Scientists at the Rega Institute of KU Leuven have identified a potentially life-saving drug to treat severe malaria. The medication, ruxolitinib, could be particularly effective in addressing two

dangerous complications of the disease: extreme inflammation and critically low blood sugar levels — both of which can be fatal.

Thus far, the drug has only been tested on mice with severe malaria, which exhibit similar symptoms to human patients. In these cases, the body’s natural steroid hormones, known as glucocorticoids, stop functioning properly. This malfunction leads to life-threatening hypoglycemia and intense inflammation. “Treatment with ruxolitinib prevented both the low blood sugar and the inflammation, and ultimately saved the lives of the infected mice,” said Dr. Fran Prenen, the doctoral researcher leading the study.

While most malaria infections result in only mild symptoms, some patients experience severe forms of the disease. According to the researchers, 15–20% of those with severe malaria may die. Globally, malaria claims nearly 600,000 lives each year, with Africa and the Amazon region being particularly affected.

Ruxolitinib is currently used to treat certain forms of bone marrow cancer by slowing disease progression. The KU Leuven team discovered similarities between the molecular responses in cancer patients and those suffering from malaria. They now aim to explore this connection further.

Additional research is still required to determine whether the promising effects seen in mice will translate to human patients. Photo by Michielverbeek, Wikimedia commons.