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Awab GR, Pukrittayakamee S, Jamornthanyawat N, Yamin F, Dondorp AM, Day NP, White NJ, Woodrow CJ, Imwong M. Prevalence of antifolate resistance mutations in Plasmodium falciparum isolates in Afghanistan. Malar J 2013; 12:96. [PMID: 23497229 PMCID: PMC3607912 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-12-96] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2012] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Artesunate plus sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (AS+SP) is now first-line treatment for Plasmodium falciparum infection in several south Asian countries, including Afghanistan. Molecular studies provide a sensitive means to investigate the current state of drug susceptibility to the SP component, and can also provide information on the likely efficacy of other potential forms of artemisinin-combination therapy. Methods During the years 2007 to 2010, 120 blood spots from patients with P. falciparum malaria were obtained in four provinces of Afghanistan. PCR-based methods were used to detect drug-resistance mutations in dhfr, dhps, pfcrt and pfmdr1, as well as to determine copy number of pfmdr1. Results The majority (95.5%) of infections had a double mutation in the dhfr gene (C59R, S108N); no mutations at dhfr positions 16, 51 or 164 were seen. Most isolates were wild type across the dhps gene, but five isolates from the provinces of Kunar and Nangarhar in eastern Afghanistan had the triple mutation A437G / K540E / A581G; all five cases were successfully treated with three receiving AS+SP and two receiving dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. All isolates showed the pfcrt SVNMT chloroquine resistance haplotype. Five of 79 isolates had the pfmdr1 N86Y mutation, while 52 had pfmdr1 Y184F; positions 1034, 1042 and 1246 were wild type in all isolates. The pfmdr1 gene was not amplified in any sample. Conclusions This study indicates that shortly after the adoption of AS+SP as first-line treatment in Afghanistan, most parasites had a double mutation haplotype in dhfr, and a small number of isolates from eastern Afghanistan harboured a triple mutation haplotype in dhps. The impact of these mutations on the efficacy of AS+SP remains to be assessed in significant numbers of patients, but these results are clearly concerning since they suggest a higher degree of SP resistance than previously detected. Further focused molecular and clinical studies in this region are urgently required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghulam R Awab
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit (MORU), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Bangkok, Thailand
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Tanaka TQ, Dehdashti SJ, Nguyen DT, McKew JC, Zheng W, Williamson KC. A quantitative high throughput assay for identifying gametocytocidal compounds. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2013; 188:20-5. [PMID: 23454872 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2013.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2012] [Revised: 02/04/2013] [Accepted: 02/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Current antimalarial drug treatment does not effectively kill mature Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes, the parasite stage responsible for malaria transmission from human to human via a mosquito. Consequently, following standard therapy malaria can still be transmitted for over a week after the clearance of asexual parasites. A new generation of malaria drugs with gametocytocidal properties, or a gametocytocidal drug that could be used in combinational therapy with currently available antimalarials, is needed to control the spread of the disease and facilitate eradication efforts. We have developed a 1536-well gametocyte viability assay for the high throughput screening of large compound collections to identify novel compounds with gametocytocidal activity. The signal-to-basal ratio and Z'-factor for this assay were 3.2-fold and 0.68, respectively. The IC(50) value of epoxomicin, the positive control compound, was 1.42±0.09 nM that is comparable to previously reported values. This miniaturized assay significantly reduces the number of gametocytes required for the AlamarBlue viability assay, and enables high throughput screening for lead discovery efforts. Additionally, the screen does not require a specialized parasite line, gametocytes from any strain, including field isolates, can be tested. A pilot screen utilizing the commercially available LOPAC library, consisting of 1280 known compounds, revealed two selective gametocytocidal compounds having 54- and 7.8-fold gametocytocidal selectivity in comparison to their cell cytotoxicity effect against the mammalian SH-SY5Y cell line.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Q Tanaka
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, MD 20892, United States
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Wells S, Diap G, Kiechel JR. The story of artesunate-mefloquine (ASMQ), innovative partnerships in drug development: case study. Malar J 2013; 12:68. [PMID: 23433060 PMCID: PMC3640935 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-12-68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2012] [Accepted: 01/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for profit organization committed to providing affordable medicines and access to treatments in resource-poor settings. Traditionally drug development has happened “in house” within pharmaceutical companies, with research and development costs ultimately recuperated through drug sales. The development of drugs for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases requires a completely different model that goes beyond the scope of market-driven research and development. Artesunate and mefloquine are well-established drugs for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria, with a strong safety record based on many years of field-based studies and use. The administration of such artemisinin-based combination therapy in a fixed-dose combination is expected to improve patient compliance and to reduce the risk of emerging drug resistance. Case description DNDi developed an innovative approach to drug development, reliant on strong collaborations with a wide range of partners from the commercial world, academia, government institutions and NGOs, each of which had a specific role to play in the development of a fixed dose combination of artesunate and mefloquine. Discussion and evaluation DNDi undertook the development of a fixed-dose combination of artesunate with mefloquine. Partnerships were formed across five continents, addressing formulation, control and production through to clinical trials and product registration, resulting in a safe and efficacious fixed dose combination treatment which is now available to treat patients in resource-poor settings. The south-south technology transfer of production from Farmanguinhos/Fiocruz in Brazil to Cipla Ltd in India was the first of its kind. Of additional benefit was the increased capacity within the knowledge base and infrastructure in developing countries. Conclusions This collaborative approach to drug development involving international partnerships and independent funding mechanisms is a powerful new way to develop drugs for tropical diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Wells
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
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104
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Antimalarial drug resistance: a review of the biology and strategies to delay emergence and spread. Int J Antimicrob Agents 2013; 41:311-7. [PMID: 23394809 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2012.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2012] [Revised: 12/12/2012] [Accepted: 12/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of resistance to former first-line antimalarial drugs has been an unmitigated disaster. In recent years, artemisinin class drugs have become standard and they are considered an essential tool for helping to eradicate the disease. However, their ability to reduce morbidity and mortality and to slow transmission requires the maintenance of effectiveness. Recently, an artemisinin delayed-clearance phenotype was described. This is believed to be the precursor to resistance and threatens local elimination and global eradication plans. Understanding how resistance emerges and spreads is important for developing strategies to contain its spread. Resistance is the result of two processes: (i) drug selection of resistant parasites; and (ii) the spread of resistance. In this review, we examine the factors that lead to both drug selection and the spread of resistance. We then examine strategies for controlling the spread of resistance, pointing out the complexities and deficiencies in predicting how resistance will spread.
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105
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MDR1-associated resistance to artesunate+mefloquine does not impair blood-stage parasite fitness in a rodent malaria model. INFECTION GENETICS AND EVOLUTION 2013; 14:340-6. [PMID: 23318648 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2012.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2012] [Revised: 12/05/2012] [Accepted: 12/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
If drug-resistant malaria mutants are less fit than sensitive forms, they will wane over time when active drug pressure is removed and the overall sensitivity to the drug may be restored. However, most studies addressing this issue have been largely retrospective. Here, we undertook a predictive study, using mutant rodent malaria parasites resistant to the Artemisinin combination treatment (ACT) version of artesunate+mefloquine (ATN+MF) to gain insights about their ability to compete with ATN+MF-sensitive forms in untreated hosts. Previously, Plasmodium chabaudi parasites resistant to ATN+MF were selected in vivo through prolonged passaging in mice under increasing doses of the two drugs, and shown to harbour duplication of the mdr1 gene. Here, the resistant parasite, AS-ATNMF1, was mixed with its progenitor AS-ATN in different proportions and each mixture was injected into mice that were left untreated. Absolute percentage parasitaemias and the proportion of each parasite were then monitored by microscopy and proportional sequencing, respectively, every two days for a period of 14days. AS-ATNMF1 outperformed its progenitor AS-ATN over the whole sampling period regardless of the relative starting proportion of each parasite clone. In order to assess if consecutive sub-inoculations could have been responsible for the apparent fitness gain of the resistant parasite, its growth was compared to that of AS-ATN27P, a parasite which was passaged the same number of times as AS-ATNMF1, but left untreated. Although small fluctuations in the proportion of each parasite were observed through time, the relative abundance of each on the last day of sampling (Day 14) was virtually identical to that of the starting inoculum. We conclude that there is no fitness cost associated with MDR1-associated ATN+MF resistance in vivo. These observations offer the first insights about the within-host dynamics between ACT-resistant and -sensitive parasites in absence of drug pressure.
