Toothpaste ingredient could bolster fight against malaria

Jan. 22, 2018

When it’s used in toothpaste, triclosan helps prevent the buildup of bacteria. But in medicine, it could open up a new avenue for fighting one of the world’s deadliest diseases. 

According to a recent study by scientists at Cambridge University in England triclosan has been shown to be effective in staving off the enzyme of a malaria parasite called DHFR in the liver and blood.

DHFR is already the target of medicines used to fight malaria, but malaria parasites are becoming increasingly resistant to conventional treatments. The illness still kills about a half a million people every year.

For the study, the team used an artificial intelligence robot to automate the drug discovery process, which they say sped up the research.

Read the full Reuters report.