Malaria Genetic Mysteries
Posted Dec 22, 2011 02:56:34 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
SFU Researchers hope their work will lead to a drug or vaccine that can prevent disease and death caused by malaria.
They’ve been sifting through thousands of genes to help identify the most deadly parasites.
The goal is to prevent death and disease caused by malaria carrying mosquitoes.
There are many drugs out there right now- but there is a problem says Molecular Biologist Christian Frech, the development of parasite resistance.
“After you introduce a drug it takes about 10 years for the parasite to develop a resistance and then you need a new drug otherwise the drug will lose its efficiency. So there is a constant pressure to develop new drugs against the malaria parasite….taking this challenge now by using a new tool called comparative genomics”
He says they have successfully id’ed 2 of the most deadly malaria parasites infecting humans, one infecting monkeys and humans and 3 infecting rodents. There are hundreds of different types.
“By pulling out genes that are different between species we can basically focus now on genes that are more likely to be dangerous.”
He says gene loss and gain can often determine malaria carrying mosquito strengths and weaknesses.
