Robert J. Zupko

Feb 14, 2024 | nature.com | Eric Li |Tran Nguyen |Thu Tran |Robert J. Zupko

AbstractDelaying and slowing antimalarial drug resistance evolution is a priority for malaria-endemic countries. Until novel therapies become available, the mainstay of antimalarial treatment will continue to be artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT). Deployment of different ACTs can be optimized to minimize evolutionary pressure for drug resistance by deploying them as a set of co-equal multiple first-line therapies (MFT) rather than rotating therapies in and out of use.

Oct 23, 2023 | biorxiv.org | Robert J. Zupko |Joseph L. Servadio |Tran Nguyen |Thu Tran

AbstractHistorically Plasmodium falciparum has followed a pattern of drug resistance first appearing in low transmission settings before spreading to high transmission settings. Several features of low-transmission regions are hypothesized as explanations: higher chance of symptoms and treatment seeking, better treatment access, less within-host competition among clones, and lower rates of recombination.

Sep 21, 2023 | nature.com | Thu Tran |Robert J. Zupko

AbstractArtemisinin combination therapies (ACTs) are highly effective at treating uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but the emergence of the new pfkelch13 R561H mutation in Rwanda, associated with delayed parasite clearance, suggests that interventions are needed to slow its spread. Using a Rwanda-specific spatial calibration of an individual-based malaria model, we evaluate 26 strategies aimed at minimizing treatment failures and delaying the spread of R561H after 3, 5 and 10 years.