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Zheng W. Sirtuins as emerging anti-parasitic targets. Eur J Med Chem 2013; 59:132-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2012.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2012] [Revised: 10/16/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Baird JK. Tropical Health and Sustainability. Infect Dis (Lond) 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-5719-0_11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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Fairhurst RM, Nayyar GML, Breman JG, Hallett R, Vennerstrom JL, Duong S, Ringwald P, Wellems TE, Plowe CV, Dondorp AM. Artemisinin-resistant malaria: research challenges, opportunities, and public health implications. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 87:231-241. [PMID: 22855752 PMCID: PMC3414557 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin-based combination therapies are the most effective drugs to treat Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Reduced sensitivity to artemisinin monotherapy, coupled with the emergence of parasite resistance to all partner drugs, threaten to place millions of patients at risk of inadequate treatment of malaria. Recognizing the significance and immediacy of this possibility, the Fogarty International Center and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the U.S. National Institutes of Health convened a conference in November 2010 to bring together the diverse array of stakeholders responding to the growing threat of artemisinin resistance, including scientists from malarious countries in peril. This conference encouraged and enabled experts to share their recent unpublished data from studies that may improve our understanding of artemisinin resistance. Conference sessions addressed research priorities to forestall artemisinin resistance and fostered collaborations between field- and laboratory-based researchers and international programs, with the aim of translating new scientific evidence into public health solutions. Inspired by this conference, this review summarizes novel findings and perspectives on artemisinin resistance, approaches for translating research data into relevant public health information, and opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration to combat artemisinin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick M. Fairhurst
- *Address correspondence to Rick M. Fairhurst, Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, 12735 Twinbrook Parkway, Room 3E-10A, Rockville, MD 20852. E-mail:
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Wein S, Maynadier M, Bordat Y, Perez J, Maheshwari S, Bette-Bobillo P, Tran Van Ba C, Penarete-Vargas D, Fraisse L, Cerdan R, Vial H. Transport and pharmacodynamics of albitiazolium, an antimalarial drug candidate. Br J Pharmacol 2012; 166:2263-76. [PMID: 22471905 PMCID: PMC3437492 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.01966.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Choline analogues, a new type of antimalarials, exert potent in vitro and in vivo antimalarial activity. This has given rise to albitiazolium, which is currently in phase II clinical trials to cure severe malaria. Here we dissected its mechanism of action step by step from choline entry into the infected erythrocyte to its effect on phosphatidylcholine (PC) biosynthesis. EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH We biochemically unravelled the transport and enzymatic steps that mediate de novo synthesis of PC and elucidated how albitiazolium enters the intracellular parasites and affects the PC biosynthesis. KEY RESULTS Choline entry into Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes is achieved both by the remnant erythrocyte choline carrier and by parasite-induced new permeability pathways (NPP), while parasite entry involves a poly-specific cation transporter. Albitiazolium specifically prevented choline incorporation into its end-product PC, and its antimalarial activity was strongly antagonized by choline. Albitiazolium entered the infected erythrocyte mainly via a furosemide-sensitive NPP and was transported into the parasite by a poly-specific cation carrier. Albitiazolium competitively inhibited choline entry via the parasite-derived cation transporter and also, at a much higher concentration, affected each of the three enzymes conducting de novo synthesis of PC. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Inhibition of choline entry into the parasite appears to be the primary mechanism by which albitiazolium exerts its potent antimalarial effect. However, the pharmacological response to albitiazolium involves molecular interactions with different steps of the de novo PC biosynthesis pathway, which would help to delay the development of resistance to this drug.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Wein
- Dynamique des Interactions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques, CNRS UMR 5235, Université Montpellier II, Montpellier, France
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Antimalarial and anticancer activities of artemisinin–quinoline hybrid-dimers and pharmacokinetic properties in mice. Eur J Pharm Sci 2012; 47:834-41. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejps.2012.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2012] [Revised: 07/12/2012] [Accepted: 09/25/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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111
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Abstract
7-Isocyano-11(20),14-epiamphilectadiene, the most potent of antimalarial amphilectenes, is synthesized in seven steps from readily available materials. The synthesis is enabled by a new dendrimeric triene (Danishefsky [3]-dendralene) and a new method for stereo- and chemoselective isocyanation. This chemistry provides a useful entry into an underexplored yet promising family of antimalarial terpenoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey V Pronin
- Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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112
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Hien TT, Thuy-Nhien NT, Phu NH, Boni MF, Thanh NV, Nha-Ca NT, Thai LH, Thai CQ, Toi PV, Thuan PD, Long LT, Dong LT, Merson L, Dolecek C, Stepniewska K, Ringwald P, White NJ, Farrar J, Wolbers M. In vivo susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to artesunate in Binh Phuoc Province, Vietnam. Malar J 2012; 11:355. [PMID: 23101492 PMCID: PMC3504531 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2012] [Accepted: 10/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background By 2009, there were worrying signs from western Cambodia that parasitological responses to artesunate-containing treatment regimens for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria were slower than elsewhere which suggested the emergence of artemisinin resistance. Vietnam shares a long land border with Cambodia with a large number of migrants crossing it on a daily basis. Therefore, there is an urgent need to investigate whether there is any evidence of a change in the parasitological response to the artemisinin derivatives in Vietnam. Methods From August 2010 to May 2011, a randomized controlled clinical trial in uncomplicated falciparum malaria was conducted to compare two doses of artesunate (AS) (2mg/kg/day versus 4 mg/kg/day for three days) followed by dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ) and a control arm of DHA-PPQ. The goal was characterization of the current efficacy of artesunate in southern Vietnam. The primary endpoint of this study was the parasite clearance half-life; secondary endpoints included the parasite reduction ratios at 24 and 48 hours and the parasite clearance time. Results 166 patients were recruited into the study. The median parasite clearance half-lives were 3.54 (AS 2mg/kg), 2.72 (AS 4mg/kg), and 2.98 hours (DHA-PPQ) (p=0.19). The median parasite-reduction ratio at 24 hours was 48 in the AS 2mg/kg group compared with 212 and 113 in the other two groups, respectively (p=0.02). The proportions of patients with a parasite clearance time of >72 hours for AS 2mg/kg, AS 4mg/kg and DHA-PPQ were 27%, 27%, and 22%, respectively. Early treatment failure occurred in two (4%) and late clinical failure occurred in one (2%) of the 55 patients in the AS 2mg/kg group, as compared with none in the other two study arms. The PCR-corrected adequate clinical and parasitological response (APCR) rates in the three groups were 94%, 100%, and 100% (p=0.04). Conclusions This study demonstrated faster P. falciparum parasite clearance in southern Vietnam than in western Cambodia but slower clearance in comparison with historical data from Vietnam. Further studies to determine whether this represents the emergence of artemisinin resistance in this area are needed. Currently, the therapeutic response to DHA-PPQ remains satisfactory in southern Vietnam. Trial registration NTC01165372
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Affiliation(s)
- Tran Tinh Hien
- Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme (MOP), Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
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Brown T, Smith LS, Oo EKS, Shawng K, Lee TJ, Sullivan D, Beyrer C, Richards AK. Molecular surveillance for drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum in clinical and subclinical populations from three border regions of Burma/Myanmar: cross-sectional data and a systematic review of resistance studies. Malar J 2012; 11:333. [PMID: 22992214 PMCID: PMC3518194 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2012] [Accepted: 08/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Confirmation of artemisinin-delayed parasite clearance in Plasmodium falciparum along the Thai-Myanmar border has inspired a global response to contain and monitor drug resistance to avert the disastrous consequences of a potential spread to Africa. However, resistance data from Myanmar are sparse, particularly from high-risk areas where limited health services and decades of displacement create conditions for resistance to spread. Subclinical infections may represent an important reservoir for resistance genes that confer a fitness disadvantage relative to wild-type alleles. This study estimates the prevalence of resistance genotypes in three previously unstudied remote populations in Myanmar and tests the a priori hypothesis that resistance gene prevalence would be higher among isolates collected from subclinical infections than isolates collected from febrile clinical patients. A systematic review of resistance studies is provided for context. METHODS Community health workers in Karen and Kachin States and an area spanning the Indo-Myanmar border collected dried blood spots from 988 febrile clinical patients and 4,591 villagers with subclinical infection participating in routine prevalence surveys. Samples positive for P. falciparum 18 s ribosomal RNA by real-time PCR were genotyped for P. falciparum multidrug resistance protein (pfmdr1) copy number and the pfcrt K76T polymorphism using multiplex real-time PCR. RESULTS Pfmdr1 copy number increase and the pfcrt K76 polymorphism were determined for 173 and 269 isolates, respectively. Mean pfmdr1 copy number was 1.2 (range: 0.7 to 3.7). Pfmdr1 copy number increase was present in 17.5%, 9.6% and 11.1% of isolates from Karen and Kachin States and the Indo-Myanmar border, respectively. Pfmdr1 amplification was more prevalent in subclinical isolates (20.3%) than clinical isolates (6.4%, odds ratio 3.7, 95% confidence interval 1.1 - 12.5). Pfcrt K76T prevalence ranged from 90-100%. CONCLUSIONS Community health workers can contribute to molecular surveillance of drug resistance in remote areas of Myanmar. Marginal and displaced populations under-represented among previous resistance investigations can and should be included in resistance surveillance efforts, particularly once genetic markers of artemisinin-delayed parasite clearance are identified. Subclinical infections may contribute to the epidemiology of drug resistance, but determination of gene amplification from desiccated filter samples requires further validation when DNA concentration is low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler Brown
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Broadway Research Building, 733 N. Broadway, Suite 147, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Global Health Access Program, 2550 Ninth Street, Ste 111, Berkeley, CA, 94710, USA
| | - Linda S Smith
- Global Health Access Program, 2550 Ninth Street, Ste 111, Berkeley, CA, 94710, USA
| | - Eh Kalu Shwe Oo
- Karen Department of Health and Welfare, PO Box 189, Mae Sot, Tak, 63110, Thailand
| | - Kum Shawng
- Office of the Director of the Health Department, Kachin Baptist Convention 135/Shan Su (South), Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar
| | - Thomas J Lee
- Global Health Access Program, 2550 Ninth Street, Ste 111, Berkeley, CA, 94710, USA
- School of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, 924 Westwood Blvd, Suite 300, Los Angeles, CA, 90024, USA
| | - David Sullivan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 615 North Wolfe St, Room E5628, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Chris Beyrer
- Department of Epidemiology Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Suite E7152, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Adam K Richards
- Global Health Access Program, 2550 Ninth Street, Ste 111, Berkeley, CA, 94710, USA
- Department of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, University of California at Los Angeles, 911 Broxton Ave, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, USA
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Ng CL, Fidock DA. No evidence of decreased artemisinin efficacy in a high-transmission malaria setting in Mali. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 87:16-17. [PMID: 22764285 PMCID: PMC3391042 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - David A. Fidock
- *Address correspondence to David A. Fidock, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University Medical Center, 701 West 168th Street, Hammer HSC Room 1502, New York, NY 10032. E-mail:
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Maiga AW, Fofana B, Sagara I, Dembele D, Dara A, Traore OB, Toure S, Sanogo K, Dama S, Sidibe B, Kone A, Thera MA, Plowe CV, Doumbo OK, Djimde AA. No evidence of delayed parasite clearance after oral artesunate treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Mali. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 87:23-8. [PMID: 22764287 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.12-0058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinins by delayed parasite clearance is present in Southeast Asia. Scant data on parasite clearance after artemisinins are available from Africa, where transmission is high, burden is greatest, and artemisinin use is being scaled up. Children 1-10 years of age with uncomplicated malaria were treated with 7 days of artesunate and followed for 28 days. Blood smears were done every 8 hours until negative by light microscopy. Results were compared with a similar study conducted in the same village in 2002-2004. The polymerase chain reaction-corrected cure rate was 100%, identical to 2002-2004. By 24 hours after treatment initiation, 37.0% of participants had cleared parasitemia, compared with 31.9% in 2002-2004 (P = 0.5). The median parasite clearance time was 32 hours. Only one participant still had parasites at 48 hours and no participant presented parasitemia at 72 hours. Artesunate was highly efficacious, with no evidence of delayed parasite clearance. We provide baseline surveillance data for the emergence or dissemination of P. falciparum resistance in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amelia W Maiga
- Malaria Research and Training Center, Department of Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy, and Odonto-stomatology, University of Bamako, Mali.
