Blocking Plasmodium falciparum malaria transmission with drugs: the gametocidal and sporontocidal properties of current and prospective antimalarials

Drugs that block malaria transmission by killing gametocytes have long been available, but their power in reducing malaria in communities has rarely been exploited and such properties are not always made a priority in drug discovery efforts. Recent advances in our knowledge of the developmental and regulatory pathways by which malaria parasites transform into gametocytes have identified new targets and expanded the potential repertoire of moieties that elicit gametocytocidal and sporontocidal effects. This review examines the properties of existing and prospective drugs, mechanisms of action, counter-indications and the strategies by which they might be deployed effectively in a malaria elimination effort.