Host and parasite factors influencing the pharmacokinetics of artesunate

• Applicants: Dr. Reinhold Kerb; Professor Dr. Benjamin G. Mordmüller, since 6/2011
• Co-Applicant: Dr. Saadou Issifou
• Subject Area: Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens
• Term: from 2010 to 2015
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 164503726

Malaria is one of the most important infectious diseases. Due to drug-resistant parasites its chemotherapy remains a problem. Artesunate is a new antimalarial which could become the main antiparasitic agent especially against severe malaria. Three main aims will be pursuit: firstly, to investigate the best route of administration of artesunate, secondly the analysis of its pharmacokinetics compared to treatment outcome, and thirdly the investigation of patients and parasite polymorphisms leading to the individual variability of the pharmacokinetics in metabolizing artesunate. In this project three partners will combine their expertise to reach the proposed aims: The clinical part will take place at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Lambaréné, Gabon, which is a well-equipped and well-known site for clinical trials of the phases I-III. Pharmacokinetic parameters will be determined at the Institute for Clinical Pharmacology, parasite expression profiles will be determined at the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Tübingen and SNP arrays of human samples will be done at the Institute for Clinical Pharmacology. A very robust array technology will be installed at the Medical Research Unit in Lambaréné to analyse known polymorphisms in CYP2A6, UGT1A9, UGT2B7 and UGT2B7. At the end of the project we envisage a large data set that combines genetic and non-genetics parameters to answer crucial questions about the variability of pharmacokinetics in malaria treatment.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Gabon
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Matthias Schwab
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. Jürgen Kun, until 6/2011 (†)