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Vijaykadga S, Alker AP, Satimai W, MacArthur JR, Meshnick SR, Wongsrichanalai C. Delayed Plasmodium falciparum clearance following artesunate-mefloquine combination therapy in Thailand, 1997-2007. Malar J 2012; 11:296. [PMID: 22929382 PMCID: PMC3478203 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background There is concern that artesunate resistance is developing in Southeast Asia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the prevalence of parasitaemia in the few days following treatment with artesunate-mefloquine (AM), which is an indirect measure of decreased artesunate susceptibility. Methods This is a retrospective analysis of 31 therapeutic efficacy studies involving 1,327 patients treated with AM conducted by the Thai National Malaria Control Programme from 1997–2007. Results The prevalence of patients with parasitaemia on day 2 was higher in the east compared to the west (east: 20%, west: 9%, OR 2.47, 95% CI: 1.77, 3.45). In addition, the prevalence of day-2 parasitaemia increased over time (OR for each year = 1.10, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.19). After controlling for initial parasitaemia and age, year and region remained important determinants of day-2 parasitaemia (OR for region = 3.98, 95%CI 2.63, 6.00; OR for year = 1.28, 95%CI: 1.17, 1.39). The presence of parasitaemia on day 2 and day 3 were specific, but not sensitive predictors of treatment failure. Discussion Delayed resolution of parasitaemia after AM treatment increased in eastern Thailand between 1997 and 2007, which may be an early manifestation of decreased artesunate susceptibility. However, clinical and parasitological treatment failure after 28 days (which is related to both mefloquine and artesunate decreased susceptibility) is not changing over time. The presence of parasitaemia on day 2 is a poor indicator of AM 28-day treatment failure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saowanit Vijaykadga
- Bureau of Vector Borne Diseases, Department of Diseases Control, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
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Satimai W, Sudathip P, Vijaykadga S, Khamsiriwatchara A, Sawang S, Potithavoranan T, Sangvichean A, Delacollette C, Singhasivanon P, Kaewkungwal J, Lawpoolsri S. Artemisinin resistance containment project in Thailand. II: Responses to mefloquine-artesunate combination therapy among falciparum malaria patients in provinces bordering Cambodia. Malar J 2012; 11:300. [PMID: 22929621 PMCID: PMC3445821 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 08/23/2012] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The area along the Thai-Cambodian border is considered an epicenter of anti-malarial drug resistance. Recently, parasite resistance to artemisinin-based therapies has been reported in the area. The artemisinin resistance containment project was initiated in November 2008, with the aim to limit resistant parasites and eliminate malaria in this region. This study describes the response to artemisinin-based therapy among falciparum malaria patients in the area, using data from the malaria surveillance programmed under the containment project. Methods The study was conducted in seven provinces of Thailand along the Thai-Cambodian border. Data of Plasmodium falciparum-positive patients during January 2009 to December 2011 were obtained from the electronic malaria information system (eMIS) Web-based reporting system. All P. falciparum cases were followed for 42 days, as the routine case follow-up protocol. The demographic characteristics of the patients were described. Statistical analysis was performed to determine the cure rate of the current standard anti-malarial drug regimen--mefloquine-artesunate combination therapy (MAS). The proportion of patients who remained parasite-positive at each follow-up day was calculated. In addition, factors related to the delayed parasite clearance on day-3 post-treatment, were explored. Results A total of 1,709 P. falciparum-positive cases were reported during the study period. Almost 70% of falciparum cases received MAS therapy (n = 1,174). The majority of cases were males, aged between 31 and 50 years. The overall MAS cure rate was >90% over the three-year period. Almost all patients were able to clear the parasite within 7 to 14 days post-treatment. Approximately 14% of patients undergoing MAS remained parasite-positive on day-3. Delayed parasite clearance was not significantly associated with patient gender, age, or citizenship. However, delayed parasite clearance varied across the study area. Conclusion Anti-malarial drug-resistant parasites should be closely monitored in the area along the Thai-Cambodian border. Although the MAS cure rate in this study area was above 90%, an increasing trend of treatment failure has been reported in neighboring parts. Effective malaria surveillance is an important component to monitor drug-resistance in the malaria containment project.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wichai Satimai
- Center of Excellence for Biomedical and Public Health Informatics (BIOPHICS), Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Parker D, Lerdprom R, Srisatjarak W, Yan G, Sattabongkot J, Wood J, Sirichaisinthop J, Cui L. Longitudinal in vitro surveillance of Plasmodium falciparum sensitivity to common anti-malarials in Thailand between 1994 and 2010. Malar J 2012; 11:290. [PMID: 22908880 PMCID: PMC3472280 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2012] [Accepted: 07/22/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Drug and multidrug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria has existed in Thailand for several decades. Furthermore, Thailand serves as a sentinel for drug-resistant malaria within the Greater Mekong sub-region. However, the drug resistance situation is highly dynamic, changing quickly over time. Here parasite in vitro drug sensitivity is reported for artemisinin derivatives, mefloquine, chloroquine and quinine, across Thailand. Methods Blood was drawn from patients infected with P. falciparum in seven sentinel provinces along Thai international borders with Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, and Malaysia. In vitro parasite sensitivity was tested using the World Health Organization’s microtest (mark III) (between 1994 and 2002) and the histidine-rich protein-2 (HRP2)-based enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (in 2010). Following World Health Organization protocol, at least 30 isolates were collected for each province and year represented in this study. Where possible, t-tests were used to test for significant differences. Results There appears to be little variation across study sites with regard to parasite sensitivity to chloroquine. Quinine resistance appears to have been rising prior to 1997, but has subsequently decreased. Mefloquine sensitivity appears high across the provinces, especially along the north-western border with Myanmar and the eastern border with Cambodia. Finally, the data suggest that parasite sensitivity to artemisinin and its derivatives is significantly higher in provinces along the north-western border with Myanmar. Conclusions Parasite sensitivity to anti-malarials in Thailand is highly variable over time and largely mirrors official drug use policy. The findings with regard to reduced sensitivity to artemisinin derivatives are supported by recent reports of reduced parasite clearance associated with artemisinin. This trend is alarming since artemisinin is considered the last defence against malaria. Continued surveillance in Thailand, along with increased collaboration and surveillance across the entire Greater Mekong sub-region, is clearly warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Parker
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, 409 Carpenter Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA
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Santelli AC, Ribeiro I, Daher A, Boulos M, Marchesini PB, dos Santos RLC, Lucena MBF, Magalhães I, Leon AP, Junger W, Ladislau JLB. Effect of artesunate-mefloquine fixed-dose combination in malaria transmission in Amazon basin communities. Malar J 2012; 11:286. [PMID: 22905900 PMCID: PMC3472241 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 07/31/2012] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Studies in South-East Asia have suggested that early diagnosis and treatment with artesunate (AS) and mefloquine (MQ) combination therapy may reduce the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum malaria and the progression of MQ resistance. Methods The effectiveness of a fixed-dose combination of AS and MQ (ASMQ) in reducing malaria transmission was tested in isolated communities of the Juruá valley in the Amazon region. Priority municipalities within the Brazilian Legal Amazon area were selected according to pre-specified criteria. Routine national malaria control programmatic procedures were followed. Existing health structures were reinforced and health care workers were trained to treat with ASMQ all confirmed falciparum malaria cases that match inclusion criteria. A local pharmacovigilance structure was implemented. Incidence of malaria and hospitalizations were recorded two years before, during, and after the fixed-dose ASMQ intervention. In total, between July 2006 and December 2008, 23,845 patients received ASMQ. Two statistical modelling approaches were applied to monthly time series of P. falciparum malaria incidence rates, P. falciparum/Plasmodium vivax infection ratio, and malaria hospital admissions rates. All the time series ranged from January 2004 to December 2008, whilst the intervention period span from July 2006 to December 2008. Results The ASMQ intervention had a highly significant impact on the mean level of each time series, adjusted for trend and season, of 0.34 (95%CI 0.20 – 0.58) for the P. falciparum malaria incidence rates, 0.67 (95%CI 0.50 – 0.89) for the P. falciparum/P. vivax infection ratio, and 0.53 (95%CI 0.41 – 0.69) for the hospital admission rates. There was also a significant change in the seasonal (or monthly) pattern of the time series before and after intervention, with the elimination of the malaria seasonal peak in the rainy months of the years following the introduction of ASMQ. No serious adverse events relating to the use of fixed-dose ASMQ were reported. Conclusions In the remote region of the Juruá valley, the early detection of malaria by health care workers and treatment with fixed-dose ASMQ was feasible and efficacious, and significantly reduced the incidence and morbidity of P. falciparum malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana C Santelli
- Programa Nacional de Controle da Malária, Secretaria de Vigilância emSaúde, Ministério da Saúde, Brazil
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Preuss J, Maloney P, Peddibhotla S, Hedrick MP, Hershberger P, Gosalia P, Milewski M, Li YL, Sugarman E, Hood B, Suyama E, Nguyen K, Vasile S, Sergienko E, Mangravita-Novo A, Vicchiarelli M, McAnally D, Smith LH, Roth GP, Diwan J, Chung TDY, Jortzik E, Rahlfs S, Becker K, Pinkerton AB, Bode L. Discovery of a Plasmodium falciparum glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase 6-phosphogluconolactonase inhibitor (R,Z)-N-((1-ethylpyrrolidin-2-yl)methyl)-2-(2-fluorobenzylidene)-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[b][1,4]thiazine-6-carboxamide (ML276) that reduces parasite growth in vitro. J Med Chem 2012; 55:7262-72. [PMID: 22813531 DOI: 10.1021/jm300833h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
