Viagra Could Halt Malaria by 'Stiffening' Infected Cells

by Monica Joshi

Viagra has a beneficial "stiffening" effect in the fight against malaria. A new study via scientists at the University of Paris Descartes has opened doors for an unlikely treatment to control the spread of malaria with the use of sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra. 

It appears that the drug used to treat erectile dysfunction has a "stiffening" effect on the malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, in the infected red blood cells. The "stiffened" parasites become less flexible and thereby more likely to be trapped by the spleen. This aids in eliminating the infected cells. The researchers, working in conjunction with a team from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, have found that Viagra could indeed be our next best treatment mechanism to reduce the transmission of the disease from humans to mosquitoes.

 Ghania Ramdani, the lead scientist at the University of Paris Descartes, said that:

"Our observations provide an opportunistic approach towards the discovery of new malaria transmission-blocking drugs, by taking advantage of the wealth of clinical data available for sildenafil (Viagra). This strategy... opens new avenues towards the design of novel interventions to halt the spread of malaria to humans."

The discovery, astonishing as it may be, could lead to a major benefit for over 300 - 500 million people affected each year by the disease. In so far as the treatments are concerned, the drugs currently sold for the treatment of malaria only target the asexual forms of this parasite that cause symptoms, but they do not target the sexual forms that are inevitably transmitted from a mosquito bite. In order to eradicate the disease, this new development is absolutely crucial for treatments against the sexual forms of the parasite transmission. 

The research comes at an opportune time for all those who will be experiencing monsoon in countries such as India, Pakistan and Nepal where the deaths caused by malaria dramatically increases each year. Not only could the research aid in halting the disease, it would be an important supplement, if not an alternative to antimalarial drugs that have been proven to have a parasitical cure rate of a little over 95%. This new research could be viewed as a definitive preventative measure as it curbs the sexual reproduction of the parasite. 

One of the biggest concerns is that since for plasmodia humans are not the only host for sexual recombination, it still remains unclear whether this new treatment may just be a drop in the bucket as far as the curbing of the parasite goes. Perhaps it is simply one step forward with as yet a long way to go. 

On the other hand, it might be vital to see the bright side of this new development as Brian Mullaney has stated. This might be a step to finding a treatment for malaria worldwide that is both affordable and innovative.