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Exploring the mode of action of MMV1580843 against Plasmodium falciparum

Dissertation (MSc (Biochemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2023.

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Other Authors: Van der Watt, Mariette Elizabeth
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: University of Pretoria 2024
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access_status_str Open Access
author2 Van der Watt, Mariette Elizabeth
author_browse Van der Watt, Mariette Elizabeth
author_facet Van der Watt, Mariette Elizabeth
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Dissertation (MSc (Biochemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2023.
format Thesis
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institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:40:06.524Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2024
publishDateRange 2024
publishDateSort 2024
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/94488 Exploring the mode of action of MMV1580843 against Plasmodium falciparum Van der Watt, Mariette Elizabeth u17031983@tuks.co.za Birkholtz, Lyn-Marie Schultz, Dana Caitlin Jr UCTD Plasmodium falciparum Ttransmission-blocking TCP-5 Mode of action Mitochondria MMV843 Malaria Sustainable development goals (SDGs) SDG-03: Good health and well-being Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-03 SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-09 SDG-17: Partnerships for the goals Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-17 Dissertation (MSc (Biochemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2023. Although malaria is both preventable and curable, it is a parasitic disease with the highest fatality rate in history, causing over half a million deaths worldwide each year, with 95 % of the cases occurring in Africa. Female Anopheles mosquitoes act as vectors for the malaria parasite. Plasmodium is transmitted to a human host when a female Anopheles mosquito feeds on the individual. In turn, humans infected with the malaria parasite can transmit the parasite back to another mosquito, perpetuating the parasite’s life cycle. The presence of both insecticide and therapeutic drug resistance to current antimalarials is an ongoing threat. Therefore, it is crucial that the next generation of antimalarials include compounds with unique modes of action and exhibiting high barriers to resistance development. Blocking transmission is essential for malaria elimination, given that current drugs primarily target asexual parasites or sporozoites and liver stages. The lower number and non-replicating nature of gametocytes render the development of resistance to transmission-blocking antimalarials highly improbable. Gametocyte-specific antimalarials are presumed to target unique biological processes compared to compounds targeting asexual parasites, reflecting the fundamental difference in the biology associated with asexual proliferation and gametocyte differentiation. A key drawback of phenotypic screening of candidate antimalarials is the lack of knowledge regarding the mode of action of a compound, which is the bottleneck of drug discovery and development. While current target identification strategies predominantly focus on the asexual stages of the parasite life cycle, there is a noticeable gap in knowledge regarding the mode of action of gametocyte-specific antimalarials. MMV1580843, a unique chemotype, is a structurally diverse and potent transmission-blocking compound, showing stage-specific activity towards non-proliferative gametocytes. This TCP-5 (target candidate profile-5, transmission-blocking) selective compound, with a potential novel mode of action in Plasmodium, was investigated here. This project thus aimed to determine the mode of action of MMV1580843 against P. falciparum late-stage gametocytes through biochemical approaches. The findings presented in this study point towards the mitochondria of late-stage gametocytes being the target of MMV1580843, supported by investigations involving fluorescent indicators and cross-reactivity with antimalarials having confirmed modes of action. The results of this research exhibit a promising step forward in elucidating the mode of action of a gametocyte-specific antimalarial, providing a foundation for the development of targeted interventions to disrupt malaria transmission. By bridging the existing gap in knowledge and proposing an innovative strategy, this study contributes to the ongoing efforts in the global fight against malaria. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation through the Grand Challenges Africa Drug Discovery programme – managed by the Science for Africa Foundation, the NRF SARChI - DSI/NRF SARChI (UID 84627) and MRC SHIP. Biochemistry MSc (Biochemistry) Unrestricted Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences 2024-02-12T09:56:45Z 2024-02-12T09:56:45Z 2024-05 2023-12-12 Dissertation * A2024 http://hdl.handle.net/2263/94488 10.25403/UPresearchdata.25202438 en © 2023 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle UCTD
Plasmodium falciparum
Ttransmission-blocking
TCP-5
Mode of action
Mitochondria
MMV843
Malaria
Sustainable development goals (SDGs)
SDG-03: Good health and well-being
Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-03
SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-09
SDG-17: Partnerships for the goals
Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-17
Exploring the mode of action of MMV1580843 against Plasmodium falciparum
title Exploring the mode of action of MMV1580843 against Plasmodium falciparum
title_full Exploring the mode of action of MMV1580843 against Plasmodium falciparum
title_fullStr Exploring the mode of action of MMV1580843 against Plasmodium falciparum
title_full_unstemmed Exploring the mode of action of MMV1580843 against Plasmodium falciparum
title_short Exploring the mode of action of MMV1580843 against Plasmodium falciparum
title_sort exploring the mode of action of mmv1580843 against plasmodium falciparum
topic UCTD
Plasmodium falciparum
Ttransmission-blocking
TCP-5
Mode of action
Mitochondria
MMV843
Malaria
Sustainable development goals (SDGs)
SDG-03: Good health and well-being
Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-03
SDG-09: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-09
SDG-17: Partnerships for the goals
Natural and agricultural sciences theses SDG-17
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/94488