A high-throughput screen of the NIH's MLSMR collection of ∼340000 compounds was undertaken to identify compounds that inhibit Plasmodium falciparum glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (PfG6PD). PfG6PD is important for proliferating and propagating P. falciparum and differs structurally and mechanistically from the human orthologue. The reaction catalyzed by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) is the first, rate-limiting step in the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), a key metabolic pathway sustaining anabolic needs in reductive equivalents and synthetic materials in fast-growing cells. In P. falciparum , the bifunctional enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase-6-phosphogluconolactonase (PfGluPho) catalyzes the first two steps of the PPP. Because P. falciparum and infected host red blood cells rely on accelerated glucose flux, they depend on the G6PD activity of PfGluPho. The lead compound identified from this effort, (R,Z)-N-((1-ethylpyrrolidin-2-yl)methyl)-2-(2-fluorobenzylidene)-3-oxo-3,4-dihydro-2H-benzo[b][1,4]thiazine-6-carboxamide, 11 (ML276), is a submicromolar inhibitor of PfG6PD (IC(50) = 889 nM). It is completely selective for the enzyme's human isoform, displays micromolar potency (IC(50) = 2.6 μM) against P. falciparum in culture, and has good drug-like properties, including high solubility and moderate microsomal stability. Studies testing the potential advantage of inhibiting PfG6PD in vivo are in progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janina Preuss
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
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Borhade V, Pathak S, Sharma S, Patravale V. Clotrimazole nanoemulsion for malaria chemotherapy. Part I: Preformulation studies, formulation design and physicochemical evaluation. Int J Pharm 2012; 431:138-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2011.12.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2011] [Accepted: 12/22/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Thanh NX, Trung TN, Phong NC, Quang HH, Dai B, Shanks GD, Chavchich M, Edstein MD. The efficacy and tolerability of artemisinin-piperaquine (Artequick®) versus artesunate-amodiaquine (Coarsucam™) for the treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in south-central Vietnam. Malar J 2012; 11:217. [PMID: 22741618 PMCID: PMC3411481 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In Vietnam, the artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine is currently used for first-line treatment of uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. However, limited efficacy and tolerability data are available on alternative forms of ACT in Vietnam in case there is a reduction in the susceptibility of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine. A study was conducted to compare the efficacy and tolerability of two fixed-dose formulations of ACT, artemisinin-piperaquine (Artequick®, ARPQ) and artesunate-amodiaquine (Coarsucam™, ASAQ) for the treatment of P. falciparum malaria in south-central Vietnam. METHODS A randomized, open-label trial was conducted comparing the efficacy of a two-day regimen of ARPQ (~2.8 mg/kg artemisinin plus ~17.1 mg/kg of piperaquine per day) and a three-day regimen of ASAQ (~4.7 mg/kg of artesunate plus ~12.6 mg/kg of amodiaquine per day) for the treatment of children and adults with uncomplicated falciparum malaria. Primary efficacy endpoint was day 42, PCR-corrected, parasitological cure rate. Secondary endpoints were parasite and fever clearance times and tolerability. RESULTS Of 128 patients enrolled, 63 were administered ARPQ and 65 ASAQ. Of the patients who completed the 42 days follow-up period or had a recurrence of malaria, 55 were on ARPQ (30 children, 25 adults) and 59 were on ASAQ (31 children, 28 adults). Recrudescent parasitaemia was PCR-confirmed for one patient in each treatment group, with cure rates at day 42 of 98% (95% CI: 88-100) for both forms of ACT. The median parasite clearance time was significantly slower in the ARPQ group compared with the ASAQ group (48 h vs. 36 h, P<0.001) and fever clearance times were shorter in the ASAQ group (12 h vs. 24 h, P=0.07). The two forms of ACT were well tolerated with no serious adverse events. CONCLUSION Both forms of ACT were highly efficacious in the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria. Although the two-day course of ARPQ was equally as effective as the three-day course of ASAQ, parasite and fever clearance times were shorter with ASAQ. Further studies are warranted in different regions of Vietnam to determine the nationwide efficacy of ASAQ. TRIAL REGISTRATION Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Number, ACTRN12609000816257.
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Davis RA, Buchanan MS, Duffy S, Avery VM, Charman SA, Charman WN, White KL, Shackleford DM, Edstein MD, Andrews KT, Camp D, Quinn RJ. Antimalarial Activity of Pyrroloiminoquinones from the Australian Marine Sponge Zyzzya sp. J Med Chem 2012; 55:5851-8. [DOI: 10.1021/jm3002795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rohan A. Davis
- Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | | | - Sandra Duffy
- Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Vicky M. Avery
- Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Susan A. Charman
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC
3052, Australia
| | - William N. Charman
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC
3052, Australia
| | - Karen L. White
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC
3052, Australia
| | - David M. Shackleford
- Centre for Drug Candidate Optimisation, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, VIC
3052, Australia
| | | | | | - David Camp
- Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Ronald J. Quinn
- Eskitis Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
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Summers RL, Nash MN, Martin RE. Know your enemy: understanding the role of PfCRT in drug resistance could lead to new antimalarial tactics. Cell Mol Life Sci 2012; 69:1967-95. [PMID: 22286067 PMCID: PMC11115045 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-011-0906-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2011] [Revised: 11/22/2011] [Accepted: 12/06/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
The prevention and treatment of malaria is heavily dependent on antimalarial drugs. However, beginning with the emergence of chloroquine (CQ)-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites 50 years ago, efforts to control the disease have been thwarted by failed or failing drugs. Mutations in the parasite's 'chloroquine resistance transporter' (PfCRT) are the primary cause of CQ resistance. Furthermore, changes in PfCRT (and in several other transport proteins) are associated with decreases or increases in the parasite's susceptibility to a number of other antimalarial drugs. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of CQ resistance and discuss these in the broader context of the parasite's susceptibilities to other quinolines and related drugs. We suggest that PfCRT can be viewed both as a 'multidrug-resistance carrier' and as a drug target, and that the quinoline-resistance mechanism is a potential 'Achilles' heel' of the parasite. We examine a number of the antimalarial strategies currently undergoing development that are designed to exploit the resistance mechanism, including relatively simple measures, such as alternative CQ dosages, as well as new drugs that either circumvent the resistance mechanism or target it directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L. Summers
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia
| | - Megan N. Nash
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia
| | - Rowena E. Martin
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia
- School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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Wang Z, Parker D, Meng H, Wu L, Li J, Zhao Z, Zhang R, Fan Q, Wang H, Cui L, Yang Z. In vitro sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum from China-Myanmar border area to major ACT drugs and polymorphisms in potential target genes. PLoS One 2012; 7:e30927. [PMID: 22701513 PMCID: PMC3365119 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0030927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2011] [Accepted: 12/25/2011] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance has always been one of the most important impediments to global malaria control. Artemisinin resistance has recently been confirmed in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) and efforts for surveillance and containment are intensified. To determine potential mechanisms of artemisinin resistance and monitor the emergence and spread of resistance in other regions of the GMS, we investigated the in vitro sensitivity of 51 culture-adapted parasite isolates from the China-Myanmar border area to four drugs. The 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀s) of dihydroartemisinin, mefloquine and lumefantrine were clustered in a relatively narrow, 3- to 6-fold range, whereas the IC₅₀ range of artesunate was 12-fold. We assessed the polymorphisms of candidate resistance genes pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfATP6, pfmdr6 and pfMT (a putative metabolite/drug transporter). The K76T mutation in pfcrt reached fixation in the study parasite population, whereas point mutations in pfmdr1 and pfATP6 had low levels of prevalence. In addition, pfmdr1 gene amplification was not detected. None of the mutations in pfmdr1 and pfATP6 was associated significantly with in vitro sensitivity to artemisinin derivatives. The ABC transporter gene pfmdr6 harbored two point mutations, two indels, and number variations in three simple repeats. Only the length variation in a microsatellite repeat appeared associated with altered sensitivity to dihydroartemisinin. The PfMT gene had two point mutations and one codon deletion; the I30N and N496- both reached high levels of prevalence. However, none of the SNPs or haplotypes in PfMT were correlated significantly with resistance to the four tested drugs. Compared with other parasite populations from the GMS, our studies revealed drastically different genotype and drug sensitivity profiles in parasites from the China-Myanmar border area, where artemisinins have been deployed extensively for over 30 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zenglei Wang
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Daniel Parker
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Hao Meng
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Parasitology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lanou Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Parasitology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhen Zhao
- Department of Parasitology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Rongping Zhang
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Qi Fan
- Dalian Institute of Biotechnology, Dalian, Liaoning, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Department of Statistics, Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, United States of America
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- * E-mail: (LC); (ZY)
