title: Artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum: what is it really?
abstract: Until very recently, artemisinin and its derivatives were the only commercially available antimalarial drugs for which there was no reported parasite resistance. Artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) are currently relied upon for effective malaria treatment in most regions of the world in which the disease is endemic, and their continuing efficacy is crucial if control and elimination programmes are to succeed. The loss of effectiveness of artemisinin and its derivatives to drug resistance would constitute a major disaster in the fight against malaria. To properly assess the danger posed by artemisinin resistance, and therefore enable appropriate and proportionate responses, definitions of 'artemisinin resistance' and 'ACT resistance', at both the clinical and parasitological levels, are needed.
authors.affiliation: Department Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan. pedro.ferreira@ki.se
authors.forename: Pedro Eduardo
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Ferreira
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Culleton
authors.forename: Jose Pedro
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Steven Richard
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Meshnick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004351:Drug Resistance; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000469:parasitology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; C031327:artemisinin