Design and synthesis of protein-protein interaction mimics as Plasmodium falciparum cysteine protease, falcipain-2 inhibitors

► Falcipain-2 is involved in hemoglobin degradation during the life cycle of P. falciparum. ► Egg white cystatin is a natural proteic inhibitor of falcipain-2. ► Small peptides, mimicking the cystatin regions that interact with falcipain-2, are able to inhibit the enzyme and to create morphological abnormalities in the parasite food vacuole.