Drugs targeting mitochondrial functions

This chapter provides an overview of the design and development of antimalarial drugs acting on targets within the mitochondrion of the malaria parasite. The three mitochondrial targets that have been most successful with regards to drug development are all enzymes within the mitochondrial electron transport chain: (1) cytochrome bc1, (2) dihydroorotate dehydrogenase and (3) type II NADH dehydrogenase. This chapter will review the development of inhibitors of these enzymes and other mitochondrial targets that have proven to be viable antimalarial drug targets, including a discussion of atovaquone, a cytochrome bc1 inhibitor, and the only antimalarial mitochondrial drug to be used in the clinic.