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New agents to combat malaria

Nature Medicine volume 7, pages 149–150 (2001)Cite this article

Triclosan, an antibacterial agent found in mouthwashes, acne medicines and deodorants, also prevents the growth of Plasmodium falciparum. If properly developed, this type II fatty acid biosynthesis inhibitor may be a promising new antimalarial agent (pages 167–173).

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Figure 1: In Plasmodium, triclosan targets type II fatty acid biosynthesis, which occurs in the plastid, an organelle common to plants and algae.

Stephen Horwitz

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia

    James G. Beeson & Graham V. Brown

  2. Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

    Peter A. Winstanley

  3. Plant Cell Biology Research Centre, School of Botany, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Geoffrey I. McFadden

Authors
  1. James G. Beeson
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  2. Peter A. Winstanley
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  3. Geoffrey I. McFadden
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  4. Graham V. Brown
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Beeson, J., Winstanley, P., McFadden, G. et al. New agents to combat malaria. Nat Med 7, 149–150 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1038/84573

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