Humanised models of infection in the evaluation of anti-malarial drugs Articles uri icon

publication date

  • September 2013

start page

  • e351

end page

  • e357

issue

  • 3

volume

  • 10

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 1740-6749

abstract

  • Humanised mice have a crucial role for drug discovery in malaria, which is the most important parasitic disease in the world and is caused by protozoa of the genus Plasmodium that selectively infect human hepatocytes and erythrocytes. There are currently reliable humanised murine models for hepatic and erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium falciparum, which is the most pathogenic malarial species. These models are useful in the evaluation of drugs for malaria prevention and treatment, notably in exploiting the thousands of antimalarial hits discovered. The development of a humanised model for Plasmodium vivax and the validation of the P. falciparum models to inform optimal clinical studies are the next key goals to be achieved.

subjects

  • Biology and Biomedicine
  • Medicine

keywords

  • humanised models; malarial; drugs