Discovery of 1,3,4-Oxadiazole Derivatives as Broad-Spectrum Antiparasitic Agents.

Vector-borne parasitic diseases (VBPDs) pose a significant threat to public health on a global scale. Collectively, Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), Leishmaniasis, and Malaria threaten millions of people, particularly in developing countries. Climate change might alter the transmission and spread of VBPDs, leading to a global burden of these diseases. Thus, novel agents are urgently needed to expand therapeutic options and limit the spread of drug-resistant parasites. Herein, we report the development of broad-spectrum antiparasitic agents by screening a known library of antileishmanial and antimalarial compounds toward Trypanosoma brucei ( T. brucei ) and identifying a 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivative ( 19 ) as anti- T. brucei hit with predicted blood-brain barrier permeability. Subsequently, extensive structure-activity-relationship studies around the lipophilic tail of 19 led to a potent antitrypanosomal and antimalarial compound ( 27 ), with moderate potency also toward Leishmania infantum ( L. infantum ) and Leishmania tropica . In addition, we discovered a pan-active antiparasitic molecule ( 24 ), showing low-micromolar IC ₅₀ s toward T. brucei and Leishmania spp. promastigotes and amastigotes, and nanomolar IC ₅₀ against Plasmodium falciparum , together with high selectivity for the parasites over mammalian cells (THP-1). Early ADME-toxicity assays were used to assess the safety profile of the compounds. Overall, we characterized 24 and 27 , bearing the 1,3,4-oxadiazole privileged scaffold, as broad-spectrum low-toxicity agents for the treatment of VBPDs. An alkyne-substituted chemical probe ( 30 ) was synthesized and will be utilized in proteomics experiments aimed at deconvoluting the mechanism of action in the T. brucei parasite.