Plasmodium Species and Drug Resistance

Abstract

As teachers of parasite biology, we are becoming increasingly aware of the lack of detailed information and experimental approaches about drugs and drug resistance in many medical schools and undergraduate courses. Therefore, this book discusses parasite biology, antimalarial drugs and their mechanism of action, and the dynamic situation of evolving drug resistance of parasites, which has become a pressing issue. It provides insight into the plasmodium species, the role of cytokines in activating immune response during malaria infection, the importance of antimalarials as a therapeutic option, issues of drug resistance and co-resistance, and validation of evolved resistance in humanized mouse models. It is a timely addition to the existing literature on malaria parasite biology and a useful resource for students, researchers, and those working in the field of parasite biology, drugs, drug resistance of infectious diseases in general, and human malaria parasites in particular and beyond.