Unearthing Novel Compounds with Malaria Transmission Blocking Activity
Science / Life Sciences
The quest for new malaria drugs has long beencentered on the parasite forms that proliferate in the blood and trigger the disease. However, gametocytes, the sexual forms that infect the mosquito vector during a bite, are also present in the blood of infected individuals. The few antimalarials that are currently available are not very effective against gametocytes. These forms do not multiply and are biochemically distinct from the proliferating forms. In essence, while treatment eradicates the Plasmodium forms that induce the disease, it does not inhibit transmission. The World Health Organization’s position is that identifying compounds that target the sexual forms, with the potential of blocking transmission, is crucial for eradicating malaria. Our project employs a novel parasite model that facilitates large-scale screening of these compounds.
Amount invested
2nd phase: R$ 980,000.00 (R$ 700,000.00 + R$ 280,000.00 optional bonus for the integration and training of people from underrepresented groups in science)
