Toxicology Research, 2021, 10, 203–213 doi: 10.1093/toxres/tfaa106 Advance Access Publication Date: 15 February 2021 Review REVIEW A target safety assessment of the potential Downloaded from https://academic.oup.com/toxres/article/10/2/203/6135370 by guest on 30 September 2021 toxicological risks of targeting plasmepsin IX/X for the treatment of malaria Jane Barber,1 Phumzile Sikakana,1 Claire Sadler,1 Delphine Baud,2 ∗ Jean-Pierre Valentin3 and Ruth Roberts1,4, 1ApconiX, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, SK10 4TG, UK, 2Medicines for Malaria Venture, 20 Route de Pré-Bois, Geneva 1215, Switzerland, 3UCB Biopharma SRL, Building R9, Chemin du Foriest, 1420 Braine-l’Alleud, Belgium and 4Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT, UK ∗ Correspondence address. ApconiX, Alderley Park, Alderley Edge, SK10 4DG, UK. Tel: +44 77 33 01 43 96; E-mail:
[email protected] Abstract The aspartic proteases plasmepsin IX/X are important antimalarial drug targets due to their specificity to the malaria parasite and their vital role as mediators of disease progression. Focusing on parasite-specific targets where no human homologue exists reduces the possibility of on-target drug toxicity. However, there is a risk of toxicity driven by inadequate selectivity for plasmepsins IX/X in Plasmodium over related mammalian aspartic proteases. Of these, CatD/E may be of most toxicological relevance as CatD is a ubiquitous lysosomal enzyme present in most cell types and CatE is found in the gut and in erythrocytes, the clinically significant site of malarial infection. Based on mammalian aspartic protease physiology and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to FDA-approved human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) aspartic protease inhibitors, we predicted several potential toxicities including β-cell and congenital abnormalities, hypotension, hypopigmentation, hyperlipidaemia, increased infection risk and respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, dermatological, and other epithelial tissue toxicities.