title: PfCRT and its role in antimalarial drug resistance.
abstract: Plasmodium falciparum resistance to chloroquine, the former gold standard antimalarial drug, is mediated primarily by mutant forms of the chloroquine resistance transporter (PfCRT). These mutations impart upon PfCRT the ability to efflux chloroquine from the intracellular digestive vacuole, the site of drug action. Recent studies reveal that PfCRT variants can also affect parasite fitness, protect immature gametocytes against chloroquine action, and alter P. falciparum susceptibility to current first-line therapies. These results highlight the need to be vigilant in screening for the appearance of novel pfcrt alleles that could contribute to new multi-drug resistance phenotypes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ecker
authors.forename: Adele M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Lehane
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Clain
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Fidock
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004351:Drug Resistance / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000469:parasitology; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009154:Mutation; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; C416369:PfCRT protein, Plasmodium falciparum; D015800:Protozoan Proteins