Spiral molecules with antimalarial activities: A review

Area of Science:

• Medicinal Chemistry
• Parasitology
• Drug Discovery

Background:

• Malaria remains a significant global health threat, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas.
• Existing antimalarial treatments face challenges due to widespread parasite resistance.
• Novel chemical compounds with new targets are crucial for effective malaria control.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and summarize chemical compounds with antimalarial activities, focusing on spiral structures.
• To provide comprehensive information on structure-activity relationships, targets, resistance, and synthesis of antimalarial agents.
• To highlight the importance of spiral scaffolds in developing new drugs against malaria.

Main Methods:

• A literature review was conducted, covering publications from 1966 to 2021.
• Compounds were classified based on structural features, including spiro-peroxides, spiroindolones, and spirocyclohexadienones.
• Information on antimalarial activities, SAR, targets, resistance, and synthetic strategies was compiled.

Main Results:

• Various classes of spiral compounds exhibit significant antimalarial activity.
• Structure-activity relationship studies reveal key features for efficacy.
• The review details current development progress and synthetic approaches for these molecules.

Conclusions:

• Spiral structures represent a vital area for the development of novel antimalarial drugs.
• Understanding SAR and targets is essential for overcoming drug resistance.
• This review provides a foundation for future research in antimalarial drug discovery.