TFG - FARMÀCIA - Fisicoquímica i Técniques Instrumentals
Esqué Englund, Frans
Abstract
The search for new therapeutic strategies against malaria includes the possibility of finding a selective inhibitor of the Plasmodium falciparum Glucose 6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) enzyme, competitive with Glucose 6-Phosphate (G6P) but not for NADP +, with a significant selectivity toward the Plasmodium enzyme relative to the human counterpart. Structural models of the P. falciparum G6PD have reflected that this hypothetical inhibitor should have a positive charge at physiological pH.
Malaria Box is a database of 400 candidate compounds to be antimalarial drugs. Among them, 80 compounds comprising Plate A have a higher in vitro efficacy. From all stereoisomers of these compounds, using computational tools, we will make a selection of those with positive charge at pH=7.4. Then, the rDock program has been used to perform molecular docking to the G6P binding cavity in Plasmodium enzyme. Such screening has allowed to eliminate compounds with por properties as binders, while the binding of the rest has been checked visually using the PyMOL engine.
The results have led to the identification of five compound as potential candidates with inhibitory activity toward G6PD, MMV665831 being the most relevant one.
Keywords: Malaria Box. Plate A, Plasmodium falciparum, PyMOL Inhibidores de la glucosa-6-fosfato deshidrogenasa.
Reception date: 30/09/2014
Acceptance date: 04/11/2014