Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0024530 (malaria)
 44,886 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Three ferroquine (FQ) derivatives, closely mimicking the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), have been prepared. Whereas these organometallic compounds provide the expected reduced cytotoxic effects compared to FQ, they inhibit in vitro growth of Plasmodium falciparum far better than chloroquine (CQ). Moreover, this new class of bioorganometallic compounds exert antiviral effects with some selectivity toward SARS-CoV infection. These new drugs may offer an interesting alternative for Asia where SARS originated and malaria has remained endemic.
 ...
PMID:Design and synthesis of hydroxyferroquine derivatives with antimalarial and antiviral activities. 1664 Mar 47

The purpose of this study was to explore the turnaround times, section and image quality of a number of more "difficult" specimens destined for rapid diagnostic electron microscopy (EM) after microwave-assisted processing. The results were assessed and compared with those of conventionally processed samples. A variety of infectious agents, some with a potential for bioterrorism, and liver biopsies serving as an example for routine histopathology samples were studied. The samples represented virus-producing cell cultures (such as SARS-coronavirus, West Nile virus, Orthopox virus), bacteria suspensions (cultures of Escherichia coli and genetically knockout apathogenic Bacillus anthracis), suspensions of parasites (malaria Plasmodium falciparum, Leishmania major, Microsporidia cuniculi, Caenorhabditis elegans), and whole Drosophila melanogaster flies infected with microsporidia. Fresh liver samples and infected flies were fixed in Karnovsky-fixative by microwaving (20 min), all other samples were fixed in buffered glutaraldehyde or Karnovsky-fixative overnight or longer. Subsequently, all samples were divided to evaluate alternative processing protocols: one part of the sample was OsO4-postfixed, ethanol-dehydrated, Epon-infiltrated (overnight) in an automated tissue processor (LYNX, Leica), and polymerized at 60 degrees C for 48 h; in parallel the other part was microwave-assisted processed in the bench microwave device (REM, Milestone), including post-osmication and the resin block polymerization. The microwave-assisted processing protocol required at minimum 3 h 20 min: the respective epon resin blocks were uniformly polymerized allowing an easy sectioning of semi- and ultrathin sections. Sections collected on non-coated 200 mesh grids were stable in the electron beam and showed an excellent preservation of the ultrastructure and high contrast, thus allowing an easy, unequivocal and rapid assessment of specimens. Compared with conventional routine methods, microwave technology facilitates a significant reduction in sample processing time from days to hours without any loss in ultrastructural details. Microwave-assisted processing could, therefore, be a substantial benefit for the routine electron microscopic diagnostic workload. Due to its speed and robust performance it could be applied wherever a rapid electron microscopy diagnosis is required, e.g., if bioterrorism or emerging agents are suspected. Combining microwave technology with digital image acquisition, the 1-day diagnosis based on ultrathin section electron microscopy will become possible, with crucial or interesting findings being consulted or shared worldwide with experts using modern telemicroscopy tools via Internet.
 ...
PMID:Microwave-assisted tissue processing for same-day EM-diagnosis of potential bioterrorism and clinical samples. 1684 32

The basic reproductive ratio, R0, is defined as the expected number of secondary infections arising from a single individual during his or her entire infectious period, in a population of susceptibles. This concept is fundamental to the study of epidemiology and within-host pathogen dynamics. Most importantly, R0 often serves as a threshold parameter that predicts whether an infection will spread. Related parameters which share this threshold behaviour, however, may or may not give the true value of R0. In this paper we give a brief overview of common methods of formulating R0 and surrogate threshold parameters from deterministic, non-structured models. We also review common means of estimating R0 from epidemiological data. Finally, we survey the recent use of R0 in assessing emerging diseases, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza, a number of recent livestock diseases, and vector-borne diseases malaria, dengue and West Nile virus.
 ...
PMID:Perspectives on the basic reproductive ratio. 1684 86

