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Eliminating Malaria: Unraveling The Mysteries Of Parasitic Transmission And Metamorphosis

Plasmodium parasites that cause Malaria infect hundreds of millions each year, but we still lack a full understanding of how they transmit from host to host and the conditions that enable Plasmodium parasites to multiply inside the liver before assaulting the body. What efforts are being made to illuminate these processes and reveal parasitic vulnerabilities that can be exploited in new drugs to combat this deadly disease?

First, Lyn-Marié Birkholtz of the University of Pretoria in South Africa will give an introduction to the disease and describe the principles of antimalarial drug discovery that prioritizes transmission-blocking in candidates, including how her lab measures a block in the transmission of the parasite from the human host to the mosquito, the ideal profile of a transmission-blocking candidate, specific requirements in the physicochemical properties of such candidates, and development and deployment challenges.

Then, Emily R Derbyshire of Duke University will share how her lab employs chemical biology, biochemistry and genomics to develop small molecule probes, gene sequencing technologies and forward genetic screens that can observe the metamorphosis of Plasmodium in liver cells and reveal biological processes critical to this elusive developmental stage of the infection. Register now to discover why new Malaria drug discovery must go beyond the pathogenic stages of the disease and be equally effective at targeting and suppressing transmission if there is hope to reduce reinfection and spread of drug resistance.

This ACS Webinar is moderated by Jeremy Burrows from the Medicines for Malaria Venture and is co-produced with ACS Publications.

Really great session, I'm involved in Malaria drug discovery and it's great to get an overview of TPP/TCPs and variety of approaches.

Path To A Zero Malaria World: A New Type Of Net Could Cut Risk Of The Mosquito-borne Disease By Half

A new kind of mosquito net delivered across sub-Saharan Africa averted an estimated 13 million malaria cases. It also prevented nearly 25,000 deaths over three years, the project's backers said last month.

There were 249 million recorded malaria cases and 608,000 deaths in 2022. This data from the World Health Organization shows that most of the burden is in Africa.

Nearly half a million children in the African region die every year from malaria. The disease is caused by a parasite carried by mosquitoes.

The world is facing one major challenge as it strives to drive down the stubbornly high numbers. There is a growing insecticide resistance seen in the mosquitoes that carry the disease.

In a bid to tackle that problem, the New Nets Project delivered 56 million dual-insecticide nets. This was done across 17 malaria-endemic countries between 2019 and 2022.

The initiative was funded by Unitaid and the Global Fund and led by the Innovative Vector Control Consortium.

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The new nets were coated in a new generation pyrrole insecticide in combination with the standard pyrethroid insecticide. It was found that they did a far better job at malaria control.

Two clinical trials and five pilot studies were evaluated to determine the effectiveness of the new nets. Research showed that compared to standard nets, they improved malaria control by 20 to 50 per cent in countries reporting insecticide resistance in sub-Saharan Africa. The backers estimated the additional cost per case of malaria averted using the new nets was between US$0.66 (HK$5.16) and US$3.56 (HK$27.84).

The reduction in malaria cases and deaths attributed to the new nets also "equated to a potential US$28.9 million in financial savings to health systems", the statement said.

"The success of the New Nets Project is proof that, by fostering collaboration across global health partners, harnessing innovation, and using market-shaping approaches, we can fight insecticide resistance, make our interventions highly cost-effective and accelerate progress against malaria," Global Fund chief Peter Sands said in the statement.

Agence France-Press and Tribune News Agency

What is malaria and what causes it?

Malaria is caused by a single-celled parasite of the genus Plasmodium. The parasite is transmitted to humans, most commonly through mosquito bites (see graphic).

Parasites that cause malaria affect red blood cells. Hence, one can also be infected by exposure to infected blood. This includes from mother to unborn child, through blood transfusions and by sharing needles used to inject drugs.

Symptoms of malaria typically begin within a few weeks of being bitten by an infected mosquito. Some types of malaria parasites can lie dormant in your body for up to a year. Some people who have malaria experience cycles of malaria "attacks." An attack usually starts with shivering and chills, followed by a high fever. After that, there is a bout of sweating, and finally a return to normal temperature.

Signs and symptoms of malaria can include fever, chills, general feeling of discomfort, headache, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, muscle or joint pain, fatigue, rapid breathing, rapid heart rate and cough.

Malaria is treated with prescription drugs to kill the parasite. In 2021, the World Health Organization recommended the widespread use of a new malaria vaccine for children. The WHO director general called the long-awaited vaccine a "breakthrough for science, child health and malaria control". He also said that when combined with existing tools to prevent malaria, tens of thousands of children could be saved each year.

A Definitive Atomic Structure Of The Heme Crystals Made By Malaria Parasites Could Lead To Better Antimalarial Drugs

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