E-DRUG: New compounds with the potential to eliminate malaria
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UP researcher’s team discovers new compounds with the potential to eliminate malaria -
University of Pretoria News
Posted on January 11, 2021
The University of Pretoria (UP) has discovered new potent chemical compounds that show potential as candidates for both the treatment and elimination of malaria.
Professor Lyn-Marie Birkholtz, Professor in Biochemistry and South African Research Chair in Sustainable Malaria Control (part of the South African Research Chair Initiative, SARChI), was part of an international team that published this discovery in the journal Nature Communications on 11 January. “The breakthrough involves the identification of unique compounds that are able to kill several stages of the malaria-causing parasite and can block the transmission of the parasite between humans and mosquitoes,” she explained.
The deadly human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum occurs in South Africa. These parasites are transmitted to humans by female Anopheles mosquitoes. The only means of killing the parasite itself is to use chemical drugs, but new antimalarial drugs are urgently needed to address the growing concern of antimalarial drug resistance.
Prof Birkholtz describes the parasite as a “shape shifter” since it can take on multiple forms while in humans. Some of the forms cause disease and others allow the parasite to be transmitted back to mosquitoes to continue the life cycle. Prof Birkholtz states: “To eliminate malaria, it is essential that we have the necessary tools to kill all these different forms of the parasite. We can then cure patients of the disease but, importantly, also block the malaria transmission cycle. This is the only way to achieve malaria elimination.”
https://www.up.ac.za/news/post_2945911-up-researchers-team-discovers-new-compounds-with-the-potential-to-eliminate-malaria
Posted by
Carinne Bruneton
E-med@healthnet.org
<carinne.bruneton@hotmail.fr>
E-DRUG: New compounds with the potential to eliminate malaria
----------------------------------------------------------------------
UP researcher?s team discovers new compounds with the potential to
eliminate malaria -
University of Pretoria News
Posted on January 11, 2021
The University of Pretoria (UP) has discovered new potent chemical
compounds that show potential as candidates for both the treatment and
elimination of malaria.
Professor Lyn-Marie Birkholtz, Professor in Biochemistry and South African
Research Chair in Sustainable Malaria Control (part of the South African
Research Chair Initiative, SARChI), was part of an international team that
published this discovery in the journal Nature Communications on 11
January. ?The breakthrough involves the identification of unique compounds
that are able to kill several stages of the malaria-causing parasite and
can block the transmission of the parasite between humans and mosquitoes,?
she explained.
The deadly human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum occurs in South
Africa. These parasites are transmitted to humans by female Anopheles
mosquitoes. The only means of killing the parasite itself is to use
chemical drugs, but new antimalarial drugs are urgently needed to address
the growing concern of antimalarial drug resistance.
Prof Birkholtz describes the parasite as a ?shape shifter? since it can
take on multiple forms while in humans. Some of the forms cause disease and
others allow the parasite to be transmitted back to mosquitoes to continue
the life cycle. Prof Birkholtz states: ?To eliminate malaria, it is
essential that we have the necessary tools to kill all these different
forms of the parasite. We can then cure patients of the disease but,
importantly, also block the malaria transmission cycle. This is the only
way to achieve malaria elimination.?
https://www.up.ac.za/news/post_2945911-up-researchers-team-discovers-new-compounds-with-the-potential-to-eliminate-malaria
Posted by
Carinne Bruneton
E-med@healthnet.org
<carinne.bruneton@hotmail.fr>