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Siciliano G, Di Paolo V, Rotili D, Migale R, Pedini F, Casella M, Camerini S, Dalzoppo D, Henderson R, Huijs T, Dechering KJ, Mai A, Caccuri AM, Lalle M, Quintieri L, Alano P. The Nitrobenzoxadiazole Derivative NBDHEX Behaves as Plasmodium falciparum Gametocyte Selective Inhibitor with Malaria Parasite Transmission Blocking Activity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15020168. [PMID: 35215282 PMCID: PMC8875241 DOI: 10.3390/ph15020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
This work describes the activity of 6-((7-nitrobenzo[c][1,2,5]oxadiazol-4-yl)thio)hexan-1-ol (NBDHEX) and of its newly identified carboxylic acid metabolite on the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. NBDHEX has been previously identified as a potent cytotoxic agent against murine and human cancer cells as well as towards the protozoan parasite Giardia duodenalis. We show here that NBDHEX is active in vitro against all blood stages of P. falciparum, with the rare feature of killing the parasite stages transmissible to mosquitoes, the gametocytes, with a 4-fold higher potency than that on the pathogenic asexual stages. This activity importantly translates into blocking parasite transmission through the Anopheles vector in mosquito experimental infections. A mass spectrometry analysis identified covalent NBDHEX modifications in specific cysteine residues of five gametocyte proteins, possibly associated with its antiparasitic effect. The carboxylic acid metabolite of NBDHEX retains the gametocyte preferential inhibitory activity of the parent compound, making this novel P. falciparum transmission-blocking chemotype at least as a new tool to uncover biological processes targetable by gametocyte selective drugs. Both NBDHEX and its carboxylic acid metabolite show very limited in vitro cytotoxicity on VERO cells. This result and previous evidence that NBDHEX shows an excellent in vivo safety profile in mice and is orally active against human cancer xenografts make these molecules potential starting points to develop new P. falciparum transmission-blocking agents, enriching the repertoire of drugs needed to eliminate malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Siciliano
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Veronica Di Paolo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
| | - Dante Rotili
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Rossella Migale
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
| | - Francesca Pedini
- Department of Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marialuisa Casella
- Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Serena Camerini
- Core Facilities, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (M.C.); (S.C.)
| | - Daniele Dalzoppo
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
| | - Rob Henderson
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Tonnie Huijs
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Koen J. Dechering
- TropIQ Health Sciences, 6534 AT Nijmegen, The Netherlands; (R.H.); (T.H.); (K.J.D.)
| | - Antonello Mai
- Department of Chemistry and Technology of Drugs, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (D.R.); (A.M.)
| | - Anna Maria Caccuri
- Department of Chemical Sciences and Technologies, University of Tor Vergata, 00133 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marco Lalle
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
| | - Luigi Quintieri
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, University of Padua, 35131 Padua, Italy; (V.D.P.); (D.D.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
| | - Pietro Alano
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, 00161 Rome, Italy; (G.S.); (R.M.)
- Correspondence: (M.L.); (L.Q.); (P.A.)
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