Tag: Artemisinin

Originally derived from the sweet wormwood plant, *Artemisia annua*, artemisinin was rediscovered by Chinese scientists in the 1970s and is now a cornerstone of modern malaria treatment. The primary clinical use of artemisinin and its derivatives is for malaria, though research is exploring what is artemisinin used for in treating other parasitic infections, inflammatory diseases, and certain cancers.

Derived from the sweet wormwood plant (*Artemisia annua*), artemisinins have become the cornerstone of modern antimalarial treatment, particularly for drug-resistant strains. The discovery of these potent compounds led to a Nobel Prize and revolutionized how we combat parasitic diseases.

With increasing resistance to standard leishmaniasis treatments, scientists are exploring alternative therapies, including the potent antimalarial artemisinin. But what is an artemisinin for leishmaniasis, and how is it being adapted for this debilitating disease?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there were an estimated 249 million malaria cases and 608,000 deaths worldwide in 2022, underscoring the urgent need for rapid and effective treatment. The fastest and most effective way to treat a malaria infection is through modern Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapies (ACTs), which have become the global standard of care.