Malaria

[Michaelangelica]

Arguably one of the worst diseases on the planet, in terms of death and human suffering. but we might be able to spray it with "Round Up' as the parasite seems to be plant-like
-bizarre!

HERBICIDES AS A TREATMENT FOR MALARIA (Science Show: 21/04/2007)
Science Show - 21 April 2007 - Herbicides as a treatment for malaria

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Malaria is caused by a parasite which is injected into humans by mosquitos. Geoff McFadden is working on a treatment strategy based on the fact that malaria has plant-like features; it has genes similar to chloroplast genes. Malaria started its life hundreds of millions of years ago as a plant, and has since evolved into a parasite. Each chloroplast-like gene is a unique target for attack. Humans don't have these genes.
Herbicides are used to kill plants. So Geoff McFadden is looking at common herbicides as a treatment for malaria. The herbicides are then modified into a medicine form.

Show Transcript

[ronthepon]

Whoa! I had once read this.

Plant-like enzyme acts as key life cycle switch in malaria parasite

But lets hope they do get somewhere. For one thing, if it has genes similar to chloroplast genes, then I don't know how 'weedicides' will get anywhere, but this definitely means that drugs with little or no side effects can be produced.

It is possible that the drugs actually cannot be countered by the parasite by evolutionary methods, just because the treatment aims at the very fundamentals of the organism.

[maikeru]

Wowzers, I didn't learn anything like this in my classes. Wee-beastie plants. Who would've thought?! 500 genes sound like a good starting point for us to target to "weed out" malaria.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by ronthepon

Whoa! I had once read this.

Plant-like enzyme acts as key life cycle switch in malaria parasite

But lets hope they do get somewhere.

That article is 3 years old! incredible that it is just sufacing again now.

Plant-like enzyme acts as key life cycle switch in malaria parasite
nächste Meldung
14.05.2004
An essential switch in the life cycle of the malaria parasite has been uncovered by researchers in England, Germany and Holland.

They have established that to infect mosquitoes that transmit malaria, the parasites depend on a type of molecule normally found in plants, which they have named Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase 4 (CDPK4).

A Brisbane researcher has spent all his life developing a maleria vaccine. He has a working vaccine now which is in final? clinical trials with human patients.
Whatever happens the effect on world population and suffering will be stupendous. Perhaps the greatest medical discovery of our time.

[Michaelangelica]

A good detailed article on Malaria and what they are doing in taiwan to control it

Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Malaria Eradication

Malaria is a shitty, piss-poor, easily-prevented, easily-treated, easily-eradicable disease that kills millions throughout the world every year.

Why?

Poverty.

Let’s talk about me (as usual) and malaria first. I’ve had it too many times to count – and, hey I’m still here! The very first time was 6 months after getting back to England from a year in China and 3 months in India. I spent two weeks with flu-like symptoms in a student house during the Easter holidays and “the flu” wasn’t clearing up so I eventually ... phoned Mum and Dad and said “I’m coming home”. I got home, they took one look at me, called the GP and I was sent to hospital.

Life with Leukaemia: Malaria Eradication

[Biomajor]

Also, carriers of Sickle Cell Anemia (only carrier, not actually infected) are immune to Malaria. Most (but not all) of Africans (native Africans) are Sickle Cell carriers and thus immune to Malaria.

[Michaelangelica]

Sea Cucumber Protein Used To Inhibit Development Of Malaria Parasite



ScienceDaily (Jan. 3, 2008) — Scientists have genetically engineered a mosquito to release a sea-cucumber protein into its gut which impairs the development of malaria parasites, according to new research. Researchers say this development is a step towards developing future methods of preventing the transmission of malaria.
. . .
The international team fused part of the sea cucumber lectin gene with part of a mosquito gene so that the mosquito would release lectin into its gut during feeding. The released lectin is toxic to the ookinete and therefore kills the parasite in the mosquito's stomach.

In laboratory tests the research team showed that introducing lectin to the mosquito's gut in this way significantly impaired the development of malaria parasites inside the mosquito, potentially preventing transmission to other people. Early indications suggest that this sea cucumber protein could be effective on more than one of the four different parasites that can cause malaria in humans.

Professor Bob Sinden from Imperial College London's Department of Life Sciences, one of the authors on the paper said: "These results are very promising and show that genetically engineering mosquitoes in this way has a clear impact on the parasites' ability to multiply inside the mosquito host."

Sea Cucumber Protein Used To Inhibit Development Of Malaria Parasite

[Michaelangelica]

Malaria Awareness Day was designated to be April 25 by President George W. Bush in 2007. In his proclamation, President Bush called on Americans to join in on the goal to eradicate malaria on the African continent.

Wiki
Malaria Awareness Day - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I am trying to find a list of famous&/or historical people who died of Malaria.
i don't think anyone has compiled it yet.

Interesting "in progress" section of Wiki
Talk:Malaria - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Has anyone ever contributed?

An anti-maleria group
AMREF - What we do - PIA

[InfiniteNow]

Originally Posted by Michaelangelica

I am trying to find a list of famous&/or historical people who died of Malaria.
i don't think anyone has compiled it yet

I found this link on a quick search. It may be of interest to you:



http://www.malariasite.com/malaria/history_victims.htm

Malaria has killed millions and many more have suffered from it. During the past 100 years, nearly 150 million to 300 million people would have died from the effects of malaria, accounting for 2-5% of all deaths. In the early part of the century, malaria probably accounted for 10% of global deaths to malaria and in India it probably accounted for over half. Here is a list of some of the more famous human beings who died or suffered from malaria.

Names listed at the link, and the sources listed at the bottom of the page may give you a bit of a buzz too.

[Michaelangelica]

Originally Posted by InfiniteNow

I found this link on a quick search. It may be of interest to you:



http://www.malariasite.com/malaria/history_victims.htm




Names listed at the link, and the sources listed at the bottom of the page may give you a bit of a buzz too.

Just what I was trying to find, thanks.
You can now have my Crown as being the Hypography "Finder-in-Residence"
(I now get private mail asking me to find things!)

I did find this at wiki.
A bit like the Darwin Awards and almost, completely off topic
List of unusual deaths - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Is life too short for the list of URLs at the bottom?