by Tiphaine Gaillard, Marylin Madamet and Bruno Pradines
Malaria Journal 2015, 14:445 (10 November 2015)
10 pp. 1.1 MB
http://www.malariajournal.com/content/pdf/s12936-015-0980-0.pdf
Doxycycline, a synthetically derived tetracycline, constitutes an interesting alternative for malaria treatment and prophylaxis. It is a slow-acting blood schizontocidal agent that is highly effective at preventing malaria. In areas with chloroquine and multidrug-resistant P. falciparum parasites, doxycycline has already been successfully used in combination with quinine to treat malaria, and it has been proven to be effective and well-tolerated. Prophylactic and clinical failures of doxycycline have been associated with both inadequate doses and poor patient compliance. The effects of tetracyclines on parasites are not completely understood. A better comprehension of the mechanisms underlying drug resistance would facilitate the identification of molecular markers of resistance to predict and survey the emergence of resistance.