The origin of acquired immune disorder syndrome (AIDS) has been the subject of substantial controversy both in the scientific community and in the popular press. The debate involves the mode of transmission of a simian virus (SIV) to humans. Both major camps in the argument presume that humans are normally free of such viruses and assume that once the simian virus was transmitted, it immediately infected some T-cells and caused the release of toxic agents that killed off bystander (uninfected) T-cells resulting in AIDS. The evolution of the Simian virus (SIV) into a human virus (HIV) is regarded as an artifact. In contrast, a fundamentally different hypothesis has been proposed [Parris GE. Med Hypotheses 2004;62(3):354-7] in which it is presumed that in hyper-endemic areas of malaria (central Africa), all primates (humans and non-human primates) have shared a retrovirus that augments their T-cell response to the malaria parasite. The virus can be called "primate T-cell retrovirus" (PTRV). Over thousands of years the virus has crossed species lines many times (with little effect) and typically adapts to the host quickly. In this model, AIDS is seen to be the result of the development of resistance of the virus (PTRV) to continuous exposure to pro-apoptotic (schizonticidal) aminoquinoline drugs used to prevent malaria. The hypothesis was originally proposed based on biochemical activities of the aminoquinolines (e.g., pamaquine (plasmoquine(TM)), primaquine and chloroquine), but recent publications demonstrated that some of these drugs definitely adversely affect HIV and other viruses and logically would cause them to evolve resistance. Review of the timeline that has been created for the evolution of HIV in humans is also shown to be qualitatively and quantitatively consistent with this hypothesis (and not with either version of the conventional hypothesis). SARS and Ebola also fit this pattern.
 ...
PMID:AIDS: caused by development of resistance to drugs in a non-target intracellular parasite. 1709 75

A good knowledge of morbidity profiles among ill-returned travelers is necessary in order to guide their management. We reviewed the medical charts of 230 patients hospitalized in one infectious diseases department in France for presumed travel-related illnesses. The male-to-female ratio was 1.6 and the median age was 33 years (interquartile range [IQR], 25-50). Most patients (70.9%) were returning from sub-Saharan Africa. The median duration of travel was 28 days (IQR, 15-60) and the median time from return of travel to hospitalization was 13 days (IQR, 7-21). Malaria was the most frequent diagnosis (49.1%), which was especially encountered in patients returning from sub-Saharan Africa (95.6%), without adequate chemoprophylaxis (78.2%). Imported diseases at risk of secondary transmission were also diagnosed, including pulmonary tuberculosis (n = 8), viral hepatitis (n = 8), typhoid fever (n = 6), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) (six new diagnosis), non-typhoid salmonellosis (n = 5), severe acute respiratory syndrome, and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever. This study underlines the need to maintain tropical expertise for infectious diseases physicians, even in Europe.
 ...
PMID:A retrospective study of 230 consecutive patients hospitalized for presumed travel-related illness (2000-2006). 1854 94

Asia is a highly heterogeneous region with vastly different cultures, social constitutions and populations affected by a wide spectrum of respiratory diseases caused by tropical pathogens. Asian patients with community-acquired pneumonia differ from their Western counterparts in microbiological aetiology, in particular the prominence of Gram-negative organisms, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Burkholderia pseudomallei and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the differences in socioeconomic and health-care infrastructures limit the usefulness of Western management guidelines for pneumonia in Asia. The importance of emerging infectious diseases such as severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza infection remain as close concerns for practising respirologists in Asia. Specific infections such as melioidosis, dengue haemorrhagic fever, scrub typhus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, penicilliosis marneffei, malaria, amoebiasis, paragonimiasis, strongyloidiasis, gnathostomiasis, trinchinellosis, schistosomiasis and echinococcosis occur commonly in Asia and manifest with a prominent respiratory component. Pulmonary eosinophilia, endemic in parts of Asia, could occur with a wide range of tropical infections. Tropical eosinophilia is believed to be a hyper-sensitivity reaction to degenerating microfilariae trapped in the lungs. This article attempts to address the key respiratory issues in these respiratory infections unique to Asia and highlight the important diagnostic and management issues faced by practising respirologists.
 ...
PMID:Respiratory infections unique to Asia. 1894 21

