Poly-basic peptides and polymers as new drug candidate against Plasmodium falciparum

Plasmodium falciparum, the malaria-causing parasite, is a leading cause of infection-induced deaths worldwide. The preferred treatment approach is artemisinin-combination therapy, which couples fast-acting artemisinin derivatives with longer-acting drugs like lumefantrine, mefloquine, and amodiaquine. However, the urgency for new treatments has risen due to the parasite’s growing resistance to existing therapies. Our study shows that a common characteristic of the P. falciparum proteome – stretches of poly-lysine residues such as those found in proteins related to adhesion and pathogenicity – can serve as an effective peptide treatment for infected erythrocytes. A single dose of these poly-basic peptides can successfully diminish parasitemia in human erythrocytes in vitro with minimal toxicity. The effectiveness of the treatment correlates with the length of the poly-lysine peptide, with 30 lysine peptides supporting the eradication of erythrocytic parasites within 72 hours. PEG-ylation of the poly-lysine peptides or utilizing poly-lysine dendrimers and polymers further increases parasite clearance efficiency and bolsters the stability of these potential new therapeutics. Lastly, our affinity pull-downs and mass-spectrometry identify P. falciparum’s outer membrane proteins as likely targets for polybasic peptide medications. Since poly-lysine dendrimers are already FDA-approved for drug delivery, their adaptation as antimalarial drugs presents a promising new therapeutic strategy.