Researchers Develop Innovative Treatment for Malaria

An international team of researchers have introduced a groundbreaking drug, known as the covalent kinase inhibitor, which shows promise in combating treatment-resistant malaria. Developed by chemists and bioscientists from the University of Glasgow, this innovative drug could surpass current medications by effectively targeting and disabling the proteins used by the Plasmodium falciparum parasite to replicate within the human body.

This is according to a report titled “Targeting Pf CLK3 with Covalent Inhibitors: A Novel Strategy for Malaria Treatment.”

The development, led by chemists and bioscientists from the University of Glasgow, was outlined in a November publication in the “Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.”

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According to the researchers, covalent inhibitors form bonds with proteins, usually irreversibly modifying them, and this new drug could be more effective than current medications at all stages of malaria infection.

The new drug works by permanently disabling a protein that Plasmodium falciparum, one of the mosquito-borne parasites that spread malaria, uses to replicate itself inside the human body.

The drug also has the potential to work as a single-dose treatment, a significant improvement over existing therapies.

This breakthrough marks the first adaptation of an approach from cancer treatments to tackle malaria.

The team expressed optimism that the parasite is unlikely to develop resistance to the new drug, which targets the protein Pf CLK3 and disrupts the parasite’s ability to splice RNA.

The researchers, including Prof. Martins Emeje from the Nigerian Natural Medicines Development Agency and Prof. Oyewale Tomori from the West African Academy of Sciences, emphasise the importance of regular calibration and accreditation for medical laboratories to ensure accurate results and reliable treatment.

NAN