The Next Opportunity in Anti-Malaria Drug Discovery: The Liver Stage
2011

New Opportunities in Anti-Malaria Drug Discovery

publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Emily R. Derbyshire, Maria M. Mota, Jon Clardy

Primary Institution: Harvard Medical School

Hypothesis

Can targeting the liver stage of malaria lead to more effective drug development?

Conclusion

Targeting the liver stage of malaria presents a promising opportunity for developing new anti-malarial drugs.

Supporting Evidence

  • Malaria affects 350–500 million people each year.
  • Current anti-malarial drugs are becoming less effective due to resistance.
  • Targeting the liver stage could prevent malaria infections before they cause symptoms.

Takeaway

Malaria is a serious disease, and finding new medicines that work on the liver stage of the parasite could help stop it from spreading.

Methodology

The article discusses the need for high-throughput screening methods for liver stage malaria parasites.

Limitations

Current drug development primarily focuses on the blood stage, limiting progress in liver stage drug discovery.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.ppat.1002178

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