Possible new compound for treatment of cerebral malariaAugust 23, 2005In a paper published online in PLoS Medicine researchers from Marseille describe the effects of a new compound that may be a future treatment for patients with cerebral malaria. The compound¡XLMP-420¡Xinhibits two of the molecules produced in the brain when affected by cerebral malaria. Cerebral malaria is a complication that can occur in malaria caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. In cerebral malaria, the parasites infect the red blood cells that accumulate within the very small capillaries that flow through the tissues of the brain. Even when treated, cerebral malaria has a fatality rate of 15% or more. Using an in vitro model of cerebral malaria, the researchers, led by George Grau, found that LMP-420 potently reduced the activation of endothelial cells (cells that line the small blood vessels), how well malaria-infected red blood cells stuck to these endothelial cells, and the release of micro particles from the same cells¡Xthree major features of cerebral malaria.
The authors caution that the experimental in vitro results do not necessarily predict potential efficacy in either animal models or humans, especially since in their model the LMP-420 had to be given before the disease process was established. Nevertheless, this avenue of research is a promising one to explore further. Public Library of Science | ||||||||||
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Related Cerebral Malaria Current Events and Cerebral Malaria News Articles Johns Hopkins scientists discover what drives the development of a fatal form of malaria Platelets - those tiny, unassuming cells that cause blood to clot and scabs to form when you cut yourself - play an important early role in promoting cerebral malaria, an often lethal complication that occurs mostly in children. U of M researchers find cerebral malaria may be a major cause of brain injury in African children Researchers at the University of Minnesota have found that cerebral malaria is related to long-term cognitive impairment in one of four child survivors. The research is published in the current issue of the journal Pediatrics. MSU researcher helps develop computer game for Ugandan children recovering from cerebral malaria The computer program Captain's Log - originally used with individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, brain injuries or learning disabilities - is being adapted to rehabilitate Ugandan children who are survivors of cerebral malaria. Cerebral malaria: Approaching a diagnostic test Scientists at CNRS and the Pasteur Institute, collaborating with physicians in Gabon, have just undertaken a study on cerebral malaria in children living in an endemic region. Eye-opening research provides important diagnostic tool for major childhood killer The eye can provide a very reliable way of diagnosing cerebral malaria, researchers in Malawi have shown. Brain Wave Monitor Could Replace Lumbar Puncture Scientists in Southampton have developed non-invasive technology to measure the fluid pressure in the brain safely and painlessly which they hope will eventually reduce the need for a lumbar puncture. Collaborators in London now believe it could be a major advance in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as meningitis, head injury and sleeping disorders. It could even be used by astronauts in space. Malaria : Plasmodium togetherness a strategy for breeding success Malaria, which infects 600 million people in the world and leads annually to 2 million deaths, is the most widespread of infectious diseases. The pathological agent is a microscopic parasite of the Plasmodium genus which develops inside the host's erythrocytes. Plasmodia go through a series of asexual reproduction cycles before a transition takes place from asexual stages to production of sexual cells, the gametocytes or pre-gametes, in the host blood. The females of Anopheles, the mosquito vector, ingest blood and gametocytes during a nocturnal feed on human skin. The meal reaches the mosquito's stomach where Plasmodium sexual reproduction takes place. An encounter and subsequent binding be More Cerebral Malaria Current Events and Cerebral Malaria News Articles |
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