Abstract:

Artemisinin（ART） is a novel and effective antimalarial drug discovered in China. As recommended by the World Health Organization, the ART-based combination therapies （ACTs） have become the first-line drugs for the treatment of falciparum malaria. ART and its derivatives have contributed greatly to the effective control of malaria globally, leading to yearly decrease of malaria morbidity and mortality. However, there have recently been several reports on the resistance of Plasmodium falciparum to ART in Southeast Asia. This is deemed a serious threat to the global malaria control programs. In this paper, we reviewed recent research progress on ART resistance to P. falciparum, including new tools for resistance measurement, resistance-associated molecular markers, and the origin and spread of the ART-resistant parasite strains.

Key words: Artemisinin, Plasmodium falciparum, Drug resistance, Origin