A Mutation Is Making It Easier for Drug-Resistant Malaria to Spread– www.wired.com

The main drug that has been in use for decades to combat malaria in sub-Saharan Africa is running into a problem: In recent years, researchers have become increasingly concerned that parasites are becoming less sensitive to treatment. Identifying the underlying genetic factors has become an urgent priority.

In an attempt to identify the reason for drug-resistant malaria, a team led by Brown University researchers conducted whole-genome analysis of 157 malaria parasite samples selected from specimens collected in Uganda between 2016 and 2024. The work, published in Nature Medicine this week, shows evidence that mutations in a gene that encodes a protein called px1, which had previously received little attention, is likely responsible for the rise in drug resistance.

“Malaria still is a major killer, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa,” Jeffrey Bailey, an associate professor at Brown University specializing in pathology, says in a press release. “As drug resistance continues to emerge, we worry it will undermine control of its spread and result in even more deaths for a large number of people there and beyond.”