Iron chelation therapy for malaria: A review

Malaria is one of the major global health problems, and an urgent need for the development of new antimalarial agents faces the scientific community. A considerable number of iron(III) chelators, designed for purposes other t han treating malaria, have antimalarial activity in vitro, apparently throu gh the mechanism of withholding iron from vital metabolic pathways of the i ntra-erythrocytic parasite. Certain iron(II) chelators also have antimalari al activity, but the mechanism of action appears to be the formation of tox ic complexes with iron rather than the withholding of iron. Several of the iron(III) chelating compounds also have antimalarial activity in animal mod els of plasmodial infection. Iron chelation therapy with desferrioxamine, t he only compound of this nature that is widely available for use in humans, has clinical activity in both uncomplicated and severe malaria in humans. PHARMACOL THER. 81(1):53-75, 1999. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.