Plasmodium falciparum News and Research

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Research findings may help identify human TOR kinase inhibitors

A parasite estimated to afflict as many as 12 million people worldwide relies on a family of genes that should make it vulnerable to compounds developed to treat cancer and other disorders, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have found.

17 Jul 2010

Also in Global Health News: WHO reacts to Amnesty's N. Korea report; Universal flu vaccine; Malaria-resistant mosquitoes

The WHO is questioning the validity of the findings of a recent Amnesty International report which highlighted the dire needs of North Korea's health system, "contradict[ing] the rosier picture given by WHO chief Margaret Chan after her April trip there," the Associated Press reports. Although WHO spokesman Paul Garwood "insisted he wasn't criticizing Amnesty's work … he said Thursday's report was anecdotal, with stories dating back to 2001," which "[h]e contrasted … with WHO's science-based approach" (7/16).

17 Jul 2010

Researcher to lead $14.5M project to fight malaria in Southeast Asia

A researcher in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences will lead a seven-year, $14.5 million project to fight malaria in Southeast Asia. Liwang Cui, professor of entomology, is the principal investigator for the Southeast Asia Malaria Research Center, one of 10 International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research announced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.

14 Jul 2010

Wall Street Journal essay examines historical efforts to control malaria

In a Wall Street Journal essay, Sonia Shah, the author of an upcoming book on malaria, outlines the historical efforts to control malaria - from the Roman Empire through today.

13 Jul 2010

Efficacy data of Caldolor Injection in treating fever associated with falciparum malaria published

Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc. today announced that data supporting the efficacy of Caldolor in treating fever associated with falciparum malaria was published in the July edition of the peer-reviewed American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. The study, which is the first to document an antipyretic effect of an injectable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug on fever caused by malaria, demonstrated that patients who received intravenous ibuprofen experienced a greater reduction in their temperatures than those who received placebo.

13 Jul 2010

Qualaquin for treatment of night time leg cramps leads to serious side effects, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned that the unapproved use of the malaria drug Qualaquin (quinine sulfate) to treat night time leg cramps has resulted in serious side effects and prompted the manufacturer to develop a risk management plan aimed at educating health care professionals and patients about the potential risks.

9 Jul 2010

PolyMedix receives NIH grant to develop defensin-mimetic antimicrobial compounds for malaria

PolyMedix, Inc., an emerging biotechnology company focused on developing new therapeutic drugs to treat acute cardiovascular disorders and infectious diseases, has received a grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to support the development of defensin-mimetic antimicrobial compounds for the treatment of malaria.

7 Jul 2010

Antioxidant therapy may prevent long-lasting cognitive impairment in cerebral malaria: Research

Using an experimental mouse model for malaria, an international group of scientists has discovered that adding antioxidant therapy to traditional antimalarial treatment may prevent long-lasting cognitive impairment in cerebral malaria. Their findings were published online June 24, 2010, in the journal PLoS Pathogens.

28 Jun 2010

Recent releases in Global Health

The U.N.'s plan to improve maternal health is lacking "the one element that will make it work. Human rights," according to blog post on Huffington Post. "Medical causes of maternal death - hemorrhage, sepsis, hypertension, unsafe abortion, HIV and AIDS - are inextricably linked to human rights. Each one of these instances can be prevented or treated by simply respecting women's human rights in health policies and delivery of services, and addressing systemic gender inequality."

19 Jun 2010

Researchers identify first genetic risk factors for development of CM in Angolan children

Malaria, caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, remains one of the main causes of death worldwide. An international team of researchers lead by Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, IGC, scientist Carlos Penha-Gonçalves, has identified the first genetic risk factors for the development of cerebral malaria in Angolan children, a severe manifestation of malaria infection.

17 Jun 2010

Molecules similar to blood-thinning drug heparin can stop malaria from infecting red blood cells: Scientists

New treatments for malaria are possible after Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists found that molecules similar to the blood-thinning drug heparin can stop malaria from infecting red blood cells.

2 Jun 2010

Platelets play important role in cerebral malaria: Research

Scientists are making strides against cerebral malaria, a fatal form of malaria in children that can ravage the brain and is extremely difficult to treat. New research points to platelets - known for their role in blood clotting - as playing an important role in the disease, stimulating the immune system and turning on molecules that increase inflammation. The inflammation leads to the obstruction of blood vessels in the brain, causing brain damage similar to that seen with a stroke.

2 Jun 2010

Restanza shows greater efficacy against species of Plasmodium that cause malaria

Advanced Life Sciences Holdings, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company engaged in the discovery, development and commercialization of novel drugs in the therapeutic areas of infection, oncology and respiratory diseases, today announced positive results from in vitro and in vivo studies assessing the efficacy of Restanza (cethromycin), its novel oral antibiotic, against the species of Plasmodium that cause malaria.

27 May 2010

Studies identify new chemical compounds that could lead to development of new malaria drugs

Researchers have identified thousands of chemical compounds that could be used to develop new malaria drugs, two studies published in the journal Nature on Wednesday show, the Wall Street Journal reports.

21 May 2010

HSPH researchers succeed in locking malaria parasites within infected blood cells

Harvard School of Public Health researchers and colleagues seeking to block invasion of healthy red blood cells by malaria parasites have instead succeeded in locking the parasites within infected blood cells, potentially containing the disease.

15 May 2010

Researchers demonstrate how Plasmodium falciparum can able to circumvent action of artemisinin

Researchers from CNRS, INSERM and Toulouse University Hospital have demonstrated how the parasite Plasmodium falciparum, which causes severe forms of malaria, is able to circumvent the action of artemisinin and its derivatives, which are today the first-line drugs used to treat this disease. This study supplies some important findings that will enable a clearer understanding of the mechanisms of resistance to antimalarial drugs and the testing of novel therapeutic strategies in a context where the drug resistance of parasites is of increasing concern.

6 May 2010

Tulane University researchers urge action to eliminate malaria from Hispaniola

In an editorial in the May 2010 issue of the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Tulane University malaria researchers urge action to eliminate malaria from Hispaniola, the last island in the Caribbean where the disease occurs regularly.

29 Apr 2010

McGill researchers receive $1.7M for 10 cutting-edge research projects

Ten McGill University researchers received an important boost today, by way of the announcement of $1.7 million in new funding awarded through the Canada Foundation for Innovation's Leaders Opportunity Fund. "CFI investments are critical for our research leaders, to ensure that their research remains innovative and second to none," said Dr. Rima Rozen, Interim Vice-Principal (Research and International Relations) at McGill.

24 Apr 2010

Genocea Biosciences, NMRC sign CRADA to develop vaccine against malaria

Genocea Biosciences, a leading vaccine discovery and development company, today announced that it has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with the Naval Medical Research Center. NMRC will collaborate with Genocea to identify antigens that will be used in the development of a vaccine candidate against Plasmodium falciparum for the prevention of malaria.

16 Apr 2010

Study confirms blood-stage infection is due to population mixing and disease evolution

In a paradigm changing discovery, Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria has been identified in a population historically thought to be resistant to the disease, those who do not express the Duffy blood group protein on their red blood cells, according to researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Pasteur Institute, and the Madagascar Ministry of Health.

16 Mar 2010