Malaria drug-sensitivity testing: new assays, new perspectives.
Over the past five decades, the drug resistance of Plasmodium falciparum has become an issue of utmost concern. At the same time, in vitro assays for assessing antimalarial drug sensitivity have become indispensable tools for the surveillance of drug resistance and the planning of therapeutic guidelines. Several new in vitro assays have been introduced, designed to be easier to handle than previous tests and allow a faster identification of drug-resistant parasites, as well as for simple evaluation of new drugs. This review examines the various new approaches to the in vitro assessment of malaria drug sensitivity and their limitations.
Noedl
Harald
H
Dept of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Pathophysiology, University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, A-1095, Vienna, Austria. harald.noedl@univie.ac.at <harald.noedl@univie.ac.at>
Wongsrichanalai
Chansuda
C
Wernsdorfer
Walther H
WH
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000145:classification / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
D000962:Antimalarials