Understanding the mechanism by which Plasmodium falciparum rapidly acquires drug resistance and applying it to treatment, focusing on the host environment

Objectives

The objectives of this study are to:

1. elucidate the relationship between the resulting changes in the host microenvironment and drug sensitivity through both culture and animal models and clinical research by focusing on the phenomenon of adhesion to vascular endothelium, which is unique to this species;
2. track the emergence of drug resistance using an accelerated evolution model; and
3. realize a “treatment that does not develop resistance” that goes beyond the race between resistance emergence and new drug development by elucidating the comprehensive mechanism that accelerates resistance evolution.