A new complex presented encouraging results against the para | Figure 1

PedroPharmacist

Pharmacist

A new complex presented encouraging results against the parasite that causes Chagas disease, known scientifically as Trypanosoma cruzi. This was the discovery of a group of researchers from the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases (Crid), published in the journal Dalton Transactions, through a partnership between the Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM) and the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.

The complex consists of gold and an organic compound, thiosemicarbazone. This second molecule, when in contact with the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, is responsible for crossing the cell membrane and acting directly on the more resistant form in the amastigote.

According to Carla Lopes, gold is a metal that can play the role of de-structuring the Trypanosoma cruzi DNA or act elsewhere in the metabolic pathway. The idea is that the metal complex acts on multiple targets against it. However, its mechanism of action still needs to be better studied.

In light of other analyses of the study, it is known that small amounts of the compound need to be used to kill the parasite. In addition, it does not lose its properties when in solid state. This allows it to be transported without the need for cooling, which is important, considering that populations affected by Chagas disease are not always in easily accessible places.

Source: Dalton Transactions.

Why you should join Figure 1

Treating uncomplicated malaria in children: do child‐friendly formulations of medicines work better than usual tablet formulations?

What is the aim of this review?
We wanted to find out about the potential benefits and harms of child‐friendly formulations of artemisinin‐based combination therapy (ACT) to treat uncomplicated malaria in children. We searched for studies that investigated the use of child‐friendly formulations of ACTs, compared with the usual ACT tablet formulations, to treat uncomplicated malaria in children aged under 14 years. We looked for randomized controlled studies, in which the treatments the children received were decided at random.

Key messages
Child‐friendly formulations of ACT probably work as well as crushed tablets to treat uncomplicated malaria in children, and probably cause fewer unwanted effects.

What was studied in this review?
Malaria is a tropical disease spread by mosquitoes infected with Plasmodium parasites. The most common, and most serious, type of malaria is caused by Plasmodium falciparum. This parasite causes high levels of illness and death, particularly in young children in regions where malaria is widespread.

Medicines based on artemisinin, a compound derived from a plant (Artemisia annua), are commonly taken by mouth (orally) to treat malaria in combination with other drugs. The World Health Organization recommends treating uncomplicated malaria with oral artemisinin‐based combination therapy (called ACT).

What are the main results of this review?
We found three relevant studies in 1306 children (aged 6 months to 11 years) with uncomplicated malaria. The studies were conducted in sub‐Saharan Africa between 2006 and 2015. All studies were funded by pharmaceutical companies that made child‐friendly formulations of the ACTs.

We were interested in:

There may be little or no difference between the child‐friendly formulations of ACTs (dissolvable tablets or syrup) and the usual crushed tablets for how many children:

A dissolvable tablet probably reduces unwanted effects of the medicine, including vomiting (throwing up), compared with the usual crushed tablets.

How up‐to‐date is this review?
We searched for studies that had been published up to 11 December 2019.

A study by the Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM) has shown that the parasite responsible for sleeping sickness, which interferes with the biological clock of those infected, has an internal clock itself, which may hold the key to future treatments.
The article, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, reveals that parasites will slightly modify their composition to their functions depending on the time of day. These changes are highly predictable and recur every day.

Sleep sickness is transmitted by the fly 'tsetse' and therefore exists only in sub-Saharan Africa. There are no vaccines against this disease and the forms of treatment present several problems, such as being difficult to administer and toxic. There are currently about 7,000 cases per year.

Source: Nature Microbiology.