title: Malaria in South America: a drug discovery perspective.
abstract: The challenge of controlling and eventually eradicating malaria means that new tools are urgently needed. South America's role in this fight spans both ends of the research and development spectrum: both as a continent capable of discovering and developing new medicines, and also as a continent with significant numbers of malaria patients. This article reviews the contribution of groups in the South American continent to the research and development of new medicines over the last decade. Therefore, the current situation of research targeting malaria control and eradication is discussed, including endemicity, geographical distribution, treatment, drug-resistance and diagnosis. This sets the scene for a review of efforts within South America to discover and optimize compounds with anti-malarial activity.
authors.affiliation: Medicines for Malaria Venture, 20 route de Pré-Bois, Geneva, CH 1215, Switzerland. luizareiscruz@gmail.com
authors.forename: Luiza R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Cruz
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spangenberg
authors.forename: Marcus V G
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Lacerda
authors.forename: Timothy N C
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Wells
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000639:trends*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013020:South America
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials