Protein-Protein Interactions in Malaria: Emerging Arena for Future Chemotherapeutics

Abstract

Malaria is one of the most deadly diseases infecting humans. Advances in elimination and vector control have reduced the global malaria burden in the past decade; however, the emerging threat of drug resistance and suboptimal vaccine efficacies threaten global eradication efforts. Unlocking novel drug and vaccine targets while simultaneously mitigating spread of resistant strains seems to be the need of the hour. Protein-protein interactions (PPIs), an integral part of hostpathogen cross-talk and parasite survival, have only recently emerged as promising drug targets. Large PPI networks (interactome) are being developed to better our understanding of various parasite biochemical pathways. In this chapter, we throw light on several newly characterized protein-protein interactions between the host (humans) and parasite (plasmodium) in key processes such as hemoglobin degradation, enzyme regulation, protein export, egress, invasion, and drug resistance and further discuss their viability for development as novel chemotherapeutic targets.

Developing Drugs for the ‘Undruggable’

“…To handle these, new targets for drug and vaccine development are sought after, so with increased understanding of the host-pathogen malaria interactome comes the possibility for new targets and treatments, which are currently under investigation [10].…”