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Cover Picture: Characterization of Plasmodium Liver Stage Inhibition by Halofuginone (ChemMedChem 5/2012)
Author(s) -
Derbyshire Emily R.,
Mazitschek Ralph,
Clardy Jon
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
chemmedchem
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Reports
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.817
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1860-7187
pISSN - 1860-7179
DOI - 10.1002/cmdc.201290018
Subject(s) - malaria , medicine , biology , pharmacology , traditional medicine , immunology
The cover picture shows a molecular model of the natural product analogue halofuginone and the life cycle of the malaria parasite that requires a mosquito vector, the sequential infection of mammalian liver cells, followed by the invasion of red blood cells. Halofuginone is a synthetic derivative of the plant alkaloid febrifugine, which constitutes the active component of “Chang Shan”—a traditional Chinese medicine prepared from the roots of the blue evergreen hydrangea Dichroa febrifuga. Both compounds have been widely recognized for their activity in the symptomatic blood stage of malaria. We have discovered that halofuginone also potently inhibits the early‐ and late‐liver‐stage processes, clearing parasites one day after liver cell infection, a feature that is uncommon for most antimalarial agents. This finding reveals that halofuginone has potential as a prophylactic that could prevent the progression of the disease to the life‐threatening blood stage. For more details, see the Full Paper by Emily R. Derbyshire, Ralph Mazitschek and Jon Clardy on p. 844 ff .