0
0
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are exploring the development of a long-lasting injectable preventive for malaria using atovaquone. Their recent study challenges previous assumptions about drug resistance, particularly when atovaquone is used for malaria prevention. While patients treated with atovaquone for malaria tend to develop resistance, the study reveals that this resistance also renders the parasite unable to survive in mosquito hosts. This suggests that atovaquone-resistant malaria parasites would not be transmissible. Despite concerns about resistance, the study suggests atovaquone holds promise as a chemical vaccine to prevent malaria in endemic areas.
Malaria remains a significant global health concern, affecting millions of people each year. The study proposes a novel approach involving a slow-release formulation of atovaquone, offering vaccine-like protection over extended periods. Although resistance is a concern when atovaquone is used as a treatment for symptomatic malaria, it is less likely when used preventively in malaria-free individuals. Notably, there have been no reported cases of atovaquone resistance when administered prophylactically.
The study focused on a key resistance mutation, cytochrome-b Y268S, commonly found in the major malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. While this mutation allows P. falciparum to survive in human hosts treated with atovaquone, it hinders its ability to thrive in its mosquito hosts. Consequently, atovaquone-resistant parasites cannot be transmitted from humans to mosquitoes and back. This finding supports the viability of a “chemical vaccine” strategy using atovaquone to protect against malaria.
Collaborations are underway to complete preclinical studies and launch a Phase I trial, with the goal of translating this research into practical solutions for malaria prevention in low- and middle-income countries. The study’s primary author, Victoria Balta, worked in conjunction with coauthor David Sullivan, a professor at the Bloomberg School’s Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology.
