JAKARTA – A study conducted at the University of Melbourne Australia has identified an anti-malarial compound named ML901. This compound works by inhibiting the malaria parasite and is not harmful to humans.
In collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Medicines for Malaria Medicine, the researchers carried out various molecular trials until they finally found the compound ML901. These compounds can attack proteins from within the parasite so that the parasites are unable to replicate themselves and die by themselves. That way, the patient can recover from malaria.
To test its effectiveness, they have done it using human blood cultures and animal models of malaria. As a result, the compound ML901 has been shown to kill malaria parasites, including drug-resistant malaria parasites. Not only that, this compound is also useful for preventing malaria infection, in addition to its ability to cure humans from the disease.
“This compound also has the potential to prevent infection from spreading this disease, which is very important to stop the spread of malaria,” said one of the researchers from the Bio21 Institute University of Melbourne Australia, Prof. Leann Tilley quoted from Eurekalert.
Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases suffered by people worldwide. Every year, there are at least 200 million new cases of malaria infection in the world which causes the death of more than 600 thousand people in Africa and Southeast Asia.
Malaria is a disease caused by a parasite transmitted by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito. Malaria can be cured, but due to late and inappropriate treatment, this disease becomes quite dangerous and deadly.
Over the last 50 years, the increase in malaria cases has led to drug resistance malaria. The causes of drug resistance malaria are quite diverse. Starting from treatment that is not standardized, irregular, patients do not take complete medication, as well as malaria drugs that are sold freely.
It is hoped that the discovery of this ML901 compound can help improve the healing of malaria patients and suppress the transmission of the disease. Even so, further research is needed regarding this compound before it can finally be applied to humans.
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