title: Optimal assay design for determining the in vitro sensitivity of ring stage Plasmodium falciparum to artemisinins.
abstract: Recent reports demonstrate that failure of artemisinin-based antimalarial therapies is associated with an altered response of early blood stage Plasmodium falciparum. This has led to increased interest in the use of pulse assays that mimic clinical drug exposure for analysing artemisinin sensitivity of highly synchronised ring stage parasites. We report a methodology for the reliable execution of drug pulse assays and detail a synchronisation strategy that produces well-defined tightly synchronised ring stage cultures in a convenient time-frame.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Stanley C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Con
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dogovski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kenny
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia. Electronic address: ltilley@unimelb.edu.au.
authors.forename: Leann
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tilley
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coherent X-ray Science, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
authors.forename: Nectarios
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Klonis
mesh_terms: D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004351:Drug Resistance; D021261:Parasitic Sensitivity Tests / Q000379:methods*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D052939:Schizonts / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins
keywords: Artemisinin; Malaria; Plasmodium falciparum; Pulse drug assay; Synchronisation