Methotrexate is highly potent against pyrimethamine-resistant Plasmodium vivax.

Journal article

Resistance of vivax malaria to treatment with antifolates, such as pyrimethamine (Pyr), is spreading as mutations in the dihydrofolatereductase (dhfr) genes are selected and disseminated. We tested the antitumor drug methotrexate (MTX), a potent competitive inhibitor of dhfr, against 11 Plasmodium vivax isolates ex vivo, 10 of which had multiple dhfr mutations associated with Pyr resistance. Despite high-grade resistance to Pyr (median 50% inhibitory concentration [IC₅₀], 13,345 nM), these pa...

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Authors: Imwong, M; Russell, B; Suwanarusk, R; Nzila, A; Leimanis, M

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Journal of infectious diseases
• Volume: 203
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 207-210
• Publication date: 2011-01-01
• DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiq024
• EISSN: 1537-6613
• ISSN: 0022-1899
• Language: English
• Keywords: Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase; Humans; Protozoan Proteins; Methotrexate; Antimalarials; Drug Resistance; Malaria, Vivax; Plasmodium vivax; Pyrimethamine; Mutation, Missense; Inhibitory Concentration 50