TY - JOUR
T1 - Modulation of cerebral malaria by fasudil and other immune-modifying compounds
AU - Waknine-Grinberg, Judith H.
AU - McQuillan, James A.
AU - Hunt, Nicholas
AU - Ginsburg, Hagai
AU - Golenser, Jacob
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - Malaria continues to cause millions of deaths annually. No specific effective treatment has yet been found for cerebral malaria, one of the most severe complications of the disease. The pathology of cerebral malaria is considered to be primarily immunological. We examined a number of compounds with known effects on the immune system, in a murine model of cerebral malaria. Of the compounds tested, only fasudil and curcumin had significant effects on the progression of the disease. Although neither drug caused a reduction in parasitemia, survival of the treated mice was significantly increased, and the development of cerebral malaria was either delayed or prevented. Our results support the hypothesis that an immunomodulator efficient in preventing CM should be administered together with anti-plasmodial drugs to prevent severe malaria disease; curcumin and fasudil should be further investigated to determine efficiency and feasibility of treatment.
AB - Malaria continues to cause millions of deaths annually. No specific effective treatment has yet been found for cerebral malaria, one of the most severe complications of the disease. The pathology of cerebral malaria is considered to be primarily immunological. We examined a number of compounds with known effects on the immune system, in a murine model of cerebral malaria. Of the compounds tested, only fasudil and curcumin had significant effects on the progression of the disease. Although neither drug caused a reduction in parasitemia, survival of the treated mice was significantly increased, and the development of cerebral malaria was either delayed or prevented. Our results support the hypothesis that an immunomodulator efficient in preventing CM should be administered together with anti-plasmodial drugs to prevent severe malaria disease; curcumin and fasudil should be further investigated to determine efficiency and feasibility of treatment.
KW - Cerebral malaria
KW - Curcumin
KW - Fasudil
KW - Immunomodulation
KW - Plasmodium berghei ANKA
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77951887094&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.exppara.2010.01.005
DO - 10.1016/j.exppara.2010.01.005
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C2 - 20093114
AN - SCOPUS:77951887094
SN - 0014-4894
VL - 125
SP - 141
EP - 146
JO - Experimental Parasitology
JF - Experimental Parasitology
IS - 2
ER -