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Good afternoon, we are at the Universitat Jaume I
in the Faculty of Health Sciences
to carry out an interview with Francisco Ros,
lecturer in Anatomy at this centre.
We will talk about a research on a molecule that seeks to
eradicate malaria.
Could you tell us what malaria is?
-It is one of most important transmitted diseases
along with AIDS and tuberculosis.
In this disease a person is infected by a mosquito,
the Anopheles mosquito that transmits the Plasmodium parasite.
The human being is infected by the bite of the mosquito,
reaches the spleen, then infects red blood cells and,
through spleen, it arrives to blood destroying red blood cells.
There is an infected individual and another Anopheles mosquito
bites the infected individual and then
by biting a healthy individual, it transmits the disease.
Can it be eradicated?
-Today, to eradicate malaria is a bit utopian.
However, there are two very important studies affecting
the fact that eradicating malaria might be possible.
These two experiments are: the first one, designs mosquitoes
that are not capable of transmitting malaria and the other study
it is developed on a sick individual
and what it tries to do is to prevent
multiplication of the parasite inside the spleen and destruction
of red blood cells.
How their effectiveness have been checked?
-With these two studies we are talking about.
With transgenic mosquitoes, it was tested in animal models.
It is tested with these Anopheles mosquitoes,
and the idea is to eradicate and end little by little, the population
of wild Anopheles and to replace them
by transgenic mosquitoes.
The other model is the compound LQ300.
This is a model, a treatment
that has been used in humanized mice.
Is its application provided in a short or a long term?
When we speak about experimental models, we have to be
very cautious in order to establish
if these experimental models in animals
can be used on humans.
Because you must first follow the evolution.
First, we experiment with animals, then with primates
and, subsequently, with humans.
We don't have much experience but I calculate that in some
15 or 20 years we may market
or use these treatments,
although I hope to be wrong and it is much earlier.