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Malaria Parasites Killed Quickly by Blue Dye

posted by janrinok on Friday February 09 2018, @03:05AM   
from the blue-pee dept.

Phoenix666 writes:

According to the World Health Organization, malaria is responsible for approximately 445,000 deaths every year. That number may be due to drop, however, as scientists have found that a human-safe blue dye kills parasites in patients' bloodstreams within two days – that's faster than has ever been possible before.
...
That's where the methylene blue dye comes in.

In field tests conducted in Mali, it was added to artemisinin-based medication, and was found to eradicate all gametocytes in patients' bloodstreams within as little as 48 hours. The dye is typically used in laboratories to distinguish dead cells from living cells, and was reportedly well-tolerated by the test subjects. It does, however, have one interesting side effect.

According to the lead scientist it turns your urine blue, which is reason enough for anybody to take it, really.

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Original Submission

• Re:So, not for Americans? Vision effects? (Score: 4, Interesting) by sjames on Friday February 09 2018, @05:39PM

  by sjames (2882) on Friday February 09 2018, @05:39PM (#635602) Journal

  That's not a regulatory markup, it's a fuck you because we can markup. Otherwise, how could other drugs with the same regulatory and malpractice hazards possible sell for less that that $191?

  Parent

  Starting Score:	1		point
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