South African Scientists Claim Breakthrough Drug Cures All Strains of Malaria

Thursday, August 30, 2012 - 14:30 in Health & Medicine

Malaria is the scourge of tropical nations, crippling its victims with symptoms like debilitating fever, convulsions and nausea, and killing half a million people annually. Now researchers in South Africa say they may have a one-size-fits-all solution, in the form of a new drug that could work with just one dose. The drug is a synthetic molecule in a class of compounds known as aminopyridines, which are precursors to many drugs for neurological disorders. Scientists at Australia's Griffith University were screening more than 6 million drug compounds and suggested aminopyridine for further study. Then a team of scientists led by Kelly Chibale at the University of Cape Town tested several of these compounds, settling on a suitable molecule that will now be tested further. Related ArticlesGenetically Engineered Mosquitoes Are 100 Percent Resistant to Malaria ParasiteTo Curb Malaria, Researchers Create Gene That Rapidly Spreads Through Mosquito PopulationsScientists Create Sperm-Free Mosquitoes to Prevent MalariaTagsScience,...

Read the whole article on PopSci

More from PopSci

Latest Science Newsletter

Get the latest and most popular science news articles of the week in your Inbox! It's free!

Check out our next project, Biology.Net