Malaria: biochemical, physiological, diagnostic, and therapeutic updates.

Area of Science:

• Medical Parasitology
• Biochemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Malaria is a severe vector-borne parasitic disease causing significant morbidity and mortality.
• Efficient diagnosis and treatment of malaria are hindered by several challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review current advancements in malaria diagnosis and treatment.
• To highlight novel diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and EKB.
• Review of diverse biochemical and physiological indices related to malaria.
• Analysis of recent therapeutic trials, including chemical inhibitors, plant extracts, nanomedicine, and combination therapies.

Main Results:

• Biochemical indices like hypoglycemia, dyslipidemia, and altered renal/hepatic functions are indicative of malaria.
• Emerging point-of-care technologies include biosensors, lab-on-chip, and microdevices.
• Promising therapeutic avenues include antimalaria nanomedicine, drug combinations (e.g., amodiaquine + artemether + lumefantrine), and Tafenoquine for relapse prevention.

Conclusions:

• Understanding malaria's pathophysiology aids diagnosis.
• New point-of-care diagnostics can improve sensitivity and specificity by utilizing biochemical and hematological alterations.
• Nanomedicine shows significant promise, while chemical and plant-based therapies require further research.