Efficacy of new malaria drug proven using synchrotron light
The study was led by the UPC Department of Chemical Engineering
A group of international researchers led by Lourdes Campos of the UPC Department of Chemical Engineering has proven that the drug CD27 could be an option to treat malaria. The scientists used the light from the ALBA Synchrotron to obtain a 3D image of the crystalline structure of the drug and see how it interacts with a DNA complex similar to that of the parasite that causes malaria. The paper has been published in the scientific journal Acta Crystallographica D.
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a parasite from the Plasmodium genus and is transmitted through mosquito bites. Malaria causes an estimated one million deaths each year and the parasite is developing a resistance to drugs currently available, which presents another obstacle in treating the disease. This is why the results of this research are so important for malaria treatment.
The drug CD27 “has previously been used with success in other Trypanosoma species that produce ‘sleeping sickness’ in Africa and Chagas disease in South America,” explains researcher Lourdes Campos. The results of this study allow us to better understand the CD27 family of compounds and may significantly contribute to the development of more effective malaria drugs.
To conduct this study, researchers at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia - BarcelonaTech (UPC), the Medicinal Chemistry Institute (IQM-CSIC) and the University of Glasgow obtained a DNA crystal of CD27 and a DNA compound imitating the structure of the plasmid DNA. Obtaining a DNA crystal isn’t easy: it is a complex task that requires the collaboration of groups from various disciplines. “With the help of synchrotrons like ALBA, science can make a big step forward in comparison with the methods that were available 20 years ago,” explained Lourdes Campos.
After obtaining the crystal, the team of scientists analyzed its structure through x-ray diffraction experiments using the ALBA Synchrotron, which is the only synchrotron in Spain. This technique yielded a 3D image of the crystal, which allowed them to determine the structure of CD27 in detail and see how it interacts with DNA.
Finally, the results demonstrated that the drug completely covers one of the grooves of the DNA double helix. So, when CD27 joins to the plasmid DNA, it prevents the parasite from developing normally and leads to its death.
CD27 is patent free and, in the future, can be produced by any pharmaceutical company interested in marketing the drug.
More information is available in the press release.