Researchers at Cardiff University have developed a cheaper and more effective way of producing compounds used to fight malaria.<\/p>\n
The team at Cardiff University, led by Professor Rudolf Allemann, has discovered a new method to produce the compounds which they hope will make the drug accessible to some of the poorest places in the world.<\/p>\n
The compounds sesquiterpenes are used to make\u00a0artemisinin, the anti-malaria drug which won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2015.<\/p>\n
They’re also used in treatments for cancer and cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n
Professor Thomas Wirth worked on the project and says while it’s not going to save lives yet, it’s a step in the right direction: “It’s very exciting, although one also has to say that we are not there yet.<\/p>\n
“We are still on the way to pursue that goal but the first step, the first hurdle is already taken.<\/p>\n
“We now have a good handle on making this intermediate for the drug in much larger amounts and much more rapidly than it was possible before.”<\/p>\n
Sesquiterpenes have traditionally been time-consuming and expensive to make in a laboratory.<\/p>\n
The compounds are very sticky and often bind to the enzymes that produce them.<\/p>\n
By squeezing the reaction along a winding plastic tube, the Cardiff University team could separate the compound they needed from the enzyme in thousands of tiny segments.<\/p>\n
Professor Rudolf Allemann says the research won’t just help to make medicines: “Our new method may lead to a more efficient and cost-effective production of other bioactive molecules, with applications such as fragrances, food supplements or agrochemicals for pest control.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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