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From methylene blue to chloroquine: a brief review of the development of an antimalarial therapy

Parasitology Research volume 111, pages 1–6 (2012)Cite this article

An Erratum to this article was published on 08 May 2012

Abstract

Malarial treatment is widely and readily available today. However, there was a time in the not-so-distant past when malaria was a deadly disease with no known cause or cure. In this article, we trace the origins of an antimalarial therapy from the discovery of the nature of the malarial parasite through the development of chloroquine. We dedicate this article to Johann “Hans” Andersag, the scientist who developed chloroquine, on the 110th anniversary of his birth, 16 February 1902.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Duluth, MN, USA

    Kristine Krafts

  2. Department of Pharmacology, Witwatersrand University, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Ernst Hempelmann

  3. Department of Crystal Physics and Crystal Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland

    Agnieszka Skórska-Stania

Authors
  1. Kristine Krafts
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  2. Ernst Hempelmann
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  3. Agnieszka Skórska-Stania
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Correspondence to Kristine Krafts.

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Krafts, K., Hempelmann, E. & Skórska-Stania, A. From methylene blue to chloroquine: a brief review of the development of an antimalarial therapy. Parasitol Res 111, 1–6 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-012-2886-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-012-2886-x

Keywords

  • Malaria
  • Methylene Blue
  • Chloroquine
  • Atabrine
  • Malarial Parasite