Babesia BdFE1 esterase is required for the anti-parasitic activity of the ACE inhibitor fosinopril.

ABSTRACT: Effective and safe therapies for the treatment of diseases caused by intraerythrocytic parasites are impeded by the rapid emergence of drug resistance and the lack of novel drug targets. One such disease is human babesiosis, which is a rapidly emerging tick-borne illness caused by Babesia parasites. In this study, we identified fosinopril, a phosphonate-containing, FDA-approved angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor commonly used as a prodrug for hypertension and heart failure, as a potent inhibitor of Babesia duncani parasite development within human erythrocytes. Cell biological and mass spectrometry analyses revealed that the conversion of fosinopril to its active diacid molecule, fosinoprilat, is essential for its antiparasitic activity. We show that this conversion is mediated

SUBMITTER: Vydyam P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10663679 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature