November 10, 2016
Bulletin interne de l'Institut Pasteur
Malaria - Discovery of a molecular marker associated with piperaquine resistance in parasites
A collaborative project conducted by scientists from the Institut Pasteur in Cambodia, the Institut Pasteur in Paris, the Institut Cochin, the Laboratory of Applied Mathematics at Paris Descartes University, Columbia University (New York, USA) and the National Malaria Control Program in Cambodia has identified a molecular marker able to detect Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites resistant to piperaquine, a drug currently used in combination with artemisinin derivatives in the latest generation of antimalarial treatments recommended by the WHO. This discovery should pave the way for rapid monitoring strategies and enable public health policy makers to recommend effective antimalarial treatments adapted to the local epidemiological situation. This research will be published on November 3, 2016 in the journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases.