Single dose of small molecule cures malaria in mice

A small molecule can cure malaria infections in mice with a single dose, researchers report. They also show that the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum has a tough time developing resistance to the compound, known as MMV688533. If shown to be safe and effective in people, MMV688533 could be a powerful weapon in the fight against malaria. Malaria infections and deaths declined between 2000 and 2015 thanks to preventative measures, diagnostics, and therapeutics, but the number of people who get malaria has plateaued since 2016. Malaria parasites in Southeast Asia have developed resistance to the current arsenal of antimalarial drugs, making them ineffective in many cases. This same resistance threatens to become a problem in Africa, where malaria takes the biggest toll. Malaria killed about 409,000 people in 2019, according to the World Health Organization. “It could easily get a lot worse if we lose our first-line drugs,” says malaria researcher