Quantitative assessment of Plasmodium falciparum sexual development reveals potent transmission-blocking activity by methylene blue.

ABSTRACT: Clinical studies and mathematical models predict that, to achieve malaria elimination, combination therapies will need to incorporate drugs that block the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum sexual stage parasites to mosquito vectors. Efforts to measure the activity of existing antimalarials on intraerythrocytic sexual stage gametocytes and identify transmission-blocking agents have, until now, been hindered by a lack of quantitative assays. Here, we report an experimental system using P. falciparum lines that stably express gametocyte-specific GFP-luciferase reporters, which enable the assessment of dose- and time-dependent drug action on gametocyte maturation and transmission. These studies reveal activity of the first-line antimalarial dihydroartemisinin and the partner drugs lumefant

SUBMITTER: Adjalley SH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3223476 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature