A new class of antimalarial compounds that can effectively kill malaria parasites has been developed by Australian and American researchers. The research was a collaboration between the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute and global pharmaceutical company MSD.

In this video we see red blood cells infected with malaria. The parasites invade and multiply uncontrollably in the red blood cells, and when we zoom in, we see the small round parasites coming out of the infected red blood cells. This process, called egress, is essential for infection and transmission of the parasite.

New antimalarial compounds prevent parasites from escaping from red blood cells, the so-called “blood stage” of infection. In preclinical testing, the compounds were found to be effective against different species of malaria parasites, including the deadly Plasmodium falciparum, and at several stages of the parasite life cycle. The compounds target a previously unexplored parasite pathway and could address existing problems with parasite drug resistance, a current and increasingly pressing problem.

Read more: wehi.edu.au/news/novel-compound-sparks-new-malaria-treatment-hope

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