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New treatment strategy discovered that could help those with severe form of malaria infection.
Posted On: December 28, 2016
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Cerebral malaria is a leading cause of neurological disability in African children: up to one third of those who survive will develop long-term neurological complications.
Over 214 million people—primarily children in sub-Saharan Africa—suffered from malaria in 2015. If the disease is not promptly diagnosed and treated, it can progress to a more severe form known as cerebral malaria, which can cause irreparable brain damage and death. Even when patients are given artesunate, the first-line treatment for cerebral malaria, up to 30% of adults and 18% of children succumb to the infection.
A team of researchers led by TGHRI Senior Scientist Dr. Kevin Kain has made an important discovery that could lead to a more effective treatment for cerebral malaria.
Dr. Kain and his colleagues observed that children with cerebral malaria had low levels of the protein Angiopoeitin-1 (Ang-1). This observation prompted the team to examine the role of Ang-1 in experimental models of the disease. They discovered that Ang-1 is important for protecting the integrity of blood vessels in the brain during infection. They also noted that as Ang-1 levels increased, the severity of symptoms and risk of death decreased. Importantly, when researchers used Ang-1 in combination with artesunate in an experimental model of cerebral malaria, it led to a survival rate of 100%; meanwhile, when artesunate was used alone, survival dropped to 60%.
These exciting findings suggest that artesunate given in combination with Ang-1 could improve health outcomes of cerebral malaria and potentially other life-threatening infections by protecting blood vessels in the brain. “Although the combination therapy appears promising in an experimental model, its effectiveness in people still needs to be proven in rigorous clinical trials,” cautions Dr. Kain.
This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, a donation from Kim Kertland, the Tesari Foundation and the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation. K Kain holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Molecular Parasitology.
Dysregulation of angiopoietin-1 plays a mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria. Higgins SJ, Purcell LA, Silver KL, Tran V, Crowley V, Hawkes M, Conroy AL, Opoka RO, Hay JG, Quaggin SE, Thurston G, Liles WC, Kain KC. Science Translational Medicine. PubMed PMID: 27683553. 2016 September 28. [PubMed abstract].
A team of researchers led by TGHRI Senior Scientist Dr. Kevin Kain has made an important discovery that could lead to a more effective treatment for cerebral malaria.
Dr. Kain and his colleagues observed that children with cerebral malaria had low levels of the protein Angiopoeitin-1 (Ang-1). This observation prompted the team to examine the role of Ang-1 in experimental models of the disease. They discovered that Ang-1 is important for protecting the integrity of blood vessels in the brain during infection. They also noted that as Ang-1 levels increased, the severity of symptoms and risk of death decreased. Importantly, when researchers used Ang-1 in combination with artesunate in an experimental model of cerebral malaria, it led to a survival rate of 100%; meanwhile, when artesunate was used alone, survival dropped to 60%.
These exciting findings suggest that artesunate given in combination with Ang-1 could improve health outcomes of cerebral malaria and potentially other life-threatening infections by protecting blood vessels in the brain. “Although the combination therapy appears promising in an experimental model, its effectiveness in people still needs to be proven in rigorous clinical trials,” cautions Dr. Kain.
This work was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, a donation from Kim Kertland, the Tesari Foundation and the Toronto General & Western Hospital Foundation. K Kain holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Molecular Parasitology.
Dysregulation of angiopoietin-1 plays a mechanistic role in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria. Higgins SJ, Purcell LA, Silver KL, Tran V, Crowley V, Hawkes M, Conroy AL, Opoka RO, Hay JG, Quaggin SE, Thurston G, Liles WC, Kain KC. Science Translational Medicine. PubMed PMID: 27683553. 2016 September 28. [PubMed abstract].