City scientists' malaria drug breakthrough

SCIENTISTS from Edinburgh have discovered how malaria is able to resist treatment, which could lead to the design of more effective drugs.

Researchers have identified a gene that enables the parasite that causes the infection to resist treatment with the plant-based remedy artemisinin.

Artemisinin remains the only effective treatment against the infection, but malarial resistance to artemisinin appears to be developing, potentially creating problems in controlling the disease.

Identification of this gene paves the way for further studies that could eventually help control the development of resistance to artemisinin and lead to more effective drugs for human malaria.

Dr Paul Hunt, from the University of Edinburgh's School of Biological Sciences, said: "This knowledge from rodent malaria parasites opens up new directions that will allow this gene to be investigated in human malaria.

"This may help track the evolution of drug resistance and may eventually enable the design of alternative, effective drugs."