title: Shooting at the DARC: potential issues with species-specific antimalarials.
abstract: Scientific drug design enables the production of novel agents that may be specific for individual malaria species, particularly by targeting their methods of cellular entry. Though there are practical and theoretical barriers to introducing novel agents into clinical practice, there may also be theoretical benefits to encourage further investigation of such agents, including a reduction in the rate of development of falciparum resistance. This paper discusses the potential risks and benefits such agents using the example of CCR5 blockers, drugs which are already in use for HIV treatment, but may be able to block DARC, the site of Plasmodium vivax into the human red blood cell.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. ian.woolley@monash.edu
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Woolley
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Horne
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D065100:CCR5 Receptor Antagonists; D015195:Drug Design; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D058990:Molecular Targeted Therapy; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: C473745:ACKR1 protein, human; D000962:Antimalarials; D065100:CCR5 Receptor Antagonists; D004375:Duffy Blood-Group System; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface