Therapy to Eradicate Malaria on the Anvil

The first-ever comparative analysis of all currently available and in-development antimalarials has been completed by researchers.

This information provides the missing pieces of the puzzle needed to develop future medicines able to block transmission of the parasite from person to person.

Malaria - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment
Malaria is caused by a parasite that enters blood through the bite of an infected mosquito. It is characterized by fever, vomiting, shivering, sweating and other symptoms.

Current medicines mostly target the malaria parasite at the blood stage in its lifecycle because this is the step that leads to clinical symptoms.

To be able to block transmission of the parasite, however, we need to be able to kill the parasite at multiple points in its lifecycle, namely the sexual and vector (mosquito) stages.

The research teams from Imperial College London, Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, Swiss TPH, University of Basel, Scripps Research Institute and Medicines for Malaria Venture were able to reproduce the complex biology of the malaria parasite throughout its lifecycle, in the laboratory.

About Mosquito Diseases
Mosquito-borne diseases, like malaria, filaria, dengue, etc are common in places conducive of mosquito breeding. Swamps, ponds and stagnated drainage provide optimal breeding ground for mosquitoes.

This then allowed them to test the activity of 50 anti-infective molecules (the vast majority being available and in-development antimalarials) against each 'laboratory-produced step' to determine exactly where they act.

The research revealed a number of interesting findings. Specifically, some already available antimalarials, such as pyronaridine and atovaquone, can target the liver and sexual stages of the parasite in addition to the blood stage.

Waterborne Disease
Interactive section of Medindia gives details regarding waterborne disease

The endoperoxide OZ439, currently in Phase II clinical trials, and a new 8-aminoquinoline, NPC-1161B, also demonstrated transmission-blocking potential.

"These specific findings will be critical in guiding the selection and combination of next-generation molecules to succeed artemisinin combination therapy and will support the drive to eradicate malaria," said Tim Wells, CSO of MMV.

"while the complete data provides us with a benchmark against which to assess any newly discovered molecules," Wells added.

The study has been published in PLoS Medicine.

Source-ANI