Small-molecule drugs targeting the malaria parasite's calcium pump
Official title: Development of phenolic small molecule inhibitors of PfATP6, a Plasmodium calcium ATPase
Funded at California State University Sacramento · NIH-11327268 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Developing new small, easy-to-make compounds that block an important malaria parasite enzyme to help people with malaria, including drug-resistant cases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | California State University Sacramento NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Sacramento, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2023 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $142,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM145435-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11327268 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Eventually, people infected with Plasmodium falciparum—especially those with drug-resistant malaria—would be the intended candidates for treatments developed from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Because this is early laboratory research, patients will not get direct benefit now, and people with non-falciparum malaria may not benefit from PfATP6-targeted drugs.
What this research studies
This project focuses on designing and testing simple phenolic chemicals that can block PfATP6, a calcium-transporting enzyme in Plasmodium falciparum. Researchers will synthesize hydroquinone and naphthoquinone scaffold compounds and test them in lab bioassays and binding experiments, including model systems like yeast. The goal is to find compounds with strong, specific activity against the parasite enzyme and favorable properties for future drug development. Promising candidates will be characterized in detail to understand how they interact with PfATP6 at the molecular level.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a new class of antimalarial drugs that are simpler and cheaper to make and effective against resistant parasites.
How similar studies have gone: Only a few PfATP6 inhibitors are known and some simple phenolic compounds have shown activity in lab screens, but this approach has not yet produced clinically proven drugs.
Where this research is happening
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California State University Sacramento
Sacramento, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Paula, Stefan Franz — California State University Sacramento
- Study coordinator: Paula, Stefan Franz
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.