Malaria resistance refers to natural resistance in some human populations and drug resistance in Plasmodium parasites. Human resistance evolved in the ‘malaria belt’ due to changes in the natural environment, but can lead to deadly conditions. Resistance to antimalarial drugs is a global problem, requiring the development of new drugs that can target organisms tolerant of conventional antimalarials. However, research is expensive, and some pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to engage in it due to lower profits.
The term “malaria resistance” can be used to refer to two different concepts, both related to malaria. The first is the natural resistance to malaria-causing parasites observed in some human populations. The second is the development of drug resistance in Plasmodium parasites, the causative agents of malaria, making malaria difficult to treat because normally effective drugs become useless. Both concepts are of considerable interest to medical researchers and scientists, as well as geneticists.
Malaria resistance in human populations is a very interesting example of how the human genome can be affected by changes in the natural environment. As human populations began to engage in agriculture, modifying the landscape to create hospitable conditions for the malaria-carrying Anopheles mosquitoes, genetic traits began to emerge that confer some resistance to malaria infection. Selection for these traits began to occur, as people with the traits survived malaria infections, while people without them did not.
Using DNA analysis, the researchers were able to pinpoint the era in which malaria resistance began appearing in human populations. It can also be traced to specific regions, showing that resistance specifically evolved in the ‘malaria belt’, rather than occurring spontaneously. However, resistance to malaria has come at a cost. Evolutionary traits that conferred resistance could even become deadly, as seen with conditions such as thalassemia anemia and sickle cell disease. While having these traits limits the activities of Plasmodium in the body and creates resistance to malaria, if people inherit the wrong combination of traits, they can experience blood disorders.
In Plasmodium populations, resistance to antimalarial drugs is a global problem. Like other microorganisms, these parasites are highly adaptable, so they can adapt to changing conditions and exploit new ecological niches. When organisms are exposed to antimalarial drugs, some inevitably have a natural resistance that allows them to survive, and over time, resistant organisms mate with other resistant organisms, creating offspring that have more resistance.
Resistance to antimalarial drugs is a concern among pharmaceutical companies and aid organizations working in regions where malaria is rife. It is necessary to develop new classes of drugs to treat malaria, with the aim of anticipating the evolution with drugs that can target organisms that are tolerant of conventional classes of antimalarials. Part of the problem is that the research is extremely expensive, and some pharmaceutical companies are reluctant to engage in it because profits for antimalarials tend to be lower than for drugs that can be sold in the developed world.
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