| | - Zhaoqing Yang
- Department of Parasitology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- * E-mail: (LC); (ZY)
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Phyo AP, Nkhoma S, Stepniewska K, Ashley EA, Nair S, McGready R, ler Moo C, Al-Saai S, Dondorp AM, Lwin KM, Singhasivanon P, Day NPJ, White NJ, Anderson TJC, Nosten F. Emergence of artemisinin-resistant malaria on the western border of Thailand: a longitudinal study. Lancet 2012; 379:1960-6. [PMID: 22484134 PMCID: PMC3525980 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(12)60484-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 670] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Artemisinin-resistant falciparum malaria has arisen in western Cambodia. A concerted international effort is underway to contain artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, but containment strategies are dependent on whether resistance has emerged elsewhere. We aimed to establish whether artemisinin resistance has spread or emerged on the Thailand-Myanmar (Burma) border. METHODS In malaria clinics located along the northwestern border of Thailand, we measured six hourly parasite counts in patients with uncomplicated hyperparasitaemic falciparum malaria (≥4% infected red blood cells) who had been given various oral artesunate-containing regimens since 2001. Parasite clearance half-lives were estimated and parasites were genotyped for 93 single nucleotide polymorphisms. FINDINGS 3202 patients were studied between 2001 and 2010. Parasite clearance half-lives lengthened from a geometric mean of 2·6 h (95% CI 2·5-2·7) in 2001, to 3·7 h (3·6-3·8) in 2010, compared with a mean of 5·5 h (5·2-5·9) in 119 patients in western Cambodia measured between 2007 and 2010. The proportion of slow-clearing infections (half-life ≥6·2 h) increased from 0·6% in 2001, to 20% in 2010, compared with 42% in western Cambodia between 2007 and 2010. Of 1583 infections genotyped, 148 multilocus parasite genotypes were identified, each of which infected between two and 13 patients. The proportion of variation in parasite clearance attributable to parasite genetics increased from 30% between 2001 and 2004, to 66% between 2007 and 2010. INTERPRETATION Genetically determined artemisinin resistance in P falciparum emerged along the Thailand-Myanmar border at least 8 years ago and has since increased substantially. At this rate of increase, resistance will reach rates reported in western Cambodia in 2-6 years. FUNDING The Wellcome Trust and National Institutes of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aung Pyae Phyo
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
| | | | - Kasia Stepniewska
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network, Oxford, UK
| | - Elizabeth A Ashley
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Shalini Nair
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Rose McGready
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Carit ler Moo
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
| | - Salma Al-Saai
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Nicholas PJ Day
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicholas J White
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
| | - Tim JC Anderson
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - François Nosten
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine, Churchill Hospital, Oxford, UK
- Correspondence to: Prof François Nosten, Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, PO Box 46, Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand 63110
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Phyo AP, Nkhoma S, Stepniewska K, Ashley EA, Nair S, McGready R, ler Moo C, Al-Saai S, Dondorp AM, Lwin KM, Singhasivanon P, Day NPJ, White NJ, Anderson TJC, Nosten F. Emergence of artemisinin-resistant malaria on the western border of Thailand: a longitudinal study. Lancet 2012; 379:1960-1966. [PMID: 22484134 DOI: 10.1016/s0140–6736(12)60484-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Artemisinin-resistant falciparum malaria has arisen in western Cambodia. A concerted international effort is underway to contain artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, but containment strategies are dependent on whether resistance has emerged elsewhere. We aimed to establish whether artemisinin resistance has spread or emerged on the Thailand-Myanmar (Burma) border. METHODS In malaria clinics located along the northwestern border of Thailand, we measured six hourly parasite counts in patients with uncomplicated hyperparasitaemic falciparum malaria (≥4% infected red blood cells) who had been given various oral artesunate-containing regimens since 2001. Parasite clearance half-lives were estimated and parasites were genotyped for 93 single nucleotide polymorphisms. FINDINGS 3202 patients were studied between 2001 and 2010. Parasite clearance half-lives lengthened from a geometric mean of 2·6 h (95% CI 2·5-2·7) in 2001, to 3·7 h (3·6-3·8) in 2010, compared with a mean of 5·5 h (5·2-5·9) in 119 patients in western Cambodia measured between 2007 and 2010. The proportion of slow-clearing infections (half-life ≥6·2 h) increased from 0·6% in 2001, to 20% in 2010, compared with 42% in western Cambodia between 2007 and 2010. Of 1583 infections genotyped, 148 multilocus parasite genotypes were identified, each of which infected between two and 13 patients. The proportion of variation in parasite clearance attributable to parasite genetics increased from 30% between 2001 and 2004, to 66% between 2007 and 2010. INTERPRETATION Genetically determined artemisinin resistance in P falciparum emerged along the Thailand-Myanmar border at least 8 years ago and has since increased substantially. At this rate of increase, resistance will reach rates reported in western Cambodia in 2-6 years. FUNDING The Wellcome Trust and National Institutes of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aung Pyae Phyo
- Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Catrin Uhlemann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
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Mayxay M, Khanthavong M, Chanthongthip O, Imwong M, Lee SJ, Stepniewska K, Soonthornsata B, Pongvongsa T, Phompida S, Hongvanthong B, Ringwald P, White NJ, Newton PN. No evidence for spread of Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance to Savannakhet Province, Southern Laos. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2012; 86:403-408. [PMID: 22403308 PMCID: PMC3284353 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.2012.11-0497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
We conducted an open-label, randomized clinical trial to assess parasite clearance times (PCT) and the efficacy of 4 mg/kg (group 1, n = 22) and 2 mg/kg (group 2, n = 22) of oral artesunate for three days followed by artemether-lumefantrine in patients with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria at Xepon Interdistrict Hospital, Savannakhet Province in southern Laos. Slides were read in duplicate. The overall mean (95% confidence interval; range) PCT in hours was 23.2 (21.2–25.3; 12–46) and 22.4 (20.3–24.5; 12–46) for the first and second microscopists, respectively (P = 0.57). Ten (23%) patients remained parasitemic on day 1 after treatment (4 [18%] in group 1 and 6 [27%] in group 2; P = 0.47). No patient had patent asexual parasitemia on the second and third days of treatment. The 42-day polymerase chain reaction–corrected cure rates were 100% in both treatment groups. Serious adverse events did not develop during or after treatment in any patients. In conclusion, no evidence of P. falciparum in vivo resistance to artesunate was found in southern Laos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayfong Mayxay
- *Address correspondence to Mayfong Mayxay, Microbiology Laboratory Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Laos. E-mail:
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Sibley CH, Price RN. Monitoring antimalarial drug resistance: Applying lessons learned from the past in a fast-moving present. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE 2012; 2:126-33. [PMID: 24533274 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2012.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2011] [Revised: 03/25/2012] [Accepted: 03/28/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The need for robust surveillance of antimalarial drugs is more urgent than it has ever been. In the western region of Cambodia, artemisinin resistance has emerged in Plasmodium falciparum and threatens to undermine the efficacy of highly effective artemisinin combination therapies. Although some manfestations of artemisinin tolerance are unique to this class of drug, many of its properties mirror previous experience in understanding and tracking resistance to other antimalarials. In this review we outline the spectrum of approaches that were developed to understand the evolution and spread of antifolate resistance, highlighting the importance of integrating information from different methodologies towards a better understanding of the underlying biologic processes. We consider how to apply our experience in investigating and attempting to contain antifolate resistance to inform our prospective assessment of novel antimalarial resistance patterns and their subsequent spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Hopkins Sibley
- WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network, Box 355065, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 5065, USA
| | - Ric N Price
- Global Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research and Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia ; Center for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
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pfmdr1 amplification is related to increased Plasmodium falciparum in vitro sensitivity to the bisquinoline piperaquine. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2012; 56:3615-9. [PMID: 22508315 DOI: 10.1128/aac.06350-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The 4-aminoquinoline bisquinoline piperaquine is an important partner drug in one of the presently recommended artemisinin combination therapies. Recent clinical trials have confirmed its high efficacy in combination with dihydroartemisinin. Resistance to piperaquine alone has, however, been documented. Amplification in copy number of the Plasmodium falciparum multidrug resistance locus on chromosome 5, containing the pfmdr1 gene, has been shown to confer resistance to structurally unrelated antimalarials. Through the determination of the 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)s) and IC(90)s for piperaquine and chloroquine in a set of 46 adapted P. falciparum cultures originating from the Thai-Burmese border, we have characterized the regions around the pfmdr1 gene and identified a significant association between the presence of pfmdr1 duplications and enhanced sensitivity to piperaquine (P = 0.005 for IC(50) and P = 0.002 for IC(90)) and chloroquine, reaching statistical significance at IC(90)s (P = 0.026). These results substantiate the potential importance of pfmdr1 copy number amplifications in the efficacy of the combination therapy piperaquine-dihydroartemisinin. It supports the rational use of 4-aminoquinolines and artemisinin-based compounds, as they independently select for mutually incompatible combinations of mutations.
