Targeting and Inhibiting Plasmodium falciparum Using Ultra-small Gold Nanoparticles.
Silvia Varela-AramburuChandradhish GhoshFelix GoerdelerPatricia PriegueOren MoscovitzPeter H SeebergerPublished in: ACS applied materials & interfaces (2020)
Malaria, a mosquito-borne disease caused by Plasmodium species, claims more than 400,000 lives globally each year. The increasing drug resistance of the parasite renders the development of new anti-malaria drugs necessary. Alternatively, better delivery systems for already marketed drugs could help to solve the resistance problem. Herein, we report glucose-based ultra-small gold nanoparticles (Glc-NCs) that bind to cysteine-rich domains of Plasmodium falciparum surface proteins. Microscopy shows that Glc-NCs bind specifically to extracellular and all intra-erythrocytic stages of P. falciparum. Glc-NCs may be used as drug delivery agents as illustrated for ciprofloxacin, a poorly soluble antibiotic with low antimalarial activity. Ciprofloxacin conjugated to Glc-NCs is more water-soluble than the free drug and is more potent. Glyco-gold nanoparticles that target cysteine-rich domains on parasites may be helpful for the prevention and treatment of malaria.
Keyphrases
- plasmodium falciparum
- gold nanoparticles
- water soluble
- high resolution
- drug delivery
- reduced graphene oxide
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- cancer therapy
- signaling pathway
- fluorescent probe
- photodynamic therapy
- health insurance
- single molecule
- drug induced
- optical coherence tomography
- emergency department
- high throughput
- skeletal muscle
- dengue virus
- metabolic syndrome
- cystic fibrosis
- combination therapy
- electronic health record
- label free
- genetic diversity
- drug release