative resistance-conferring mutations in Plasmodium vivax dihydropteroate synthase. Am J Trop Med Hyg 81:348-55
Certain, Laura K; Briceno, Marnie; Kiara, Steven M et al. (2008) Characteristics of Plasmodium falciparum dhfr haplotypes that confer pyrimethamine resistance, Kilifi, Kenya, 1987--2006. J Infect Dis 197:1743-51
Hawkins, Vivian N; Auliff, Alyson; Prajapati, Surendra Kumar et al. (2008) Multiple origins of resistance-conferring mutations in Plasmodium vivax dihydrofolate reductase. Malar J 7:72
Sandefur, Conner I; Wooden, Jason M; Quaye, Isaac K et al. (2007) Pyrimethamine-resistant dihydrofolate reductase enzymes of Plasmodium falciparum are not enzymatically compromised in vitro. Mol Biochem Parasitol 154:1-5
Rungsihirunrat, Kanchana; Na-Bangchang, Kesara; Hawkins, Vivian N et al. (2007) Sensitivity to antifolates and genetic analysis of Plasmodium vivax isolates from Thailand. Am J Trop Med Hyg 76:1057-65
Hawkins, Vivian N; Joshi, Hema; Rungsihirunrat, Kanchana et al. (2007) Antifolates can have a role in the treatment of Plasmodium vivax. Trends Parasitol 23:213-22
Certain, Laura K; Sibley, Carol H (2007) Plasmodium falciparum: a novel method for analyzing haplotypes in mixed infections. Exp Parasitol 115:233-41
Sibley, Carol Hopkins; Ringwald, Pascal (2006) A database of antimalarial drug resistance. Malar J 5:48
Hapuarachchi, Hapuarachchige C; Dayanath, Meegoda Y D; Bandara, Kandeyaye Bandaralage A T et al. (2006) Point mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase and dihydropteroate synthase genes of Plasmodium falciparum and resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in Sri Lanka. Am J Trop Med Hyg 74:198-204
Hunt, Sonia Y; Rezvani, Brian B; Sibley, Carol Hopkins (2005) Novel alleles of Plasmodium falciparum dhfr that confer resistance to chlorcycloguanil. Mol Biochem Parasitol 139:25-32

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