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Menard S, Morlais I, Tahar R, Sayang C, Mayengue PI, Iriart X, Benoit-Vical F, Lemen B, Magnaval JF, Awono-Ambene P, Basco LK, Berry A. Molecular monitoring of Plasmodium falciparum drug susceptibility at the time of the introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Yaoundé, Cameroon: implications for the future. Malar J 2012; 11:113. [PMID: 22498364 PMCID: PMC3368752 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2012] [Accepted: 04/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Regular monitoring of the levels of anti-malarial resistance of Plasmodium falciparum is an essential policy to adapt therapy and improve malaria control. This monitoring can be facilitated by using molecular tools, which are easier to implement than the classical determination of the resistance phenotype. In Cameroon, chloroquine (CQ), previously the first-line therapy for uncomplicated malaria was officially withdrawn in 2002 and replaced initially by amodiaquine (AQ) monotherapy. Then, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), notably artesunate-amodiaquine (AS-AQ) or artemether-lumefantrine (AL), was gradually introduced in 2004. This situation raised the question of the evolution of P. falciparum resistance molecular markers in Yaoundé, a highly urbanized Cameroonian city. Methods The genotype of pfcrt 72 and 76 and pfmdr1 86 alleles and pfmdr1 copy number were determined using real-time PCR in 447 P. falciparum samples collected between 2005 and 2009. Results This study showed a high prevalence of parasites with mutant pfcrt 76 (83%) and pfmdr1 86 (93%) codons. On the contrary, no mutations in the pfcrt 72 codon and no samples with duplication of the pfmdr1 gene were observed. Conclusion The high prevalence of mutant pfcrt 76T and pfmdr1 86Y alleles might be due to the choice of alternative drugs (AQ and AS-AQ) known to select such genotypes. Mutant pfcrt 72 codon was not detected despite the prolonged use of AQ either as monotherapy or combined with artesunate. The absence of pfmdr1 multicopies suggests that AL would still remain efficient. The limited use of mefloquine or the predominance of mutant pfmdr1 86Y codon could explain the lack of pfmdr1 amplification. Indeed, this mutant codon is rarely associated with duplication of pfmdr1 gene. In Cameroon, the changes of therapeutic strategies and the simultaneous use of several formulations of ACT or other anti-malarials that are not officially recommended result in a complex selective pressure, rendering the prediction of the evolution of P. falciparum resistance difficult. This public health problem should lead to increased vigilance and regular monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandie Menard
- Service de Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse et UMR152 UPS-IRD, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
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In vitro antimalarial activity and drug interactions of fenofibric acid. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2012; 56:2814-8. [PMID: 22430967 DOI: 10.1128/aac.05076-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum has developed resistance to most available treatments, underscoring the need for novel antimalarial drugs. Fibrates are lipid-modifying agents used to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with cardiovascular disease. They may have antimalarial activity through modulation of P-glycoprotein and ATP-binding cassette subfamily A member (ABC-1)-mediated nutrient transport and/or via a putative peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha-like protein. We therefore examined in vitro antimalarial activities of fibrates and their interactions with chloroquine and dihydroartemisinin in chloroquine-sensitive (3D7) and chloroquine-resistant (W2mef) strains of P. falciparum using the conventional isotopic assay microtechnique. A bioassay was used to assess inhibition activities of human plasma after therapeutic fenofibrate doses. Fenofibric acid, the main metabolite of fenofibrate, was the most potent of the fibrates tested, with mean 50% inhibitory concentrations of 152 nM and 1,120 nM for chloroquine-sensitive and -resistant strains, respectively. No synergistic interaction between fibrates and chloroquine or dihydroartemisinin was observed. Plasma fenofibric acid concentrations, quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography in seven healthy volunteers after treatment (mean, 15.3 mg/liter, or 48 μM), inhibited P. falciparum. BLAST analysis revealed the likely presence of an ABC-1 transporter homolog in P. falciparum. Our findings demonstrate that fenofibric acid has activity similar to the activities of conventional antimalarial drugs at concentrations well below those achieved after therapeutic doses. It may inhibit P. falciparum growth by inhibiting intracellular lipid transport.
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Cui L, Yan G, Sattabongkot J, Cao Y, Chen B, Chen X, Fan Q, Fang Q, Jongwutiwes S, Parker D, Sirichaisinthop J, Kyaw MP, Su XZ, Yang H, Yang Z, Wang B, Xu J, Zheng B, Zhong D, Zhou G. Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion: heterogeneity and complexity. Acta Trop 2012. [PMID: 21382335 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.02.016.malaria] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/24/2023]
Abstract
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), comprised of six countries including Cambodia, China's Yunnan Province, Lao PDR, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand and Vietnam, is one of the most threatening foci of malaria. Since the initiation of the WHO's Mekong Malaria Program a decade ago, malaria situation in the GMS has greatly improved, reflected in the continuous decline in annual malaria incidence and deaths. However, as many nations are moving towards malaria elimination, the GMS nations still face great challenges. Malaria epidemiology in this region exhibits enormous geographical heterogeneity with Myanmar and Cambodia remaining high-burden countries. Within each country, malaria distribution is also patchy, exemplified by 'border malaria' and 'forest malaria' with high transmission occurring along international borders and in forests or forest fringes, respectively. 'Border malaria' is extremely difficult to monitor, and frequent malaria introductions by migratory human populations constitute a major threat to neighboring, malaria-eliminating countries. Therefore, coordination between neighboring countries is essential for malaria elimination from the entire region. In addition to these operational difficulties, malaria control in the GMS also encounters several technological challenges. Contemporary malaria control measures rely heavily on effective chemotherapy and insecticide control of vector mosquitoes. However, the spread of multidrug resistance and potential emergence of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum make resistance management a high priority in the GMS. This situation is further worsened by the circulation of counterfeit and substandard artemisinin-related drugs. In most endemic areas of the GMS, P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax coexist, and in recent malaria control history, P. vivax has demonstrated remarkable resilience to control measures. Deployment of the only registered drug (primaquine) for the radical cure of vivax malaria is severely undermined due to high prevalence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in target human populations. In the GMS, the dramatically different ecologies, diverse vector systems, and insecticide resistance render traditional mosquito control less efficient. Here we attempt to review the changing malaria epidemiology in the GMS, analyze the vector systems and patterns of malaria transmission, and identify the major challenges the malaria control community faces on its way to malaria elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwang Cui
- Department of Entomology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, 16801, USA.
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Cui L, Yan G, Sattabongkot J, Cao Y, Chen B, Chen X, Fan Q, Fang Q, Jongwutiwes S, Parker D, Sirichaisinthop J, Kyaw MP, Su XZ, Yang H, Yang Z, Wang B, Xu J, Zheng B, Zhong D, Zhou G. Malaria in the Greater Mekong Subregion: heterogeneity and complexity. Acta Trop 2012; 121:227-39. [PMID: 21382335 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2011] [Revised: 02/18/2011] [Accepted: 02/26/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), comprised of six countries including Cambodia, China's Yunnan Province, Lao PDR, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand and Vietnam, is one of the most threatening foci of malaria. Since the initiation of the WHO's Mekong Malaria Program a decade ago, malaria situation in the GMS has greatly improved, reflected in the continuous decline in annual malaria incidence and deaths. However, as many nations are moving towards malaria elimination, the GMS nations still face great challenges. Malaria epidemiology in this region exhibits enormous geographical heterogeneity with Myanmar and Cambodia remaining high-burden countries. Within each country, malaria distribution is also patchy, exemplified by 'border malaria' and 'forest malaria' with high transmission occurring along international borders and in forests or forest fringes, respectively. 'Border malaria' is extremely difficult to monitor, and frequent malaria introductions by migratory human populations constitute a major threat to neighboring, malaria-eliminating countries. Therefore, coordination between neighboring countries is essential for malaria elimination from the entire region. In addition to these operational difficulties, malaria control in the GMS also encounters several technological challenges. Contemporary malaria control measures rely heavily on effective chemotherapy and insecticide control of vector mosquitoes. However, the spread of multidrug resistance and potential emergence of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum make resistance management a high priority in the GMS. This situation is further worsened by the circulation of counterfeit and substandard artemisinin-related drugs. In most endemic areas of the GMS, P. falciparum and Plasmodium vivax coexist, and in recent malaria control history, P. vivax has demonstrated remarkable resilience to control measures. Deployment of the only registered drug (primaquine) for the radical cure of vivax malaria is severely undermined due to high prevalence of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in target human populations. In the GMS, the dramatically different ecologies, diverse vector systems, and insecticide resistance render traditional mosquito control less efficient. Here we attempt to review the changing malaria epidemiology in the GMS, analyze the vector systems and patterns of malaria transmission, and identify the major challenges the malaria control community faces on its way to malaria elimination.
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137
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Cui L, Yan G, Sattabongkot J, Chen B, Cao Y, Fan Q, Parker D, Sirichaisinthop J, Su XZ, Yang H, Yang Z, Wang B, Zhou G. Challenges and prospects for malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Acta Trop 2012; 121:240-5. [PMID: 21515238 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2011.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2011] [Revised: 03/29/2011] [Accepted: 04/06/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite significant improvement in the malaria situation of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), malaria control for the region continues to face a multitude of challenges. The extremely patchy malaria distribution, especially along international borders, makes disease surveillance and targeted control difficult. The vector systems are also diverse with dramatic differences in habitat ecology, biting behavior, and vectorial capacity, and there is a lack of effective transmission surveillance and control tools. Finally, in an era of heavy deployment of artemisinin-based combination therapies, the region acts as an epicenter of drug resistance, with the emergence of artemisinin resistant Plasmodium falciparum posing a threat to both regional and global malaria elimination campaigns. This problem is further exacerbated by the circulation of counterfeit and substandard artemisinin drugs. Accordingly, this Southeast Asian Malaria Research Center, consisting of a consortium of US and regional research institutions, has proposed four interlinked projects to address these most urgent problems in malaria control. The aims of these projects will help to substantially improve our understanding of malaria epidemiology, vector systems and their roles in malaria transmission, as well as the mechanisms of drug resistance in parasites. Through the training of next-generation scientists in malaria research, this program will help build up and strengthen regional research infrastructure and capacities, which are essential for sustained malaria control in this region.
