Abstract
Malaria has been one of the most lethal infectious diseases throughout history, claiming a high number of human lives. The genomic plasticity of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most severe and deadly form of malaria, gives the parasite a constant resistance to drugs developed for its control. Despite efforts to control and even eradicate the disease, these have largely been unsuccessful due to the parasite's continuous adaptations. This study aims to examine the key genes involved in parasite resistance and propose a shift in the combat strategy. Gene silencing techniques offer promise in combating malaria, yet further research is needed to harness their potential for disease control fully. Although there is still a long way to go for the implementation of gene silencing-based therapeutic strategies, this review addresses examples of the use of such techniques in various human diseases and how they could be extrapolated for malaria treatment.
Keywords: Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, drug resistance, genes, RNAi, CRISPR-Cas9.
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry
Title:Exploring Genetic Silencing: RNAi and CRISPR-Cas Potential Against Drug Resistance in Malaria
Volume: 25 Issue: 2
Author(s): Carlos Gaona-Lopez*Gildardo Rivera*
Affiliation:
- Laboratorio de Biotecnologia Farmaceutica, Centro de Biotecnologia Genomica, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Reynosa, 88710, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Biotecnologia Farmaceutica, Centro de Biotecnologia Genomica, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Reynosa, 88710, Mexico
Keywords: Malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, drug resistance, genes, RNAi, CRISPR-Cas9.
Abstract: Malaria has been one of the most lethal infectious diseases throughout history, claiming a high number of human lives. The genomic plasticity of Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of the most severe and deadly form of malaria, gives the parasite a constant resistance to drugs developed for its control. Despite efforts to control and even eradicate the disease, these have largely been unsuccessful due to the parasite's continuous adaptations. This study aims to examine the key genes involved in parasite resistance and propose a shift in the combat strategy. Gene silencing techniques offer promise in combating malaria, yet further research is needed to harness their potential for disease control fully. Although there is still a long way to go for the implementation of gene silencing-based therapeutic strategies, this review addresses examples of the use of such techniques in various human diseases and how they could be extrapolated for malaria treatment.
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Cite this article as:
Gaona-Lopez Carlos*, Rivera Gildardo*, Exploring Genetic Silencing: RNAi and CRISPR-Cas Potential Against Drug Resistance in Malaria, Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry 2025; 25 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0113895575306957240610102626
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0113895575306957240610102626 |
Print ISSN 1389-5575 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5607 |
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