JNU Scientists Achieve Major Breakthrough In Enhancing Antimalarial Drug Efficacy

New Delhi: The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) scientists, Anand Ranganathan and Shailaja Singh have attained a crucial breakthrough in the quest for improving the efficacy of drugs like chloroquine and artemisinin in treating malaria, reported Deccan Herald.

This development assumes significance in light of malaria parasites showing resistance to the aforementioned drugs.

JNU’s Special Centre for Molecular Medicine scientists have found a significant way to cripple the parasite Plasmodium falciparum before it can reach the red blood cells for the multiplication process. Scientists have discovered a novel approach to block the parasite route which causes cerebral malaria.

“The idea here was to break the cycle of the parasite at the very first step when it is trying to invade our RBCs. The binding of Myosin A to its physiological interacting partner (MTIP) is crucial for generating the force for parasite’s motility,” Anand Ranganathan was quoted as saying.

Now the team of scientists aims to crystallize ZA1s molecules to understand its structure, following which the drug development process would begin.