MALARIA researchers in Germany are confident that they have found a cure for
the disease, following successful tests of a drug on infected mice.
Hassan Jomaa and his colleagues at Justus Liebig University in Giessen,
looked at the genome of the malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum and
deduced that an antibacterial drug called fosmidomycin would also inhibit a key
enzyme in the parasite. Mice infected with the rodent equivalent of malaria all
recovered within eight days when given the drug (Science, vol 285, p
1573). Because mammals don鈥檛 have the enzyme targeted by fosmidomycin, the drug
should not harm humans. 鈥淲e are ready to start a clinical trial,鈥� says
Jomaa.