Antimalarial Drug Development and New Targets

• Published in: Parasitology Today Vol. 16; no. 10; pp. 438 - 444
• Main Authors: Macreadie, I, Ginsburg, H, Sirawaraporn, W, Tilley, L
• Format: Book Review Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier B.V 01.10.2000
• Subjects: Animals; Antifolate; Antimalarials - pharmacology; Antimalarials - therapeutic use; Artemisinin; Atovaquone; Drug Design; Drug Resistance; Drugs; Folic Acid Antagonists - pharmacology; Folic Acid Antagonists - therapeutic use; Humans; Malaria; Malaria, Falciparum - drug therapy; Malaria, Falciparum - parasitology; Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium falciparum - drug effects; Plasmodium falciparum - enzymology; Quinoline; Quinolines - pharmacology; Quinolines - therapeutic use; Drugs; Antifolate; Plasmodium falciparum; Parasitology; Malaria; Atovaquone; Pharmaceutical Science; Artemisinin; Quinoline
• ISSN: 0169-4758
• DOI: 10.1016/S0169-4758(00)01758-0

The Molecular Approaches to Malaria (MAM2000) conference, Lorne, Australia, 2–5 February 2000, brought together world-class malaria research scientists. The development of new tools and technologies – transfection, DNA microarrays and proteomic analysis – and the availability of DNA sequences generated by the Malaria Genome Project, along with more classic approaches, have facilitated the identification of novel drug targets, the development of new antimalarials and the generation of a deeper understanding of the molecular mechanism(s) of drug resistance in malaria. It is hoped that combinations of these technologies could lead to strategies that enable the development of effective, efficient and affordable new drugs to overcome drug-resistant malaria, as discussed at MAM2000 and outlined here by Ian Macreadie and colleagues.