Beta (β) Blockers: A Novel Approach to Fight Malaria
Ruchika Nandha, Harpal Singh, Kamlesh Garg · Journal of Research in Medical Education & Ethics · 2011
Malaria is one of the extensively prevalent parasitic diseases and kills more than a million people a year despite the availability of a wide range of antimalarial drugs. Traditional antimalarial drugs act on the parasite itself. Due to rapid mutations and multiplication, the parasite has become resistant to conventional antimalarial drugs very rapidly. Knowing the fact that disease has become non respondent to most of classical antimalarial drugs, new drugs are urgently needed. Recent research has shown potential anti-malarial effect of β blockers. Propranolol has been studied in this regard which acts by blocking the erythrocyte guanine nucleotide regulatory G protein stopping both parasitic invasion & proliferation inside the erythrocyte without developing resistance. β blocker/antimalarial combination therapy is currently in the preclinical phase but with more exploratory human trials it can provide a new hope for millions of patients who are not responding to conventional treatments.