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138
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Pascual A, Parola P, Benoit-Vical F, Simon F, Malvy D, Picot S, Delaunay P, Basset D, Maubon D, Faugère B, Ménard G, Bourgeois N, Oeuvray C, Didillon E, Rogier C, Pradines B. Ex vivo activity of the ACT new components pyronaridine and piperaquine in comparison with conventional ACT drugs against isolates of Plasmodium falciparum. Malar J 2012; 11:45. [PMID: 22333675 PMCID: PMC3305508 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-11-45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2011] [Accepted: 02/14/2012] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of the present work was to assess i) ex vivo activity of pyronaridine (PND) and piperaquine (PPQ), as new components of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT), to define susceptibility baseline, ii) their activities compared to other partner drugs, namely monodesethylamodiaquine (MDAQ), lumefantrine (LMF), mefloquine (MQ), artesunate (AS) and dihydroartemisinin (DHA) against 181 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from African countries, India and Thailand, and iii) in vitro cross-resistance with other quinoline drugs, chloroquine (CQ) or quinine (QN). Methods The susceptibility of the 181 P. falciparum isolates to the nine anti-malarial drugs was assessed using the standard 42-hours 3H-hypoxanthine uptake inhibition method. Results The IC50 values for PND ranged from 0.55 to 80.0 nM (geometric mean = 19.9 nM) and from 11.8 to 217.3 nM for PPQ (geometric mean = 66.8 nM). A significant positive correlation was shown between responses to PPQ and PND responses (rho = 0.46) and between PPQ and MDAQ (rho = 0.30). No significant correlation was shown between PPQ IC50 and responses to other anti-malarial drugs. A significant positive correlation was shown between responses to PND and MDAQ (rho = 0.37), PND and LMF (rho = 0.28), PND and QN (rho = 0.24), PND and AS (rho = 0.19), PND and DHA (rho = 0.18) and PND and CQ (rho = 0.16). All these coefficients of correlation are too low to suggest cross-resistance between PPQ or PND and the other drugs. Conclusions In this study, the excellent anti-malarial activity of PPQ and PND was confirmed. The absence of cross-resistance with quinolines and artemisinin derivatives is consistent with the efficacy of the combinations of PPQ and DHA or PND and AS in areas where parasites are resistant to conventional anti-malarial drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aurélie Pascual
- Unité de Recherche en Biologie et Epidémiologie Parasitaires Unité de Recherche pour les Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales Emergentes UMR-6236, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Allée du Médecin-colonel Jamot,-BP 60109, 13262 Marseille Cedex, France
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139
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Sowunmi A, Okuboyejo TM, Gbotosho GO, Happi CT. Risk factors for gametocyte carriage in uncomplicated falciparum malaria in children before and after artemisinin-based combination treatments. Chemotherapy 2012; 57:497-504. [PMID: 22261842 DOI: 10.1159/000334126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2011] [Accepted: 09/13/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Artemisinin-based combination treatments (ACTs) are the recommended first-line antimalarials globally, but their influence on the risk factors associated with gametocyte carriage has had little evaluation in endemic areas. METHODS The risk factors associated with gametocytaemia at presentation and after ACTs were evaluated in 835 children assigned to artesunate, artesunate-amodiaquine, artesunate-mefloquine or artemether-lumefantrine. RESULTS Gametocyte carriage at enrolment was 8.4%. During follow-up, 24 patients (2.8%) developed gametocytaemia, which in 83% (20 patients) had developed by day 7 following treatment. In a multiple regression model, 2 factors were independent risk factors for the presence of gametocytaemia at enrolment, namely age <3 years (adjusted odds ratio 2.03, 95% confidence interval 1.01-4.05; p = 0.04) and enrolment before 2009 (adjusted odds ratio 4.2, 95% confidence interval 2.09-8.44; p < 0.001). Haematocrit <25% and parasitaemia <50,000/μl blood were associated with an increased risk of gametocytaemia. Following treatment, 3 factors were independent risk factors for gametocytaemia, namely gametocytaemia at enrolment (adjusted odds ratio 46.39, 95% confidence interval 22.3-96.46; p < 0.0001) and treatment with artesunate (adjusted odds ratio 6.74, 95% confidence interval 1.79-25.27; p = 0.005) or artesunate-mefloquine (adjusted odds ratio 9.66, 95% confidence interval 2.87-32.46; p < 0.0.0001) relative to other ACTs. CONCLUSION ACTs modified the risk factors associated with gametocyte carriage after use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akintunde Sowunmi
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
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Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of monthly versus bimonthly dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine chemoprevention in adults at high risk of malaria. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2012; 56:1571-7. [PMID: 22252804 DOI: 10.1128/aac.05877-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Intermittent preventive treatment (IPT) is increasingly used to reduce malaria morbidity and mortality in children and pregnant women. The efficacy of IPT depends on the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the antimalarial drugs used. Healthy adult male volunteers whose occupation put them at high risk of malaria on the Northwest border of Thailand were randomized to receive a 3-day-treatment dose of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine monthly (DPm) or every 2 months (DPalt) or an identical placebo with or without fat (6.4 g/dose) over a 9-month period. All volunteers were monitored weekly. One thousand adults were recruited. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine was well tolerated. There were 114 episodes of malaria (49 Plasmodium falciparum, 63 P. vivax, and 2 P. ovale). The protective efficacy against all malaria at 36 weeks was 98% (95% confidence interval [CI], 96% to 99%) in the DPm group and 86% (95% CI, 81% to 90%) in the DPalt group (for both, P < 0.0001 compared to the placebo group). As a result, the placebo group also had lower hematocrits during the study (P < 0.0001). Trough plasma piperaquine concentrations were the main determinant of efficacy; no malaria occurred in participants with a trough concentration above 31 ng/ml. Neither plasma piperaquine concentration nor efficacy was influenced by the coadministration of fat. DPm is safe to use and is effective in the prevention of malaria in adult males living in an area where P. vivax and multidrug-resistant P. falciparum malaria are endemic.
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Recent clinical and molecular insights into emerging artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Curr Opin Infect Dis 2012; 24:570-7. [PMID: 22001944 DOI: 10.1097/qco.0b013e32834cd3ed] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have been deployed globally with remarkable success for more than 10 years without having lost their malaria treatment efficacy. However, recent reports from the Thai-Cambodian border reveal evidence of emerging resistance to artemisinins. The latest published clinical and molecular findings are summarized herein. RECENT FINDINGS Clinical studies have identified delayed parasite clearance time as the most robust marker of artemisinin resistance. Resistance has only been documented from South-east Asia and has been observed in isolates that show no significant decrease in drug susceptibility in vitro. Genetic investigations have yet to uncover robust molecular markers. In-vitro studies have identified parasite quiescence or dormancy mechanisms that protect early 'ring-stage' intra-erythrocytic parasites against short-term artemisinin exposure. This might be achieved by reducing the rate of hemoglobin degradation, important for artemisinin bioactivation. SUMMARY Should ACTs fail, no suitable alternatives exist as first-line treatments of P. falciparum malaria. Intensified efforts are essential to monitor the spread of resistance, define therapeutic and operational strategies to counter its impact, and understand its molecular basis. Success in these areas is critical to ensuring that recent gains in reducing the burden of malaria are not lost.
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Peyrottes S, Caldarelli S, Wein S, Périgaud C, Pellet A, Vial H. Choline analogues in malaria chemotherapy. Curr Pharm Des 2012; 18:3454-66. [PMID: 22607139 PMCID: PMC3480700 DOI: 10.2174/138161212801327338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2012] [Accepted: 03/09/2012] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Emerging resistance against well-established anti-malaria drugs warrants the introduction of new therapeutic agents with original mechanisms of action. Inhibition of membrane-based phospholipid biosynthesis, which is crucial for the parasite, has thus been proposed as a novel and promising therapeutic strategy. This review compiles literature concerning the design and study of choline analogues and related cation derivatives as potential anti-malarials. It covers advances achieved over the last two decades and describes: the concept validation, the design and selection of a clinical candidate (Albitiazolium), back-up derivatives while also providing insight into the development of prodrug approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Peyrottes
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247 CNRS-UM1-UM2, Université Montpellier 2, place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Sergio Caldarelli
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247 CNRS-UM1-UM2, Université Montpellier 2, place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Sharon Wein
- Dynamique des Intéractions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques (DIMNP), UMR 5235 CNRS-UM2, Université Montpellier 2, place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Christian Périgaud
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron (IBMM), UMR 5247 CNRS-UM1-UM2, Université Montpellier 2, place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
| | - Alain Pellet
- Sanofi-Aventis, Research & Development, 195 route d’Espagne, BP 13669, 31036 Toulouse Cedex 1, France
| | - Henri Vial
- Dynamique des Intéractions Membranaires Normales et Pathologiques (DIMNP), UMR 5235 CNRS-UM2, Université Montpellier 2, place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier, France
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Mita T, Tanabe K. Evolution of Plasmodium falciparum drug resistance: implications for the development and containment of artemisinin resistance. Jpn J Infect Dis 2012. [DOI: 10.7883/yoken.65.465] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Phenotypic and genotypic analysis of in vitro-selected artemisinin-resistant progeny of Plasmodium falciparum. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2011; 56:302-14. [PMID: 22083467 DOI: 10.1128/aac.05540-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Emergence of artemisinin resistance in Cambodia highlights the importance of characterizing resistance to this class of drugs. Previously, intermediate levels of resistance in Plasmodium falciparum were generated in vitro for artelinic acid (AL) and artemisinin (QHS). Here we expanded on earlier selection efforts to produce levels of clinically relevant concentrations, and the resulting lines were characterized genotypically and phenotypically. Recrudescence assays determined the ability of resistant and parent lines to recover following exposure to clinically relevant levels of drugs. Interestingly, the parent clone (D6) tolerated up to 1,500 ng/ml QHS, but the resistant parasite, D6.QHS340×3, recovered following exposure to 2,400 ng/ml QHS. Resistant D6, W2, and TM91c235 parasites all exhibited elevated 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50)s) to multiple artemisinin drugs, with >3-fold resistance to QHS and AL; however, the degree of resistance obtained with standard methods was remarkably less than expected for parasite lines that recovered from 2,400-ng/ml drug pressure. A novel assay format with radiolabeled hypoxanthine demonstrated a greater degree of resistance in vitro than the standard SYBR green method. Analysis of merozoite number in resistant parasites found D6 and TM91c235 resistant progeny had significantly fewer merozoites than parent strains, whereas W2 resistant progeny had significantly more. Amplification of pfmdr1 increased proportionately to the increased drug levels tolerated by W2 and TM91c235, but not in resistant D6. In summary, we define the artemisinin resistance phenotype as a decrease in susceptibility to artemisinins along with the ability to recover from drug-induced dormancy following supraclinical concentrations of the drug.
