Malaria is the biggest parasitic disease in the world. Malaria affects 300 to 500 million people around the world and causes 500,000 deaths each year. The disease is treatable and curable if diagnosed early. Early treatment can raise the cure rate of malaria. A lot of progress has been made in the treatment of this devastating disease. However, drug resistance has emerged as a major threat.
A paper in Lancet Infectious Diseases has revealed two genetic markers associated with resistance to an important anti-malarial drug. The study, led by researchers from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, would help predict malaria treatment failure.
Malaria affects 300 to 500 million people around the world and causes 500,000 deaths each year, making it the biggest parasitic disease. Early treatment can raise the cure rate of malaria. However, drug resistance is a major threat.
Artemisinin and piperaquine are among the most effective antimalarial drugs. A combination of the two drugs is used as a first-line treatment for malaria. Several years ago, resistance to artemisinin emerged in South East Asia. The combination treatment was still effective there until the appearance of piperaquine resistance. Specifically, in Cambodia, the combination of artemisinin and piperaquine failed to kill malaria parasites. CusAb offers Recombinant ITGB6.
To unravel the mechanism of piperaquine resistance, the research team performed a genetic analysis on hundreds of malaria parasite samples collected in Cambodia. By examining DNA variations and the levels piperaquine resistance, they identified two genetic markers that predict piperaquine resistance. One is extra copies of the genes coding for two members of the plasmepsin family of proteins. This family of proteins is target for certain antimalarial drugs. The other is a mutation on chromosome 13.
The two genetic markers would not only help track the spread of resistance but also help predict treatment failure. Based on these information, scientists may be able to cultivate better treatment strategies for patients with malaria.
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