New Way to Fight Malaria
A team of Danish and American experts announced the discovery of a new way to combat malaria, by deleting a gene that helps the malaria parasite to reproduce inside mosquitoes.
The gene, whose function was unknown until now, allows the parasite to develop an egg-like structure called oocyte and spawns new infectious parasites, according to experts published in ‘Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences’. “When the gene is removed, we observe the effect of genetic absence of the parasite,” explained Klaerke Dan said, a physiologist at the University of Copenhagen and one of the members of the study scientists.
The team analyzed the Klaerke malaria parasite that infects rodents, similar to species that attack humans. The researchers, among whom was Nirbay Kumar of Johns Hopkins University, USA, focused on the operation of potassium channels in the parasites.
All animal and plant cells containing those channels that help carry the electrical charge needed by the nerves, muscles and heart of animals. The team discovered two new channels on parasites and how to control them, said Klaerke.
Stop playback of the parasites is important because an infected mosquito incapable of transmitting malaria if it can not reproduce, the Danish scientist said, noting that experts are now examining whether drugs could close these potassium channels. “Blocking these channels could make the parasite more vulnerable to known drugs,” concluded Klaerke.
Between 300 and 500 million people are infected each year from malaria, particularly in Africa. About one million people and one child every 30 seconds, die each year from this disease.
Tiny parasites live and reproduce inside mosquitoes that transmit it by biting animals or people. Malaria is difficult to fight because its complex life cycle allows the parasite to evade the drugs and vaccines. Furthermore, it has become resistant to some drugs and vaccine effectiveness is diminished. One of its effective treatment is Coartem, Novartis AG, seen as the standard of care of malaria.