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Malaria Box-Inspired Discovery of N-Aminoalkyl-β-carboline-3-carboxamides, a Novel Orally Active Class of Antimalarials

  • Jopaul Mathew
  • , Sha Ding
  • , Kevin A. Kunz
  • , Emily E. Stacy
  • , Joshua H. Butler
  • , Reagan S. Haney
  • , Emilio F. Merino
  • , Grant J. Butschek
  • , Zaira Rizopoulos
  • , Maxim Totrov
  • , Maria B. Cassera
  • , Paul R. Carlier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

Virtual ligand screening of a publicly available database of antimalarial hits using a pharmacophore derived from antimalarial MMV008138 identified TCMDC-140230, a tetrahydro-β-carboline amide, as worthy of exploration. All four stereoisomers of this structure were synthesized, but none potently inhibited growth of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Interestingly, 7e, a minor byproduct of these syntheses, proved to be potent in vitro against P. falciparum and was orally efficacious (40 mg/kg) in an in vivo mouse model of malaria.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)365-370
Number of pages6
JournalACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters
Volume13
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 10 2022
Externally publishedYes

Funding

P.R.C., M.B.C., and M.T. thank the National Institutes of Health (AI128362 and AI157445) for financial support. We gratefully acknowledge E. Winzeler and D. A Kyle for providing the Dd2-KAE609 and 4G strains of P. falciparum, respectively. Part of the data presented in this manuscript are included in patent WO2021/195603 A1 (PCT/US2021/024542), filed on behalf of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc., and the University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc. R P.R.C., M.B.C., and M.T. thank the National Institutes of Health (AI128362 and AI157445) for financial support. We gratefully acknowledge E. Winzeler and D. A Kyle for providing the Dd2-KAE609R and 4G strains of P. falciparum, respectively. Part of the data presented in this manuscript are included in patent WO2021/195603 A1 (PCT/US2021/024542), filed on behalf of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties, Inc., and the University of Georgia Research Foundation Inc.

Keywords

  • DMPK
  • Drug discovery
  • Plasmodium
  • in vivo
  • synthesis

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