Interactions between docetaxel (Taxotere) and Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes

Taxotere (docetaxel) inhibits Plasmodium falciparum erythrocytic development in vitro at nanomolar concentrations, both in chloroquine-sensitive (F32/Tanzania) and chloroquine-resistant (FcB1/Colombia, FcR3/Gambia) strains. The dose-response assays performed on asynchronous cultures during 42 hr showed clear biphasic curves with a plateau from 50 microM to 10 nM and a single sigmoid curve with a concentration inhibiting 50% of growth (IC50) of 3-6 nM observed after a 72-hr incubation. Addition of Taxotere to different stages of FcB1 revealed two types of targets: one type on ring/trophozoite-infected erythrocytes (RBCs), at the micromolar level, and another type on schizont-infected RBCs with Taxotere at micromolar concentrations inhibited the merozoite invasion of erythrocytes and parasite growth. These Taxotere-RBC interactions were stable, at least for 1 day. Pulse experiments of 5 hr with Taxotere efficiently inhibit parasite development regardless of the period of the parasite's erythrocytic life cycle. However, different cellular effects were obtained depending upon periods of drug incubations. The inhibition of P. falciparum development by Taxotere should provide additional strategies to block parasite development.