Metabolic Inhibitors as Antiparasitic Drugs: Pharmacological, Biochemical and Molecular Perspectives

Title:Metabolic Inhibitors as Antiparasitic Drugs: Pharmacological, Biochemical and Molecular Perspectives

Volume: 17 Issue: 10

Author(s): Suprabhat Mukherjee, Niladri Mukherjee, Prajna Gayen, Priya Roy and Santi P. Sinha Babu

Affiliation:

Keywords: Antimetabolic drugs, antiparasitics, cost-convenient therapy, metabolic pathways, metabolic targeting, parasitic diseases.

Abstract: Background: Human diseases caused by the infectious parasites have been one of the major problems throughout the evolutionary journey. Protozoan and metazoan parasitic infections result in a large number of deaths, disabilities and socio-economic loss worldwide to date. Despite the best efforts for developing suitable antiparasitics, these infections take a massive toll on human health. The prevalence of emerging resistance to the existing drugs, lack of efficacy and toxic side effects are as added complications. Being enlisted under ‘neglected’ category, serious diseases like leishmaniasis, filariasis, trypanosomiasis etc. have failed to draw attention of the governments as well as the pharmaceutical companies. Thus, target specific as well as cost-convenient therapy needs to be employed for the treatment of these diseases and selective targeting of metabolic pathways appears to be the most promising mean.

Methods: In this context, quality works have been explored for screening either anti-metabolic drugs or selective targets in different groups of parasites. Moreover, complete genome sequencing and metabolomic profiling have provided the initiatives to search for new lethal targets in parasites.

Results: New metabolic targets are being reported from different organelles and other sub-cellular compartments of parasites such as mitochondrion, kinetoplast, apicoplast, glycosome, hydrogenosome, acidocalcisome, plasma membrane, cytoskeleton, etc. Herein, unique findings achieved in identifying new antimetabolic drugs or targets and studying their molecular mode of actions have been reviewed by incorporating existing and upcoming approaches.

Conclusion: Considering the alarming scenario of diseases caused by parasites globally, this paper provides a comprehensive review to the scientific community on the development of novel interventions based on metabolic targets to combat the challenges posed by parasites.

Cite this article as:

Mukherjee Suprabhat, Mukherjee Niladri, Gayen Prajna, Roy Priya and Babu P. Sinha Santi, Metabolic Inhibitors as Antiparasitic Drugs: Pharmacological, Biochemical and Molecular Perspectives, Current Drug Metabolism 2016; 17 (10) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389200217666161004143152

DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1389200217666161004143152	Print ISSN 1389-2002
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher	Online ISSN 1875-5453