Please answer questions in short answer or paragraphs. Write enough to provide c
ID: 212720 • Letter: P
Question
Please answer questions in short answer or paragraphs. Write enough to provide clarity and answer each questions thoroughly in the sake of brevity. Answers should be type-written and submitted through Canvas or turned in at the beginning of class on the specified date.
You are the CEO of a drug company that has developed a promising new anti-malarial drug. The scientists in R&D show you the results demonstrating that it can effectively remove asexual blood stage Plasmodium falciparum parasites within three days of drug treatment, alleviating all malaria symptoms. However, all of the patients were shown to transmit malaria to Anopheles mosquitoes in challenge experiments approximately two weeks later. How can this be? How can the current drug be improved to remove all chances of malaria transmission?
Explanation / Answer
According to the question, the drug removes asexual blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum. In asexual blood stage, Plasmodium sporozoites divide into merozoites which in the blood stage asexually give rise to more merozoites.
As the drug only remove the asexually produced merozoites in the blood stage the sexually produced male and female gametes of Plasmodium parasite are still circulating in the bloodstream. these gametes are responsible to transmit malaria to the Anopheles mosquito if it sucks the blood of the infected patient.The current drug can be improved to target the gametocytes also of Plasmodium parasite to prevent malaria transmission.