BioCentury
ARTICLE | Distillery Techniques

Techniques: Plasmodium falciparum KELCH13 mutations as markers of artemisinin resistance

February 5, 2015 8:00 AM UTC

A genomewide association study suggests mutations in Plasmodium falciparum KELCH13 could be useful as biomarkers of artemisinin resistance in the parasite. In an analysis of 1,063 patients receiving artemisinin-derived anti-malarial therapies, a nonsynonymous SNP in the P. falciparum KELCH13 gene showed the strongest association between treatment with the artemisinin derivative artesunate and elevated parasite clearance half-life (p=4x10-26). Follow-up analysis identified at least 20 mutations in KELCH13 associated with elevated parasite clearance half-life. Next steps could include determining the mechanistic role of KELCH13 mutations in artemisinin resistance...