Bursting Malaria's Bubble

A new antimalarial target has been identified that could revolutionise future therapies. Malaria is caused by parasites – here shown in green infecting a red blood cell – transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes. Every year almost half the world’s population are at risk. In 2012, 90% of malaria deaths occurred in Africa, resulting in nearly half a million children dying before their fifth birthday. As drug-resistant parasites emerge scientists are forced to search for alternative methods of treatment. Now new chemical compounds – called pyrazoleamides – have been shown to disrupt the parasites’ ability to sustain suitable levels of sodium, making them very ’thirsty’. This leads to extreme water intake and the parasite bursts. These compounds act in a novel way that’s not been previously exploited in other antimalarial drugs. They could also be capable of halting parasite multiplication and spread by mosquitoes – promise tantamount to fulfilling the malaria elimination programme.

Written by Rebekah Kells

Rebekah Kells

Writer

At the University of Edinburgh, Rebekah is an MRC-funded PhD student, Focus Editor of EU:Sci magazine and a STEM ambassador. Keen to engage anyone in science, she enjoys volunteering and designing activities for the Science Festival.

• Image by Moredun Scientific Ltd
• Science Photo Library
• Any re-use of this image must be authorised by Science Photo Library
• Research published in Nature Communications, November 2014