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145
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Flegg JA, Guerin PJ, White NJ, Stepniewska K. Standardizing the measurement of parasite clearance in falciparum malaria: the parasite clearance estimator. Malar J 2011; 10:339. [PMID: 22074219 PMCID: PMC3305913 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 212] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2011] [Accepted: 11/10/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A significant reduction in parasite clearance rates following artesunate treatment of falciparum malaria, and increased failure rates following artemisinin combination treatments (ACT), signaled emergent artemisinin resistance in Western Cambodia. Accurate measurement of parasite clearance is therefore essential to assess the spread of artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. The slope of the log-parasitaemia versus time relationship is considered to be the most robust measure of anti-malarial effect. However, an initial lag phase of numerical instability often precedes a steady exponential decline in the parasite count after the start of anti-malarial treatment. This lag complicates the clearance estimation, introduces observer subjectivity, and may influence the accuracy and consistency of reported results. Methods To address this problem, a new approach to modelling clearance of malaria parasites from parasitaemia-time profiles has been explored and validated. The methodology detects when a lag phase is present, selects the most appropriate model (linear, quadratic or cubic) to fit log-transformed parasite data, and calculates estimates of parasite clearance adjusted for this lag phase. Departing from previous approaches, parasite counts below the level of detection are accounted for and not excluded from the calculation. Results Data from large clinical studies with frequent parasite counts were examined. The effect of a lag phase on parasite clearance rate estimates is discussed, using individual patient data examples. As part of the World Wide Antimalarial Resistance Network's (WWARN) efforts to make innovative approaches available to the malaria community, an automated informatics tool: the parasite clearance estimator has been developed. Conclusions The parasite clearance estimator provides a consistent, reliable and accurate method to estimate the lag phase and malaria parasite clearance rate. It could be used to detect early signs of emerging resistance to artemisinin derivatives and other compounds which affect ring-stage clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Flegg
- WorldWide Anti-malarial Resistance Network (WWARN) and Centre for Tropical Medicine, Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Oxford, Churchill Hospital, Old Road, Oxford, OX3 7LJ, UK
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Borrmann S, Sasi P, Mwai L, Bashraheil M, Abdallah A, Muriithi S, Frühauf H, Schaub B, Pfeil J, Peshu J, Hanpithakpong W, Rippert A, Juma E, Tsofa B, Mosobo M, Lowe B, Osier F, Fegan G, Lindegårdh N, Nzila A, Peshu N, Mackinnon M, Marsh K. Declining responsiveness of Plasmodium falciparum infections to artemisinin-based combination treatments on the Kenyan coast. PLoS One 2011; 6:e26005. [PMID: 22102856 PMCID: PMC3213089 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0026005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Accepted: 09/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The emergence of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum malaria in South-East Asia highlights the need for continued global surveillance of the efficacy of artemisinin-based combination therapies. Methods On the Kenyan coast we studied the treatment responses in 474 children 6–59 months old with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in a randomized controlled trial of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine vs. artemether-lumefantrine from 2005 to 2008. (ISRCTN88705995) Results The proportion of patients with residual parasitemia on day 1 rose from 55% in 2005–2006 to 87% in 2007–2008 (odds ratio, 5.4, 95%CI, 2.7–11.1; P<0.001) and from 81% to 95% (OR, 4.1, 95%CI, 1.7–9.9; P = 0.002) in the DHA-PPQ and AM-LM groups, respectively. In parallel, Kaplan-Meier estimated risks of apparent recrudescent infection by day 84 increased from 7% to 14% (P = 0.1) and from 6% to 15% (P = 0.05) with DHA-PPQ and AM-LM, respectively. Coinciding with decreasing transmission in the study area, clinical tolerance to parasitemia (defined as absence of fever) declined between 2005–2006 and 2007–2008 (OR body temperature >37.5°C, 2.8, 1.9–4.1; P<0.001). Neither in vitro sensitivity of parasites to DHA nor levels of antibodies against parasite extract accounted for parasite clearance rates or changes thereof. Conclusions The significant, albeit small, decline through time of parasitological response rates to treatment with ACTs may be due to the emergence of parasites with reduced drug sensitivity, to the coincident reduction in population-level clinical immunity, or both. Maintaining the efficacy of artemisinin-based therapy in Africa would benefit from a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying reduced parasite clearance rates. Trial Registration Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN88705995
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Borrmann
- Kenya Medical Research Institute/Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
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Fall B, Diawara S, Sow K, Baret E, Diatta B, Fall KB, Mbaye PS, Fall F, Diémé Y, Rogier C, Wade B, Bercion R, Pradines B. Ex vivo susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Dakar, Senegal, to seven standard anti-malarial drugs. Malar J 2011; 10:310. [PMID: 22014157 PMCID: PMC3210113 DOI: 10.1186/1475-2875-10-310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2011] [Accepted: 10/20/2011] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background As a result of widespread chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) (which includes artemether-lumefantrine and artesunate-amodiaquine) has been recommended as a first-line anti-malarial regimen in Senegal since 2006. Since then, there have been very few reports on the ex vivo susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to anti-malarial drugs. To examine whether parasite susceptibility has been affected by the widespread use of ACT, the ex vivo susceptibility of local isolates was assessed at the military hospital of Dakar. Methods The ex vivo susceptibility of 93 P. falciparum isolates from Dakar was successfully determined using the Plasmodium lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH) ELISA for the following drugs: chloroquine (CQ), quinine (QN), mefloquine (MQ), monodesethylamodiaquine (MDAQ), lumefantrine (LMF), dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and doxycycline (DOX). Results After transformation of the isolate IC50 in ratio of IC50 according to the susceptibility of the 3D7 reference strain (isolate IC50/3D7 IC50), the prevalence of the in vitro resistant isolates with reduced susceptibility was 50% for MQ, 22% for CQ, 12% for DOX, 6% for both QN and MDAQ and 1% for the drugs LMF and DHA. The highest significant positive correlations were shown between responses to CQ and MDAQ (r = 0.569; P < 0.0001), LMF and QN (r = 0.511; P < 0.0001), LMF and DHA (r = 0.428; P = 0.0001), LMF and MQ (r = 0.413; P = 0.0002), QN and DHA (r = 0.402; P = 0.0003) and QN and MQ (r = 0.421; P = 0.0001). Conclusions The introduction of ACT in 2002 has not induced a decrease in P. falciparum susceptibility to the drugs DHA, MDAQ and LMF, which are common ACT components. However, the prevalence of P. falciparum isolates with reduced susceptibility has increased for both MQ and DOX. Taken together, these data suggest that intensive surveillance of the P. falciparum in vitro susceptibility to anti-malarial drugs in Senegal is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bécaye Fall
- 1Laboratoire d’étude de la chimiosensibilité du paludisme, Fédération deslaboratoires, Hôpital Principal de Dakar, Dakar, Sénégal
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Sutherland CJ, Babiker H, Mackinnon MJ, Ranford-Cartwright L, El Sayed BB. Rational deployment of antimalarial drugs in Africa: should first-line combination drugs be reserved for paediatric malaria cases? Parasitology 2011; 138:1459-68. [PMID: 21810298 PMCID: PMC3575203 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182011001144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Artemisinin-based combination therapy is exerting novel selective pressure upon populations of Plasmodium falciparum across Africa. Levels of resistance to non-artemisinin partner drugs differ among parasite populations, and so the artemisinins are not uniformly protected from developing resistance, already present in South East Asia. Here, we consider strategies for prolonging the period of high level efficacy of combination therapy for two particular endemicities common in Africa. Under high intensity transmission, two alternating first-line combinations, ideally with antagonistic selective effects on the parasite genome, are advocated for paediatric malaria cases. This leaves second-line and other therapies for adult cases, and for intermittent preventive therapy. The drug portfolio would be selected to protect the 'premier' combination regimen from selection for resistance, while maximising impact on severe disease and mortality in children. In endemic areas subject to low, seasonal transmission of Plasmodium falciparum, such a strategy may deliver little benefit, as children represent a minority of cases. Nevertheless, the deployment of other drug-based interventions in low transmission and highly seasonal areas, such as mass drug administration aimed to interrupt malaria transmission, or intermittent preventive therapy, does provide an opportunity to diversify drug pressure. We thus propose an integrated approach to drug deployment, which minimises direct selective pressure on parasite populations from any one drug component. This approach is suitable for qualitatively and quantitatively different burdens of malaria, and should be supported by a programme of routine surveillance for emerging resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin J Sutherland
- Department of Immunology & Infection, Faculty of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, WC1E 7HT, UK.
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Piedade R, Gil JP. The pharmacogenetics of antimalaria artemisinin combination therapy. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2011; 7:1185-200. [PMID: 21899476 DOI: 10.1517/17425255.2011.608660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Plasmodium falciparum malaria is one of the world's most lethal infectious diseases, commanding millions of drug administrations per year. The pharmacogenetics of these drugs is poorly known, although its application can be pivotal for the optimized management of this disease. AREAS COVERED The main components of artemisinin combination therapy (ACT), the worldwide main antimalarial strategy, are metabolized by the polymorphic CYP3A4 (mefloquine, artemether, lumefantrine), CYP2C8 (amodiaquine), CYP2A6 (artesunate) and CYP1A1/2 (amodiaquine/desethylamodiaquine), with dihydroartemisinin being acted by Phase II UDP-glucuronosyltransferases. The worldwide adoption of ACT is leading to a large number of antimalarial treatments. Simultaneously, the feared development of parasite drug resistance might drive dosing increases. In these scenarios of increased drug exposure, pharmacogenetics can be a key tool supporting evidence-based medicine aiming for the longest possible useful lifespan of this important chemotherapy. EXPERT OPINION Translation in this moment is not operationally possible at an individual level, but large population studies are achievable for: i) the development of robust pharmacogenetics markers; and ii) the parallel development of a pharmacogenetic cartography of malaria settings. Advances in the understanding of antimalarial pharmacogenetics are urgent in order to protect the exposed populations, enhance the effectiveness of ACT and, consequently, contributing for the long aimed elimination of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Piedade
- Karolinska Institute, Division of Pharmacogenetics, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Stockholm, Sweden
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Recrudescent Plasmodium falciparum infections in children in an endemic area following artemisinin–based combination treatments: Implications for disease control. ASIAN PACIFIC JOURNAL OF TROPICAL DISEASE 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/s2222-1808(11)60027-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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