Researchers found drugs that prevent malaria parasites

Northwestern University researchers have discovered how malaria parasites ' persuade ' red blood cells to cover them - and how to prevent spreading parasites .

These malaria attackers invade the red blood cell signaling system and steal the molecule equivalent to a command to open the gate to the cell. Researchers have found that a common blood pressure medication - propranolol - compresses signals to prevent parasites from breaking in.

Scientists have long been puzzled about the possibility of ' stealing ' red blood cells of malaria and then proliferating and causing symptoms that threaten the life of the disease. fever.

(Photo: Sciencenews.org) Kasturi Haldar, principal investigator for the study and Charles E. and Professor Emma H. ​​Morrison of the Department of Disease Research at Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern, said: 'Discovery This opens up the possibility of acquiring important new drugs to treat malaria that will not be resistant. New drugs are an urgent need because the parasite has developed resistance to almost all commonly used drugs. '

The study was published in the Medical Journal of the Public Library of Science and lead author Sean Murphy, a student of the Medical Science Training Program.

Haldar said malaria, one of the top three deadly diseases in the developing world, is raging all over the world because of drug resistance and the lack of an effective vaccine.

Recently, Jamaica reported a malaria outbreak after it had been wiped out of the country for 50 years.

A blood-borne infection, malaria spreads through infected mosquitoes. Symptoms include high fever and flu like symptoms such as chills, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. The disease is estimated to kill about 2 million people every year, mainly African children under 5 years old. It also poses a threat to visitors. It is estimated that there are 500 million cases of malaria in 2006.

The drugs commonly used to treat malaria attack the parasite but it quickly changes the molecular structure to become resistant. Haldar said, however, that it is difficult for malaria parasites to develop resistance to a drug that acts on a person's red blood cells like a blood pressure medication.

When Haldar and colleagues tested propranolol in combination with antimalarial drugs in human and mouse cell groups, it reduced the amount of antimalarial drugs needed to kill parasites by ten times. It is very important because the antimalarial dosage is high - more necessary when resistance develops - can be toxic.

In addition, antihypertensive drugs such as propranolol are cheap and safe for use even for pregnant women - a group of people particularly susceptible to malaria.

Haldar said: 'We are working on developing a unique drug that will combine antimalarial and blood pressure medications. We think the probability of success is very high. ' The next step is a clinical trial on humans.

The study was funded by the American Heart Association, Northwestern University Principal and the National Institutes of Health fund.

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