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Biomedical subjects

Alan F. Cowman

Publications and source records attributed to Alan F. Cowman.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Molecular Approaches to Malaria 2000.

For more than 20 years now, Australia has been officially free of endemic malaria, but this devastating disease once again made a major impact on the continent in February 2000 when Melbourne hosted Australia's first major international conference on 'Molecular Approaches to Malaria' (Lorne, Australia, 2-5 February 2000). The global research effort toward our increased understanding of the pathogenesis and control of malaria in the post-genomics era was discussed and debated at length over 4 days packed with science encompassing molecular biology, cell biology, clinical studies, genomics, vaccines and pathogenic mechanisms. More than 260 researchers from 18 countries worldwide participated in this interdisciplinary meeting which comprised 57 oral presentations and 122 posters. Here we summarize some presentations pertinent to the field of drug action and resistance. Copyright 2000 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

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The mechanism of resistance to sulfa drugs in Plasmodium falciparum.

The sulfonamide and sulfone (sulfa) group of antimalarials has been used extensively throughout malaria endemic regions of the world to control this important infectious disease of humans. Sulfadoxine is the most extensively used drug of this group of drugs and is usually combined with pyrimethamine (Fansidar), particularly for the control of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most lethal form of malaria. Resistance to the sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine combination is widespread. Analysis using molecular, genetic and biochemical approaches has shown that the mechanism of resistance to sulfadoxine involves mutation of dihydropteroate synthase, the enzyme target of this group of drugs. Understanding the mechanism of resistance of P. falciparum to sulfa drugs has allowed detailed analysis of the epidemiology of the spread of drug resistance alleles in the field(1)and, in the future, opens the way to the development of novel antimalarials to this target enzyme. Copyright 1999 Harcourt Publishers Ltd.

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EDITORIAL.

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