Editorial: Global excellence in pharmacology of infectious diseases: Australia and Asia
Kwang-sun Kim · Frontiers in Pharmacology · 2023
Editorial on the Research Topic Global excellence in pharmacology of infectious diseases: Australia and AsiaInfectious diseases are the most significant threat worldwide, causing death by pathogenic microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, or parasites, that may pass from person to person, either directly or indirectly.The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that infectious disease outbreaks can result in high levels of mortality, significant disability burdens, and disastrous repercussions.In this study, I highlight the latest research on current therapies for health-threatening diseases caused by bacteria, parasites, or viruses, as well as their challenges (Figure 1).Malaria is a life-threatening disease that spreads to humans through mosquitoes.In 2021, nearly half of the world's population was at risk of malaria, with an estimated 619, 000 deaths (WHO, 2022).Plasmodium vivax is the dominant malaria parasite in humans in Asia and the Asia-Pacific region (Howes et al., 2016).As a therapeutic option, 8aminoquinolines (primaquine and tafenoquine) have been used to prevent malaria; however, safe and effective anti-relapse therapy against people with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is challenging.Sudsumrit et al. assessed the prevalence of hemolytic toxicity in individuals in the malaria-endemic area of Thailand and suggested potential eligible individuals for radical treatment with 8-aminoquinolines.Initially, the authors identified 12 mutations in by G6PD deficiency using quantitative multiplexed highresolution melting, biochemical, and structural stability assays in 1,125 Thai individuals.Based on these results, the authors demonstrated that individuals with double G6PD mutations are more likely to suffer from hemolysis than those with single G6PD mutations.The ineffectiveness of current antibiotics and lack of new antibiotics in the pipeline have accelerated the spread of antimicrobial resistant (AMR) bacteria (Pulingam et al., 2022).The World Health Organization predicts that the number of people suffering from AMR infections will increase to 10 million by 2050 if improper and excessive use of antibiotics continue (WHO, 2014;de Kraker et al., 2016;Pulingam et al., 2022).Furthermore, antibiotics can kill beneficial bacteria indiscriminately.Therefore, immediate action is required to combat AMRs using novel and specific strategies to target AMR bacteria.Elrggal et al. conducted a comprehensive study on vancomycin dosage optimization in patients with obesity.Individuals with obesity account for approximately 50% of all acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections in the