Any service member knows that a deployment to certain parts of the world, like sub-Saharan Africa, New Guinea, and places in Southeast Asia, means they will likely have to take a bunch of anti-malaria pills with them. These pills, while protective, can often do some harm of their own and can’t prevent drug-resistant forms of it. To make things worse, these cures can sometimes feel worse than the disease.
In 2022, however, scientists made an incredible discovery that not only treats malaria but takes down even the most drug-resistant parasites while leaving healthy cells completely intact and preventing the spread of the disease. It’s a class of chemicals called nucleoside sulfamates, and it’s a kind of “stealth weapon” that causes malarial parasites to self-destruct. It’s a treatment that is a world away from the kind of prevention currently used in the U.S. military.
For those not in the know, malaria is spread by the Anopheles mosquito. When someone is bitten by an infected mosquito, it spreads single-celled parasites called plasmodium into the human host. Symptoms of malaria include fever, fatigue, vomiting, and headaches, but it can also lead to jaundice, respiratory distress, kidney failure and death. So it’s no wonder U.S. troops get anti-malarial pills before deploying to a place where Anopheles mosquitos are a problem. But those pills can come with their own issues, and some of those issues include pretty serious side effects.
The United States Armed Forces uses doxycycline, atovaquone-proguanil and mefloquine to help prevent malaria in deployed troops. Side effects of doxycycline include headaches, nausea and sensitivity to sunlight – not a great thing for a deployed soldier in the desert. Atovaquone-proguanil can cause blistering and loosening of skin. Mefloquine can actually cause brain damage that mimics post-traumatic stress disorder. So, coming up with a good way to treat or prevent this mosquito-borne illness is not only necessary, it’s a force multiplier.
Though the world’s first-ever malaria vaccine began rolling out in 2019, and antimalarials see continual improvements, the parasites themselves have started to become more resistant to treatments. However, scientists at the University of Melbourne have discovered a compound that can address the cause and spread of the disease as well as any resistant properties the plasmodia might have. A nucleoside sulfamate known as ML901 can hit the parasite in unexpected ways.
“ML901 works by an unusual reaction-hijacking mechanism,” Professor Leann Tilley told New Atlas. “Imagine a stealth weapon that can be used to launch a self-destruct attack on your vehicle – slamming on the brakes and cutting the engine. ML901 finds a particular chink in the machinery that the malaria parasite uses to generate the proteins needed to reproduce itself and stops it doing so.”
The scientists were able to demonstrate the effects of ML901 in human blood cultures and animal cells, affecting only the parasite and leaving healthy cells unharmed. Moreover, it works fast and has long-lasting results, which means it can help prevent the spread of Malaria in the future. While the chemical was only tested on the malaria plasmodium, the future potential of this class of chemical could pave the way for new ways to tackle other parasites and diseases.
With new treatments like ML901, there’s a good possibility that U.S. troops’ anti-malarial drugs will be less of a factor in their everyday deployment life, minimize (or eliminate) harmful side effects, or end the need for preventative pills altogether. There might be a day when malaria is treated on sick call and requires just one day of bed rest, Motrin, water and new socks.