| Abstract: | Artemisinin is the most modern active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for the treatment of malaria, an infectious disease, which accompanied humans throughout history. The amplification of DNA‐fragments of the pathogen, extracted from an infant skeleton, by use of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and comparison with the meanwhile sequenced genome of Plasmodium falciparum provided direct evidence for malaria epidemics in antiquity. The elucidation of the lifecycle of the parasite was a prerequisite for the development and comprehension of efficient therapies, e. g. the administration of schizonticides, like quinine or chloroquine, but also more modern drugs, like artemisinin. |
