Artemisinins from folklore to modern medicine--transforming an herbal extract to life-saving drugs.
The history of the artemisinins from Ge Hong in China during the 4th century, to the re-discovery of the qing hao derivatives in the 1970s, to the explosion of artemisinin derivatives and combinations throughout the world today is a fascinating story. The central and underappreciated role of the United States Army's 'drug company' known as the Division of Experimental Therapeutics at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research is a story worth relating. From being the first group outside China to extract the active component of qing hao, to leading the work on neurotoxicity of the class in animals, to bringing a Good Manufacturing Practices intravenous formulation to the worldwide market is traced.
Weina
P J
PJ
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, 503 Robert Grant Avenue, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, USA. peter.weina@amedd.army.mil
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000266:history* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002681:China; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D049690:History, Ancient; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000266:history*; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000266:history*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000266:history* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000266:history / Q000627:therapeutic use
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D028321:Plant Preparations; D011355:Prodrugs