New drug clears malaria from mice in a single dose

Credit: World Health Organization/David Darling

Malaria is a major disease world-wide from both a public health & financial perspective. Last year, there were over 200 million new cases, & nearly half a million deaths.

The situation is deteriorating:

● malaria parasite is developing resistance to current treatments

● global warming is extending the range of the Anopheles mosquito which transmits the disease

● Anopheles mosquito is developing resistance to control measures

It is timely then, that a new drug has been developed. Mouse trials only so far, but very promising:

http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/09/new-drug-clears-malaria-from-mice-in-a-single-dose/ / New drug clears malaria mice single dose hasn't been tested in humans yet looks very promising drug chemist pharmacologist last year over 200 million cases malaria nearly half a million deaths efforts control disease limited success mosquitos carry rapidly evolved resistance insecticides DDT parasite causes disease resistant most effective treatment develop new drugs malarial parasite plasmodium eukaryote shares basic biochemistry find drug targets parasite human cells plasmodium complex life cycle stages makes generating vaccines difficult treatment new approaches screening drugs success Nature drug targets Plasmodium protein drug tests on mice drug clear infection single dose report huge international collaboration screened approximately 100,000 new chemicals activity against malaria designed adopt three-dimensional structures similar known biomolecules more likely chemicals tested stick to protein occupying site protein chemical found inside cells binding of the drug disrupt normal activity protein drugs tested ability slow down parasite growth cultured red blood cells related chemicals bound to proteins targets known drugs being useful not anything new entirely new structure of the chemical provide many clues Plasmodium evolve resistance parasite survived the drug sequenced its genome changes associated with the resistance gene encodes protein attach amino acids RNA incorporated into proteins protein helped attach phenylalanine RNA phenylalanine amino acid ring structure explain how drug interfere with its metabolism drug originally isolated water soluble half-life blood single dose persist for several days revised chemical tested mice side effects single dose drug completely clear any sign of infection effective ingested orally drug appeared several different stages parasite's life cycle clearing infections blood liver effectiveness limit spread parasite mosquitos researchers single dose malaria drug-resistant varieties medical facilities sparse nonexistent evolution of drug resistance clear the parasite with a single dose human testing results promising testing /