Special Issue "Artemisinin (Qinghaosu): Commemorative Issue in Honor of Professor Youyou Tu on the Occasion of Her 80th Anniversary" in International Molecules Published in 2010.

It has been more than 10 years since we published the Special Issue "Artemisinin (Qinghaosu): commemorative issue in honor of Professor Youyou Tu on the occasion of her 80th anniversary" (Abbreviated as "the Artemisinins Special Issue") [...].

Tu Youyou winning the Nobel Prize: Ethical research on the value and safety of traditional Chinese medicine.

In 2015, the Chinese pharmacologist, Tu Youyou, was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of artemisinin. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) was the source of inspiration for Tu's discovery and provides an opportunity for the world to know more about TCM as a source of medical knowledge and practice. In this article, the value of TCM is evaluated from an ethical perspective. The characteristics of 'jian, bian, yan, lian' are explored in the way they promote accessibility and economic efficiency for TCM. The article also examines how the increased use and prevalence of TCM reflects the scientific, cultural, and ethical values of TCM and their increasing attraction in meeting major challenges to medicine and health systems currently and in the future. The article discusses safety issues within TCM, which is a controversial area, and also comments on some shortcomings and challenges which pose difficulties for more widespread and greater uptake of TCM-derived clinical or therapeutic interventions. The article concludes that TCM is generally safe if it is used according to TCM theory and where such applications are cognizant of the strengths and weaknesses of TCM. TCM has important bioethical values which may inform potential measures for meeting challenges facing global health care systems and the article argues that it can have an increasing role in improving human health.

[Retrospection on the history of discovery of artemisinin and its ponderation].

The study of the medical history of the discovery of artemisinin is divided into two stages since its achievement of international awards. Before the award, the studies were focused on historical background, discoverer, time of discovery, discovery process, methodology, key difficulties, and the disputes about artemisinin and its causes. After achieving international awards, the focus of research was obviously different. In addition to more detailed research on the discovery process, more researches were focused on a multiple approach, including the significance, enlightenment, experience and lessons of discovery of artemisinin, scientist community, Tu Youyou's award-winning priority, Tu Youyou's biography, involving the spread, right of discovery and inventory, and geography of science and technology. In the future, scientific methodology, unconventional thoughts, intuitive thoughts, abductive reasoning, special social background at that time and the thought leading to its ponderation, etc. of winning the Nobel Prize should all be paid attention to.

Perspectiva histórica de antimaláricos de origen natural / Historical perspective of antimalarials of natural origin

Hoy, muchas enfermedades son tratadas gracias al descubrimiento de compuestos a partir de las plantas, lo que evidencia que estas juegan un papel significativo en el descubrimiento y desarrollo de nuevos fármacos. Una de las alternativas para el control de la morbi-mortalidad por malaria es la quimioterapia, la cual ha sido posible gracias al descubrimiento de compuestos a partir de las plantas. En la actualidad, cerca de la mitad de los fármacos antimaláricos disponibles son compuestos naturales o están relacionados con ellos. En esta revisión se hace un recuento histórico del origen y desarrollo de los principales antimaláricos como instrumento de hechos arquitectónicos, que mantienen una estrecha relación con los referentes antimaláricos, que sirven de modelos para profundizar en la búsqueda de nuevas sustancias químicas naturales que podrían contribuir al control de una devastadora enfermedad como la malaria, donde se están presentando cepas resistentes de Plasmodium a los principales tratamientos, falla terapéutica, además de un escaso acceso a los medicamentos, entre otros factores; que complican su prevención y tratamiento (AU)

Today, many diseases are treated thanks to the discovery of compounds from plants, which shows that they play a significant role in the discovery and development of new drugs. One of the alternatives for the control of malaria morbidity and mortality is chemotherapy, which has been made possible by the discovery of compounds from plants. At present, about half of the available antimalarials drugs are naturally occurring compounds or are related to them. This review provides a historical account of the origin and development of the main antimalarials as an instrument of architectural facts, which maintains a close relationship with the antimalarials referents, which serve as models to deepen the search for new natural chemical substances that could contribute to the Control of a devastating disease like malaria, where resistant strains of Plasmodium are being presented to the main treatments, therapeutic failure, in addition to poor access to medicines, among other factors; which complicate their prevention and treatment (AU)

Synthetic Strategies for Peroxide Ring Construction in Artemisinin.

