Oxidative stress in malaria and artemisinin combination therapy: Pros and Cons

TY - JOUR

T1 - Oxidative stress in malaria and artemisinin combination therapy

T2 - Pros and Cons

AU - Kavishe, Reginald A.

AU - Koenderink, Jan B.

AU - Alifrangis, Michael

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has been adopted as a strategy to mitigate multidrug resistance to antimalarial monotherapies. ACT combines the rapid and effective but rather short plasma half-life antimalarial action of an artemisinin derivative with a longer acting partner drug. Although the exact mechanisms of action of artemisinins are not well understood, several studies have proposed multiple cellular targets of artemisinins with involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Most of the currently used ACT partner drugs are also known to involve ROS production in their mechanisms of action. This review gives a brief account of the oxidative stress and redox systems in malaria and discusses the context of antimalarial effectiveness of different ACTs compared with monotherapies of the partner drugs. A final account on the Pros and Cons of ACT as a strategy is discussed.

AB - Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) has been adopted as a strategy to mitigate multidrug resistance to antimalarial monotherapies. ACT combines the rapid and effective but rather short plasma half-life antimalarial action of an artemisinin derivative with a longer acting partner drug. Although the exact mechanisms of action of artemisinins are not well understood, several studies have proposed multiple cellular targets of artemisinins with involvement of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Most of the currently used ACT partner drugs are also known to involve ROS production in their mechanisms of action. This review gives a brief account of the oxidative stress and redox systems in malaria and discusses the context of antimalarial effectiveness of different ACTs compared with monotherapies of the partner drugs. A final account on the Pros and Cons of ACT as a strategy is discussed.

KW - antimalarial

KW - artemisinin

KW - artemisinin-based combination therapy

KW - drug resistance

KW - malaria

KW - oxidative stress

KW - Plasmodium falciparum

KW - reactive oxygen species

U2 - 10.1111/febs.14097

DO - 10.1111/febs.14097

M3 - Review

C2 - 28467668

AN - SCOPUS:85019950581

SN - 1742-464X

VL - 284

SP - 2579

EP - 2591

JO - F E B S Journal

JF - F E B S Journal

IS - 16

ER -