Advances in Novel Antimalarials
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 July 2023) | Viewed by 388
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Malaria has influenced human history for more than 10,000 years. Currently, it affects 40% of the world’s population, especially those who live under compromised conditions in tropical and subtropical areas. In 2020, there were 241 million malaria cases and 627,000 malaria deaths worldwide. The disease is caused by protozoan parasites of Plasmodium spp. and transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes. Antimalarial chemotherapy is the most powerful approach to treating malaria patients and blocking malaria transmission. Historically, antimalarials have been derived from wild plants such as Cinchona and Artemisia. These plants contain potent antimalarial compounds known as quinine and artemisinin, respectively. Synthesis of antimalarial compounds started in the early 20th century before World War II. Many antimalarial compounds have been generated through medicinal chemistry, including chloroquine, sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine, mefloquine, etc. However, most antimalarials in the current medical arsenal have lost their efficacy due to the emergence of drug resistance. To overcome this challenge, novel antimalarials must be continuously developed. In recent decades, advances in basic malaria research have provided an array of novel antimalarial drug targets. In parallel, millions of small chemical inhibitors have been screened through cell-based or target-based assays. Several breakthroughs have been made to screen antimalarials beyond the erythrocytic stage, such as in the liver stage. These advances in basic research and drug development are very exciting. In light of these new developments, Pathogens is launching a Special Issue devoted to “Advances in Novel Antimalarials”, which will cover several aspects of antimalarial drug development in the last two decades or so, including (but not limited to):
- Novel antimalarial drug targets;
- Antimalarials that mainly cure clinical symptoms;
- Antimalarials that act on multiple lifecycle stages;
- Antimalarials for prophylaxis (liver stage);
- Mechanisms of antimalarial drug resistance.
Dr. Hangjun Ke
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- malaria
- antimalarial
- drug resistance
- drug development
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