The present review summarizes publications on the artemisinin peroxide fragment synthesis from 1983 to 2016. The data are classified according to the structures of a precursor used in the key peroxidation step of artemisinin peroxide cycle synthesis. The first part of the review comprises the construction of artemisinin peroxide fragment in total syntheses, in which peroxide artemisinin ring resulted from reactions of unsaturated keto derivatives with singlet oxygen or ozone. In the second part, the methods of artemisinin synthesis based on transformations of dihydroartemisinic acid are highlighted.

Fighting fire with fire: mass antimalarial drug administrations in an era of antimalarial resistance.

The emergence and spread of antimalarial resistance has been a major liability for malaria control. The spread of chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains had catastrophic consequences for people in malaria-endemic regions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The recent emergence of artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum strains is of highest concern. Current efforts to contain artemisinin resistance have yet to show success. In the absence of more promising plans, it has been suggested to eliminate falciparum malaria from foci of artemisinin resistance using a multipronged approach, including mass drug administrations. The use of mass drug administrations is controversial as it increases drug pressure. Based on current knowledge it is difficult to conceptualize how targeted malaria elimination could contribute to artemisinin resistance, provided a full treatment course is ensured.

A Brief History of Qinghaosu.

The 2015 Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology was awarded to William C. Campbell and Satoshi Omura for their discovery of avermectins, and to Tu You You for her contribution to the discovery of artemisinin. The discovery and development of qinghaosu (artemisinin) as an antimalarial drug is a remarkable and convoluted tale.

The story of artesunate-mefloquine (ASMQ), innovative partnerships in drug development: case study.

BACKGROUND: The Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a not-for profit organization committed to providing affordable medicines and access to treatments in resource-poor settings. Traditionally drug development has happened "in house" within pharmaceutical companies, with research and development costs ultimately recuperated through drug sales. The development of drugs for the treatment of neglected tropical diseases requires a completely different model that goes beyond the scope of market-driven research and development. Artesunate and mefloquine are well-established drugs for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria, with a strong safety record based on many years of field-based studies and use. The administration of such artemisinin-based combination therapy in a fixed-dose combination is expected to improve patient compliance and to reduce the risk of emerging drug resistance. CASE DESCRIPTION: DNDi developed an innovative approach to drug development, reliant on strong collaborations with a wide range of partners from the commercial world, academia, government institutions and NGOs, each of which had a specific role to play in the development of a fixed dose combination of artesunate and mefloquine. DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION: DNDi undertook the development of a fixed-dose combination of artesunate with mefloquine. Partnerships were formed across five continents, addressing formulation, control and production through to clinical trials and product registration, resulting in a safe and efficacious fixed dose combination treatment which is now available to treat patients in resource-poor settings. The south-south technology transfer of production from Farmanguinhos/Fiocruz in Brazil to Cipla Ltd in India was the first of its kind. Of additional benefit was the increased capacity within the knowledge base and infrastructure in developing countries. CONCLUSIONS: This collaborative approach to drug development involving international partnerships and independent funding mechanisms is a powerful new way to develop drugs for tropical diseases.

El Premio Lasker, la Medicina tradicional china y el descubrimiento de la Artemisina / No disponible

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From bark to weed: the history of artemisinin.

In the 1970's, in China, some brilliant and courageous scientists carried out a research programme, which lead to the discovery of artemisinin derivatives and new quinoleines that are used today, in combination, as first line treatment of malaria.

A brief history of malaria chemotherapy.

Malaria is one of the worst sicknesses to affect humankind. For centuries there was no specific treatment, and it was not until the seventeenth century that Spanish colonisers brought back from Peru tree bark from which quinine was later extracted. In the twentieth century, synthetic alternatives to quinine were developed. Of these, chloroquine was the most successful, but by the 1970s widespread resistance had developed and the world was left without an effective treatment for malaria. During the same decade Chinese scientists extracted from sweet wormwood plant the drug artemisinin, which has proved to be very effective against chloroquine-resistant malarial parasites. The use of a combination therapy including artemisinin has made it possible to contemplate the eradication of malaria. Efforts to produce a stable and inexpensive supply of artemisinin are under way.