 |
|
Anti-malarials most effective in lupus patients genetically at risk of high levels of TNF-alpha
February 13, 2006Anti-malarial drugs are most effective in people with lupus who are genetically predisposed to high levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha and low levels of the cytokine IL-10. A study published today in the journal Arthritis Research & Therapy reveals that anti-malarial drugs, widely used to treat systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), bring serum levels of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) back to normal in SLE patients. The research shows that these drugs are more effective in patients who have two specific genetic variations (polymorphisms) on the TNF-alpha and IL-10 genes that predispose them to abnormally high levels of TNF-alpha and low levels of the cytokine IL-10. This finding may have important clinical applications through the identification of lupus patients who are the most likely to benefit from anti-malarial therapy.
Patricia Lopez, from the University of Oviedo in Spain and colleagues from the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias in Oviedo matched 192 SLE patients with 343 healthy individuals to act as controls. The researchers genotyped both patients and controls for two specific polymorphisms on the TNF-alpha and IL-10 genes. Lopez et al. then measured TNF-alpha serum levels in 171 of the SLE patients and 215 of the controls. The patients were asked precise questions regarding any treatment received before the study.
Lopez et al.'s results show that, as expected, average TNF-alpha serum levels were higher in the population of SLE patients (33.57pg/ml) than in the group of controls (19.66 pg/ml). However, patients who had been taking anti-malarial drugs for at least three months before the study had serum levels of TNF-alpha (16.64 pg/ml) similar to those of controls. Patients who had not been taking the drugs before the study had much higher levels of TNF-alpha (60.78 pg/ml).
Lopez et al. found that, in patients with both polymorphisms, TNF-alpha levels were four times lower if the patient had been taking anti-malarial drugs. For patients who do not have the polymorphisms, the difference in TNF-alpha levels was much less significant between patients who were on anti-malarial therapy and patients who were not. Patients with both polymorphisms had a four times higher probability to respond well to anti-malarial therapy (and not need any other therapy) than other patients.
BioMed Central
Lopez et al. found that, in patients with both polymorphisms, TNF-alpha levels were four times lower if the patient had been taking anti-malarial drugs. For patients who do not have the polymorphisms, the difference in TNF-alpha levels was much less significant between patients who were on anti-malarial therapy and patients who were not. Patients with both polymorphisms had a four times higher probability to respond well to anti-malarial therapy (and not need any other therapy) than other patients.
BioMed Central
Anti-malarial Drugs Current Events and Anti-malarial Drugs News RSSNew research confirms potential deadly nature of emerging new monkey malaria species in humans
Researchers in Malaysia have identified key laboratory and clinical features of an emerging new form of malaria infection.
Unique immunization method provides insights about protective anti-malaria immune response
In this week's New England Journal of Medicine, scientists in Singapore, The Netherlands and France report that they have developed a novel immunization method that will induce fast and effective protection in humans against the life-threatening malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which infects 350 to 500 million people world-wide and kills over one million people each year.
Synthetic Biology Can Help Extend Anti-Malaria Drug Effectiveness
In addition to providing a simple and much less expensive means of making artemisinin, the most powerful anti-malaria drug in use today, synthetic biology can also help to extend the effectiveness of this drug. Fermenting artemisinin via engineered microbes, such as yeast, can be done at far lower costs than extracting the drug from Artemsisia annua, the sweet wormwood tree, making microbial-based artemisinin a much cheaper but equally effective treatment.
Bio-imaging mass spectrometry techniques reveal molecular details about complex systems
Understanding biology at the systems level is difficult, especially when studying complex specimens like tissue slices or communities of organisms in a biofilm. Scientists must be able to identify, quantify and locate the molecules present in the samples.
Discovery of key malaria proteins could mean sticky end for parasite
Scientists funded by the Wellcome Trust have identified a key mechanism that enables malaria-infected red blood cells to stick to the walls of blood vessels and avoid being destroyed by the body's immune system. The research, published today in the journal Cell, highlights an important potential new target for anti-malarial drugs.
Discovery to hasten new malaria treatments, vaccines for children
April 25 is World Malaria Day 2008 and despite the grim statistics out of Africa there's cause for celebration. Florida State University biologists have discovered an autoimmune-like response in blood drawn from malaria-infected African children that helps to explain why existing DNA-based anti-malaria vaccines have repeatedly failed to protect them.
International health experts to enlist the public in war on African malaria
Philanthropy just got easier and a lot more accessible to the public thanks to the social networking power of the Internet and a ground-breaking partnership between a young British entrepreneur, a global health think tank and an African medical research institute.
Fake antimalarial drugs analysis highlights threat to global health
A unique collaboration between scientists, public health workers and police has led to the arrest by the Chinese authorities of alleged traders of fake anti-malarial drugs in southern China and the seizure of a large quantity of drugs.
Genetic map offers new tool for malaria research
An international research team announced today the completion of a genome-wide map that charts the genetic variability of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.
Study points to genes responsible for malaria parasite's survival in attempts to eradicate it
Malaria is a nasty and often fatal disease, which may lead to kidney failure, seizures, permanent neurological damage, coma, and death. There are four types of Plasmodium parasites that cause the disease, of which falciparum, the subject of the recent study, is the most deadly.
More Anti-malarial Drugs Current Events and Anti-malarial Drugs News Articles
|
Anti-malarial drug targets: screening for inhibitors of 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate synthase (IspC protein) in Mediterranean plants.: An article ... Journal of Phytotherapy & Phytopharmacology by J. Kaiser (Author), M. Yassin (Author), S. Prakash (Author), N. Safi (Author), M. Agami (Author), S. Lauw (Author), E. Ostrozhenkova (Author), A. Bacher (Author), F. Rohdich (Author), W. Eisenreich (Author), J. Safi (Author), A. Golan-Goldhirsh (Author) This digital document is an article from Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy & Phytopharmacology, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2007. The length of the article is 4171 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser. Citation Details Title: Anti-malarial drug targets: screening for inhibitors of 2C-methyl-D-erythritol 4-phosphate synthase (IspC protein) in Mediterranean plants. Author: J. Kaiser Publication: Phytomedicine: International Journal of Phytotherapy & Phytopharmacology (Magazine/Journal) Date: April 1, 2007 Publisher: Thomson Gale Volume: 14 Issue: 4 ... | |
|
Pharmacokinetics, Drug Metabolism and Clinical Effects of the Anti-Malarial Artemisinin: Time-Dependencies and Modeling Aspects (Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations, 224) by Ulrika S. H. Svensson (Author) | |
|
Lectures on the development and use of the synthetic anti-malarial drugs (Bulletins / Malaya. Institute for Medical Research) by Richard Green (Author) | |
|
A Preliminary Report on the Effect of Anti-Malarial Drugs Upon the Infectivity o by Brevet-Colonel R. N. (MD) and Basu, B. C. Chopra (Author) | |
|
Studies on the mode of action of anti-malarial drugs using Tetrahymena pyriformis (University of Hawaii) by Kenneth Alan Conklin (Author) | |
|
Lectures on the Development and Use of the Synthetic Anti-Malarial Drugs by Richard Green (Author) | |
|
Chemotherapy of malaria: A review of the biological and statistical background of malaria, and of the literature on anti-malarial chemotherapeutic agents (Search) by James H Williams (Author) |
| © 2009 BrightSurf.com |