26 August 2003
Scientists in the UK may have made a discovery through anti malarial drugs called Artemisinins, derived from a Chinese herb called Quingao or sweet wormwood, that will make it easier to monitor drug resistance, and to design new treatments for malaria.
The herb has been used against malaria in China for centuries. The discovery made at the St George's Hospital in London, is believed to be one of the last few hopes against treating drug-resistant parasites. In recent years its extracts have become one of the most important types of malarial drug, as the parasite has evolved resistance to other kinds.
A report of the study published in the journal Nature, an official of the World Health Organisation said the research had significance "beyond its undoubted scientific merit." In the new research, it was found that the artemisinins, does not seem to have any resistance against it in the parasites. The research team has now discovered that the artemisinins work by disabling a vital part of the parasite's cells - a tiny natural molecular motor which pumps calcium from one part of the cell to another. This discovery opens up the possibility of designing new drugs which work in a similar way - targeting this pump or others vital to the parasite's existence.
It should also make it easier for scientists to monitor whether the parasite is becoming resistant to the artemisinins - they can sample parasites and study the calcium pump - if it's changing, that would give an early warning that resistance is developing.
Up to now, people have thought that anti-malarias worked like a dirty bomb, that is, they get into the malaria-infected red cell, and they go for the main factory which the parasite is using to digest haemoglobin, and they spatter around, and knock that factory out.
But they found that, the drugs behave like a smart bomb. While it'll take some time to apply the findings, or even to test newer artemisinin derivatives which are being developed now. There is much hope for the future.
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