Inhibiting host PRDX6 for malaria

Inhibiting the host lipid peroxidation repair enzyme PRDX6 could help treat Plasmodium falciparum infections that cause malaria, including artemisinin-resistant strains. In cultures of red blood cells infected with P. falciparum, parasites internalize host PRDX6 along with host hemoglobin. In P. falciparum growth assays, inhibition of PRDX6 with Darapladib, — identified as a PRDX6 binder in a screen of compounds known to bind related enzymes — blocked blood-stage growth compared with compounds that did not bind PRDX6. In cultures of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum strains, the combination of Darapladib and an artemisinin derivative inhibited growth compared with either agent alone...