New trends in anti-malarial agents.
Malaria is the major parasitic infection in many tropical and subtropical regions, leading to more than one million deaths (principally young African children) out of 400 million cases each year (WHO world health report 2000). More than half of the world's population live in areas where they remain at risk of malaria infection. During last years, the situation has worsened in many ways, mainly due to malarial parasites becoming increasingly resistant to several antimalarial drugs. Furthermore, the control of malaria is becoming more complicated by the parallel spread of resistance of the mosquito vector to currently available insecticides. Discovering new drugs in this field is therefore a health priority. Several new molecules are under investigation. This review describes the classical treatments of malaria and the latest discoveries in antimalarial agents, especially artemisinin and its recent derivatives as well as the novel peroxidic compounds.
Frédérich
Michel
M
Laboratory of Pharmacognosy, Natural and Synthetic Drugs Research Center, University of Liège, CHU Sart-Tilman B36, Liège, 4000, Belgium. m.frederich@ulg.ac.be
Dogné
Jean-Michel
JM
Angenot
Luc
L
De Mol
Patrick
P
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology; D010961:Plasmodium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000469:parasitology; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology; D011804:Quinolines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D019384:Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors; D011500:Protein Synthesis Inhibitors; D011804:Quinolines; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C031327:artemisinin; C037219:quinoline