Method of treatment for malaria utilizing serotonin receptor ligands

摘要

The invention provides a method of preventing or treating malaria comprising administering a therapeutically effective amount of serotonin receptor ligand to reduce the pathological consequences of malaria infection in a patient, said serotonin receptor ligand characterized by an ability to displace an identifying ligand which defines the serotonin receptor subtype 5HT1a or 5HT2/5HT1c. In addition, the invention provides a method of identifying a serotonin receptor ligand capable of reducing the pathological consequences of malarial infection in a patient comprising the step of sequentially assaying potential ligands to identify a ligand characterized by an ability to displace an identifying ligand which defines the serotonin receptor subtype 5HT1a or 5HT2/5HT1c.