Malaria
affects more than 200 million people worldwide every year, and resistance to
antimalarial treatments is constantly increasing. This infectious disease is
caused by Plasmodium parasites that are capable of adapting to varied
environments. During the parasite's life cycle, it lives in the salivary glands
of the mosquito vector before infecting the liver and then the blood of the
human host.
Parasites
in the genus Plasmodium, which cause malaria, are transmitted to humans through
bites from infected mosquitoes. The parasites manage to acclimatize to these
two completely different hosts because the plasticity of their genome enables
them to adapt as necessary.
Scientists
decided to
investigate the epigenetic mechanisms behind this plasticity, in particular DNA
methylation. They identified molecules capable of inhibiting DNA methylation
and effectively killing even the most resistant Plasmodium falciparum
parasites.
See:
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)
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