Fatty acid biosynthesis in the malaria chloroplast as a drug target

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/145794

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Malarial parasites contain a chloroplast similar to that of plants. We recently found genetic evidence suggesting the malaria chloroplast makes fats in the same way as plant chloroplasts. Additionally, we have found that drugs and herbicides that block plant chloroplast fat production stop growth of malaria cultures. Parasitologists had assumed that malaria was unable to make fats and would scavenge them from its human host so we have probably discovered a new metabolic pathway in these parasites. We now propose to prove that the drugs work by blocking essential, chloroplast-based fat production in parasites. This could lead to novel treatment of malaria and related parasites.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2002

End Date: 01-01-2002

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $131,035.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Dental therapeutics pharmacology and toxicology

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

antimalarials | fatty acid biosynthesis | malaria | molecular genetics of drug resistance | relict chloroplast of malaria | type II fatty acid biosynthesis

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