Study may cut malaria treatment costs

CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Oct. 1 (UPI) -- U.S. scientists say they have developed a method of mass producing an anti-malarial compound, potentially making malaria treatments less expensive.

The researchers, led by University of Illinois microbiology Professor William Metcalf, said the compound is one of a group known as phosphonates, that is made in nature by bacteria. Metcalf said be became interested in that process partly because some phosphonates have antibiotic properties.

Recently, Metcalf and his lab reported successfully identifying the processes by which bacteria make that particular phosphonate compound, known as FR900098.

Although the compound was previously chemically synthesized, that is a costly process, the researchers said. By knowing how the phosphonate is biosynthesized, it can now be inexpensively mass-produced by harnessing the cellular machinery of bacteria.

"Malaria is a problem in Third World countries that can least afford expensive medicines, and many antibiotics are expensive," Metcalf said.

Now he and chemical engineering Professor Huimin Zhao are working to engineer E. coli strains to overproduce FR900098, which can then be harvested for medicine.

The research is reported in the Aug. 25 issue of the journal Chemistry & Biology.