Infectious diseases are an important cause of death among children under the age of 5 (Stein et al., 2004). Most of these deaths are caused by preventable or curable infections. Limited access to medical care, antibiotics, and vaccinations remains a major problem in developing countries. But infectious diseases also continue to be an important public health issue in developed countries. With the help of modern technologies, some infections have been effectively controlled; however, new diseases such as SARS and West Nile virus infections are constantly emerging. In addition, other diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, and bacterial pneumonia are increasingly resistant to antimicrobial treatment.
 ...
PMID:Host biomarkers and paediatric infectious diseases: from molecular profiles to clinical application. 2020 52

Nelfinavir (Viracept) was originally designed as a specific HIV protease inhibitor and, since its introduction in 1997, has served as an effective, reliable, and well-tolerated HIV drug. Although nelfinavir is being increasingly displaced by second generation HIV protease inhibitors that allow better combination treatments, it has again become a focus of interest due to an interesting paradoxical effect: nelfinavir inhibits experimentally-induced tissue degeneration or cell damage by preventing loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential, and even protects mitochondria in cancer cells but, conversely, it selectively induces a mitochondria-independent cell death mechanism in cancer cells by the so-called endoplasmic reticulum/unfolded protein stress response, allowing nelfinavir to act on otherwise chemo-resistant cancer cells. Furthermore, anti-microbial effects of nelfinavir have been described, including an efficacy against malaria, tuberculosis, and SARS. Several cancer-related clinical studies on nelfinavir as a single agent or in combination therapies have been launched and are expected to add to the usefulness of this versatile drug for cancer treatment strategies or other purposes.
 ...
PMID:New prospects for nelfinavir in non-HIV-related diseases. 2035 90

Cysteine proteases are implicated in a variety of human physiological processes and also form an essential component of the life cycle of a number of pathogenic protozoa and viruses. The present review highlights the drug design approaches utilized to understand the mechanism of inhibition and discovery of inhibitors against protozoal cysteine protease, falcipain (a cysteine protease of P. falciparum which causes malaria), and viral cysteine protease, SARS-CoV M(pro) (a cysteine protease of severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus). The article describes rational approaches for the design of inhibitors and focuses on a variety of structure as well as ligand-based modeling strategies adopted for the discovery of the inhibitors. Also, the key features of ligand recognition against these targets are accentuated. Although no apparent similarities exist between viral and protozoal cysteine proteases discussed here, the goal is to provide examples of rational drug design approaches adopted to design inhibitors against these proteases. The current review would be of interest to scientists engaged in the development of drug design strategies to target the cysteine proteases present in mammals and other lower order organisms.
 ...
PMID:Computational approaches for the discovery of cysteine protease inhibitors against malaria and SARS. 2037 Jun 92

By reviewing the most significant zoonotic disease outbreaks that have occurred mostly during the past ten years, the author provides a clear idea of how varied these diseases can be in regard to their aetiological agent, size and direct impact on public health. Most examples involve emerging zoonotic diseases caused by viruses and prions and transmitted to humans by a bite, close contact with affected live animals or carcasses, or through the consumption of their tissues. These outbreaks vary from very small and localised clusters of individual cases to millions of deaths, as reported during the past influenza pandemics. The author also shows that even for the larger outbreaks, the direct impact on public health measured by the morbidity and mortality of zoonoses is largely inferior to that of major communicable diseases that affect only humans, particularly human tuberculosis, malaria, HIV/AIDS. However, it is very difficult to predict the outcome on public health of these emerging zoonotic diseases since transmission patterns are not always sufficiently understood to assess this impact accurately. In addition, new modes of agent transmission may compound the initial impact on public health. Finally, the author indicates additional reasons that explain why these diseases are important by placing special emphasis on the financial losses recorded in both human and animal health and also the societal non-monetary losses these diseases can incur. Lessons learnt following major crises generated by the emergence of zoonotic diseases, such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy, severe acute respiratory syndrome and avian influenza, are provided.
 ...
PMID:Impact of zoonoses on human health. 2042 71


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next >>