Researchers at the Institut Pasteur de Guyane, members of the Labex CEBA, revealed for the first time a reversal of chloroquinine resistance by acquisition of a new mutation in P. falciparum. This result was published* in September in the international scientific review PNAS.
Since 1995 in French Guiana, chloroquinine is no longer used to treat P. falciparum malaria as 100% of the parasites became resistant to the treatment. After 15 years, 75 % of the parasites have again become sensitive to chloroquinine but still bear the original mutation responsible for the resistance. The researchers wanted to understand the reasons for this discrepancy and have succeeded in revealing a new mutation acquired by P.falciparum on the same gene thus eliminating entirely the effect of the pre-existing resistance mutation. The emergence and spread of this new mutation was favoured by the resistance it has for the current antimalarial, piperaquine.
The parasitology laboratory of the Institut Pasteur of Guyane gives a description, for the first time, of a reversion resistance made possible by the acquisition of a new mutation and not by the re-emergence of the original form of the parasite. This result will help optimise the use and design of antimalarial drugs.
*Adaptive evolution of malaria parasites in French Guiana: Reversal of chloroquine resistance by acquisition of a mutation in pfcrt
Pelleau S, Moss EL, Dhingra SK, Volney B, Casteras J, Gabryszewski SJ, Volkman SK, Wirth DF, Legrand E, Fidock DA, Neafsey DE, Musset L. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015 Aug 10. pii: 201507142. [Epub ahead of print]
