Biomaterial Database

Primaquine for Plasmodium vivax radical cure: What we do not know and why it matters. 2021

Jean Popovici, and Kieran Tebben, and Benoit Witkowski, and David Serre

Malaria Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Malaria Translational Research Unit, Institut Pasteur, Paris & Institut Pasteur du Cambodge, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Electronic address: jpopovici@pasteur-kh.org.

Plasmodium vivax radical cure requires the administration of a blood schizonticide for killing blood-stage parasites and the addition of a drug able to kill hypnozoites, the dormant parasite stages residing in the liver of infected patients. All drugs used clinically for killing hypnozoites are 8-aminoquinolines and among them, primaquine has been at the forefront of P. vivax case management for decades. We discuss here the possible factors that could lead to the emergence and selection of P. vivax primaquine resistant parasites and emphasize on how a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying primaquine treatment and hypnozoite biology is needed to prevent this catastrophic scenario from happening.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008099	Liver	A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances.	Livers
D010271	Parasites	Invertebrate organisms that live on or in another organism (the host), and benefit at the expense of the other. Traditionally excluded from definition of parasites are pathogenic BACTERIA; FUNGI; VIRUSES; and PLANTS; though they may live parasitically.	Parasite
D010966	Plasmodium vivax	A protozoan parasite that causes vivax malaria (MALARIA, VIVAX). This species is found almost everywhere malaria is endemic and is the only one that has a range extending into the temperate regions.	Plasmodium vivaxs,vivax, Plasmodium
D011319	Primaquine	An aminoquinoline that is given by mouth to produce a radical cure and prevent relapse of vivax and ovale malarias following treatment with a blood schizontocide. It has also been used to prevent transmission of falciparum malaria by those returning to areas where there is a potential for re-introduction of malaria. Adverse effects include anemias and GI disturbances. (From Martindale, The Extra Pharmacopeia, 30th ed, p404)	Primacin,Primaquine Diphosphate,Primaquine Phosphate,Diphosphate, Primaquine,Phosphate, Primaquine
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000962	Antimalarials	Agents used in the treatment of malaria. They are usually classified on the basis of their action against plasmodia at different stages in their life cycle in the human. (From AMA, Drug Evaluations Annual, 1992, p1585)	Anti-Malarial,Antimalarial,Antimalarial Agent,Antimalarial Drug,Anti-Malarials,Antimalarial Agents,Antimalarial Drugs,Agent, Antimalarial,Agents, Antimalarial,Anti Malarial,Anti Malarials,Drug, Antimalarial,Drugs, Antimalarial
D016780	Malaria, Vivax	Malaria caused by PLASMODIUM VIVAX. This form of malaria is less severe than MALARIA, FALCIPARUM, but there is a higher probability for relapses to occur. Febrile paroxysms often occur every other day.	Plasmodium vivax Malaria,Malaria, Plasmodium vivax,Vivax Malaria