Understanding how malaria parasites become resistant to medicines
Defining P. falciparum resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies
This research helps us understand why malaria parasites are becoming harder to treat with current medicines, especially in Africa.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11044151 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Malaria treatments have saved many lives, but now the parasites are fighting back and becoming resistant to our medicines. This project looks closely at the genetic changes in malaria parasites that allow them to resist important drugs like artemisinin. By studying these changes in different parasite strains, including those from Africa and Southeast Asia, we hope to learn how to keep our treatments effective. This work is crucial to prevent a major setback in fighting malaria, especially in areas where it is most common.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who have or are at risk for malaria, particularly those in regions where drug resistance is a growing concern, could ultimately benefit from this research.
Not a fit: Patients without malaria or those in areas where drug resistance is not currently an issue may not directly benefit from this specific research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new ways to track drug-resistant malaria and help develop better treatments to keep malaria medicines working.
How similar studies have performed: While the general problem of drug resistance is known, this specific approach of gene editing diverse African strains to understand resistance mechanisms is a focused and critical next step.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fidock, David a — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Fidock, David a
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.