Identification of Novel, Potent, and Selective Compounds against Malaria Using Glideosomal-Associated Protein 50 as a Drug Target

Phylum apicomplexan consists of parasites, such as and . These obligate intracellular parasites enter host cells an energy-dependent process using specialized machinery, called the glideosome. In the present study, we used GAP50, a glideosome-associated protein, as a target to screen 951 different compounds from diverse chemical libraries. Using different screening methods, eight compounds (Hayatinine, Curine, MMV689758 (Bedaquiline), MMV1634402 (Brilacidin), and MMV688271, MMV782353, MMV642550, and USINB4-124-8) were identified, which showed promising binding affinity (KD < 75 μM), along with submicromolar range antiparasitic efficacy and selectivity index > 100 fold for malaria parasite. These eight compounds were effective against Chloroquine-resistant INDO and Artemisinin-resistant Cam3.1 strains. Studies on the effect of these compounds at asexual blood stages showed that these eight compounds act differently at different developmental stages, indicating the binding of these compounds to other proteins, in addition to GAP50. We further studied the effects of compounds (Bedaquiline and USINB4-124-8) in an mouse model of malaria. Importantly, the oral delivery of Bedaquiline (50 mg/kg b. wt.) showed substantial suppression of parasitemia, and three out of seven mice were cured of the infection. Thus, our study provides new scaffolds for the development of antimalarials that can act at multiple lifecycle stages.