Portland scientists' new malaria drug looks like a breakthrough, outside experts say
Source: The Oregonian
The drug "has the potential to prevent transmission of the disease. It has the potential to prevent the disease altogether," says Michael Riscoe, professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at OHSU and director of the Experimental Chemotherapy Lab at the Portland VA Medical Center.
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The new drug is "very promising" and the published study appears comprehensive and sophisticated, in contrast to past advances that did not pan out, said Malcolm Gardner, a professor and malaria researcher at the Seattle Biomedical Research Institute who was not part of the ELQ-300 research. "Its potency seems very high."
The new compound has so far been shown to work only on mice and mosquitoes. But the mosquito part of the research could be significant because the insect carries the malaria parasite between humans. Instead of carrier mosquitoes transmitting the disease to humans with their bites, says Riscoe, a mosquito biting a human treated with the new drug could transmit the cure to the bug, eliminating the parasite.
Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/health/index.ssf/2013/03/portland_scientists_new_malari.html#incart_m-rpt-2
loudsue
(14,087 posts)to be rid of malaria. It is such a horrible disease.
WheelWalker
(8,955 posts)AllyCat
(16,214 posts)The treatment and prevention is hardly better.
Permanut
(5,621 posts)Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU) and the Portland VA Medical Center are right next door to each other, and have collaborated on significant research before, such as Brian Druker's breakthrough in Leukemia treatments. This is the real deal.
tanyev
(42,595 posts)Duer 157099
(17,742 posts)Not that there's anything wrong with that, but the law of unintended consequences may come knocking.