本期《科学》杂志中有两个研究小组报告了新出现的疟疾药物青蒿素抗药性背后的分子机制。由Judith Straimer领导的一个小组证实,疟原虫K13基因中的“推进器突变”造成了该抗药性。由Sachel Mok和同事所撰写的第二份报告对抗药疟疾中的基因表达进行了检查并得出结论:这些突变可帮助疟原虫修复蛋白并延缓其发育。以青蒿素为基础的治疗在过去的10年中促使疟疾死亡率下降了30%。然而,在东南亚不断增加的对该药的抵 Two research groups in this issue of Science report the molecular mechanisms underlying the emerging anti-malarial drug artemisinin resistance. A team led by Judith Straimer confirmed that the “propeller mutation” in the K13 gene of Plasmodium caused this resistance. The second report, written by Sachel Mok and colleagues, examined the gene expression in drug-resistant malaria and concluded that these mutations help the parasite repair proteins and delay their development. Artemisinin-based treatment has contributed to a 30% reduction in malaria mortality over the past decade. However, the increasing resistance to the drug in Southeast Asia