Australian Researchers Discover Way To ‘Starve’ Malaria Parasite, Could Lead to New Treatments, Study Says

Australian scientists have discovered a way to "starve" the Plasmodium malaria parasite by deactivating its digestive system, which deprives the parasite of nutrition and disables its survival mechanism, according to a study published recently in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, AAP/The Age reports (AAP/The Age, 2/3).

Sheena McGowan, lead study author, said the researchers "had an idea as to how [the parasite] could be starved, and we've shown this, chemically, can be done." According to McGowan, Plasmodium breaks down human blood proteins for survival and "carries out the first stages of digestion inside a specialized compartment called the digestive vacuole." McGowan said the researchers targeted the enzyme PfA-M1, which is "essential for parasite viability" and is "located outside the digestive vacuole, meaning it is easier to target from a drug perspective" (PTI/The Hindu, 2/3).

James Whisstock, a study researcher and a professor at Monash University, said the study results are exciting because they offer a unique way to target the malaria parasite and treat the disease. He added that more research into possible adverse side effects is needed and that it will be a while before the technique can be tested in humans (AAP/The Age, 2/3).