Heparin-like drugs may be new key to war on malaria

James Beeson, PhD,
and Michelle Boyle

New research shows heparin-like drugs may prevent malaria parasites from entering red blood cells in the first place, as opposed to traditional therapies, which block the development of the parasite once it has already entered the red blood cells.

Using video microscopy of red blood cell infection, researchers were able to see the carbohydrates found in drugs similar to heparin as they blocked malaria parasites from entering red blood cells.

The team, led by James Beeson, PhD, of Walter Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Australia, and researchers from Burnet Institute and Imperial College London, cite the binding of heparin-like drugs to MSP1 as the method of infection prevention.

“The malaria parasite needs a protein called MSP1 if it is to infect red blood cells as MSP1 is involved in the initial attachment of the parasite to the cells,” said Dr Beeson. “We have shown that heparin-like carbohydrates bind to MSP1 which stops the parasite from properly attaching to the red blood cell and, therefore, from invading.”

Dr Beeson pointed out that humans do not produce natural heparin-like molecules in high enough levels to protect against malaria.

He also pointed out that heparin could not actually be used because it prevents clotting, but similar compounds that do not prevent clotting are more potent against the disease.

Their findings, which have ignited the prospect of new anti-malarials based on the structure of heparin, were published June 2 in the journal Blood.