WUWT recently carried a guest post from Indur Goklany titled Smacking Down Malaria Misconceptions which generated a lot of contentious comments, inflammatory rebuttal posts, and even a permanent ban of Ed Darrell from WUWT because he claims I’ve called Rachel Carson a “mass murderer” (something I’ve never written nor said) yet refuses to retract his false statement and apologize for putting words in my mouth.
All that pointless bluster aside, I found this story below very interesting and encouraging, because if it goes forward to the logical and hopeful conclusion, the arguments over DDT and other pesticide uses to fight malaria will fall by the wayside. I think we can all agree that like the success with smallpox, we look forward to the day when malaria could be eradicated from Earth. – Anthony
Malaria’s newest pathway into human cells identified
Development of an effective vaccine for malaria is a step closer following identification of a key pathway used by the malaria parasite to infect human cells. The discovery, by researchers at The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, provides a new vaccine target through which infection with the deadly disease could be prevented.
Each year more than 400 million people contract malaria, and more than one million, mostly children, die from the disease. The most lethal form of malaria is caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Part of the parasite’s success lies in its ability to deploy multiple ways to invade red blood cells, a process essential for the survival of the parasite within the human host.
Professor Alan Cowman, head of the institute’s Infection and Immunity division, led the research with Dr Wai-Hong Tham, Dr Danny Wilson, Mr Sash Lopaticki, Mr Jason Corbin, Dr Dave Richard, Dr James Beeson from the institute and collaborators at the University of Edinburgh.
For decades, it has been known that malaria parasites use proteins called glycophorins as a means of entering red blood cells. This new research reveals an alternative pathway used by the parasite to enter red blood cells. The pathway does not involve glycophorins, instead requiring the binding of a parasite molecule named PfRh4 to Complement Receptor 1 (CR1), a common protein found on the surface of red blood cells.
“The parasite is like a master burglar – it will try a variety of different methods to get into the house, not just the front door,” Professor Cowman said. “Although the human body has evolved a variety of methods to keep the parasite out, it keeps finding new ways to get in.”
Professor Cowman said the PfRh family of surface proteins is involved in the recognition of red blood cell receptors, which allows the parasite to attach to the red blood cell surface and gain entry.
“We think that the parasite uses this protein to correctly identify the red blood cell and say ‘Yes, this is the one we want to invade’, it’s like a quality assurance process,” Professor Cowman said.
“The PfRh4-CR1 pathway is one of the most important of the pathways we’ve identified for entry of malaria parasites into cells,” Professor Cowman said. “We are now at the stage where we have identified the best combination of proteins for a vaccine, and are ready to start clinical development.
“When both glycophorin and CR1 pathways are blocked, there is a 90 per cent decrease in infection of the cells with the parasite. These results suggest that if a vaccine were to stimulate the immune system to recognise and generate antibodies to the prevalent invasion pathways, there is a good chance it would lead to a significant decrease in malaria infection.”
The research was published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. The study was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Darwin Trust of Edinburgh, the Wellcome Trust and the Victorian Government.
So have there been any programs started where local natives have been foreign exchange students, with the goal of teaching them usable values in environmental enhancement techniques practiced in other countries, they can take home?
Most of the foreign students I have seen in the practice of medicine (my limited exposure) opt to stay here and make the big money to send home to relatives so more can come over.
However the Mexican neighbors I had who worked at an auto manufacturing plant, in Kansas City, and also a couple I knew in Fenton Missouri were transferred to Mexico and given supervisor jobs, training the new plant workers when the jobs were exported, reported they were happy with the arrangement, which included increased pay for them.
I have been unfortunate enough to attract a female mosquito bite, some 3 miles off the coast of Tanganyika, now Tanzania, whilst on a ship at anchor some 45 years ago. The anti-malarial drug in those days was paludrine, supposedly administered one week before, and two weeks after arriving and departing a “malarial” potential zone. It did not work for me, but, what I find strange, and sometimes questionable by the science of today, is that little or no credence is given to the infamous “recurrence”, of which I suffered for some 12 years; some on leave, but others at sea (at work), where there was little or no sympathy.
I should have added to my previous post that I did, indeed suffer from malaria, and should also state that the disease produces some extremely weird thought processes, by which I do not mean dreams, per se.
To the two “bug and drug” Doctors, what ever happened to the, I believe virus, that was found in Isreal, that when applied to waterways where mossy’s laid their eggs, the virus would attack the swimmers and supposedly had a 90-95% kill effect? About 10 years ago it seemed all the rage, but I haven’t heard a thing about it in the last 5 or so years?
Malaria is cured by any one of several chemicals, the best of which is chlorine dioxide, a widely effective, very safe and very cheap unpatentable chemical, which makes it totally unprofitable to the pharmaceutical industry.
One brand name outlet for Chlorine dixiode kit is ‘miracle mineral supplement’.
The WUWT community and it’s stance against AGW is on the fringe of a wider group of anti establishment thinkers. I’m suprised no one else in the comments has yet shown an inclination for anti-pharma anti-vaccine.
PBJ’s information on DEET fails to note the the studies by Abou-Donia et al have largely been discredited for a variety of reasons–call 800-789-3300 for details if you wish. The Am. Academy of Pediatrics in 2003 reviewed all DEET-related information, both published and unpublished and changed its recommendation–it suggests that DEET-based products in concentrations up to 30% can be used on infants as young as two months of age. This organization also notes that children in areas where malaria is endemic can use even higher concentrations according to labeling information. Hope this information will shed a bit more light on the “science” of DEET which as been used for more than 50 years and is cited in leading medical publications as having a “remarkable” safety profile. I work for the DEET Education Program. We have information on all repellents. We suggest that people use one of the four EPA-registered active ingredients (rather than a “natural” product) as these have been assessed for safety and efficacy. The four actives are: DEET, picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus and IR3535. THE OLE product cannot be used on children younger than three years of age. It is a formulated, synthesized molecule–we do not suggest mixing your own formulations from OLE purchased at a natural products store, as these are not tested and are likely not to work more than 20 minutes or so.
Hope this information helps.