Proteasome inhibitors can kill Plasmodium spp.. However, lack of malaria-specific proteasome inhibitors that spare human proteasomes has so far precluded treating malaria with drugs like bortezomib, carfilzomib and ixazomib, which have significant toxicity. There is an urgent need to develop malaria-specific proteasome inhibitors. Our past work, including substrate profiling, enzymology, structure-guided rational design and high throughput screening, led to discovery of the first species-selective proteasome inhibitors (active against mycobacterial proteasomes but not human proteasomes) as well as highly isoform-selective proteasome inhibitors (active against the human immunoproteasome but not the human constitutive proteasome). Informed by those experiences, we collaborated with Dr. Laura Kirkman, parasitologist and co-PI, to identify a novel class of compounds that kill P. falciparum in vitro but spare mammalian cells. These compounds inhibit the P. falciparum proteasome (Pf20S) ?5 subunit potently, noncovalently and noncompetitively. The chemophore, subunit specificity, noncovalent reactivity and noncompetitive mode of inhibition of these compounds are distinctive compared to a Pf20S ?2 inhibitor recently reported by Bogyo?s team, thereby offering an independent shot on goal against a well validated target, an opportunity to overcome resistance to one agent by using the other, and the possibility of synergistic results from using both, if they each lead to drugs. Our inhibitors are highly potent in inhibiting growth of P. falciparum at erythrocytic, liver, and gametocyte stages and are equally effective against P. falciparum isolates that are sensitive or resistant to current drugs. We have formed a novel organizational structure to pool the resources of the Lin chemistry/enzymology lab and the Kirkman parasitology lab (for which this support is requested) with the expertise of two major drug companies, each donating services through not-for-profit organizations (Tri-I Therapeutics Discovery Institute and its partner, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, and Tres Cantos Open Lab Foundation and its partner, GlaxoSmithKline). We now aim to continue our team approach to advance the development of malarial proteasome inhibitors as antimalarial drugs by improving their selectivity, specificity and pharmaceutical properties.
Specific Aim 1 optimizes the hit compound series through rational design and concise and parallel synthesis, then determines their in vitro potency and selectivity, tests their anti-Plasmodium potency at erythrocytic, gametocytic, and liver stages, and improves their in vitro and in vivo pharmaceutical properties.
Aim 2 investigates the mechanism of resistance to Pf20S inhibitors and the synergy of Pf20S inhibitors with other anti-malarial drugs.

Public Health Relevance

Malaria is a huge global health problem with 250 million cases per year and more than 800,000 deaths annually. Our goal is to develop small chemical molecules that target a protein-degrading enzyme of malaria-causing plasmodium parasites. The study will provide lead compounds for further development as anti-malarial therapeutics.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)
Type
Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21)
Project #
5R21AI123794-02
Application #
9419281
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1)
Program Officer
O'Neil, Michael T
Project Start
2017-02-01
Project End
2020-01-31
Budget Start
2018-02-01
Budget End
2020-01-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2018
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
060217502
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10065
Kirkman, Laura A; Zhan, Wenhu; Visone, Joseph et al. (2018) Antimalarial proteasome inhibitor reveals collateral sensitivity from intersubunit interactions and fitness cost of resistance. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115:E6863-E6870
Eskandari, S K; Seelen, M A J; Lin, G et al. (2017) The immunoproteasome: An old player with a novel and emerging role in alloimmunity. Am J Transplant 17:3033-3039
Totaro, Kyle A; Barthelme, Dominik; Simpson, Peter T et al. (2017) Rational Design of Selective and Bioactive Inhibitors of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Proteasome. ACS Infect Dis 3:176-181
Hsu, Hao-Chi; Singh, Pradeep K; Fan, Hao et al. (2017) Structural Basis for the Species-Selective Binding of N,C-Capped Dipeptides to the Mycobacterium tuberculosis Proteasome. Biochemistry 56:324-333
Santos, Ruda de Luna Almeida; Bai, Lin; Singh, Pradeep K et al. (2017) Structure of human immunoproteasome with a reversible and noncompetitive inhibitor that selectively inhibits activated lymphocytes. Nat Commun 8:1692
Sula Karreci, Esilida; Fan, Hao; Uehara, Mayuko et al. (2016) Brief treatment with a highly selective immunoproteasome inhibitor promotes long-term cardiac allograft acceptance in mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 113:E8425-E8432