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Do we know enough to find an adjunctive therapy for cerebral malaria in African children?

Authors :
Louis H. Miller
Susan K. Pierce
Brittany A. Riggle
Source :
F1000Research
Publication Year :
2017

Abstract

Cerebral malaria is the deadliest complication of malaria, a febrile infectious disease caused by Plasmodium parasite. Any of the five human Plasmodium species can cause disease, but, for unknown reasons, in approximately 2 million cases each year P. falciparum progresses to severe disease, ultimately resulting in half a million deaths. The majority of these deaths are in children under the age of five. Currently, there is no way to predict which child will progress to severe disease and there are no adjunctive therapies to halt the symptoms after onset. Herein, we discuss what is known about the disease mechanism of one form of severe malaria, cerebral malaria, and how we might exploit this understanding to rescue children in the throes of cerebral disease.

Details

ISSN :
20461402
Volume :
6
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
F1000Research
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....a5a7abcb991f989610448b446164dd12