International scientific collaborations are discovering new medicines from natural products to combat parasitic diseases affecting millions.
Cattle lost annually to theileriosis
Annual malaria infections worldwide
Annual cost of coccidiosis to poultry industry
Imagine a silent pandemic affecting millions, not of humans, but of livestock. A parasite, invisible to the naked eye, causes a disease called theileriosis, spreading through tick bites and killing over a million cattle each year. For farming families in subtropical regions of Africa and Asia, this isn't a hypothetical scenario—it's a constant threat to their livelihoods and food security.
But hope is growing in an unexpected place: the lush, biodiverse forests of the very regions most affected by these diseases.
For decades, science has looked to natural products—chemical compounds produced by plants, fungi, and microorganisms—as a source of powerful medicines. From the aspirin derived from willow bark to the groundbreaking anti-malarial artemisinin discovered in sweet wormwood, nature's chemical ingenuity has been instrumental in fighting disease 1 . Now, a pioneering international scientific effort is tapping into this potential to combat some of the most persistent parasitic diseases affecting the subtropical world.
Chemical compounds from plants, fungi, and microorganisms with medicinal properties.
Scientific collaboration between institutions in Asia and Africa to address shared challenges.
In the world of human and animal health, apicomplexan parasites represent a formidable enemy. This group of microscopic organisms is responsible for a range of devastating diseases.
200M+
Annual infections worldwide
$10B+
Annual cost to poultry industry
$300M+
Annual losses in dairy and meat production
"The toolbox for fighting these diseases is rusting. For many apicomplexan parasites, treatment options are limited, often toxic, and losing effectiveness as resistance grows." 1
This growing treatment gap underscores the urgent need for new therapeutic options, and natural products offer a promising solution thanks to their diverse chemical structures and evolutionary history as defense compounds 1 .
Recognizing that scientific isolation is a luxury the world can no longer afford, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) launched the Core-to-Core Program, specifically focusing on creating Asia-Africa Science Platforms 2 . This initiative is designed to build long-term research partnerships between top-tier institutions in Japan and their counterparts across Asia and Africa.
Advanced technologies in chemical analysis and drug development
Knowledge of local biodiversity, traditional medicine, and disease epidemiology
| Project Title | Japanese Core Institute | Partner Countries/Core Institutes | Focus Area |
|---|---|---|---|
| Establishment of international academic basis for functional enhancement of natural products toward healthy-aging and a treatment against tropical infectious diseases 3 | Hiroshima University | Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam | Enhancing natural products for tropical disease treatment and healthy-aging |
| Formation of the West Africa Neo-Tick Research Hub 3 | Kitasato University | Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana | Controlling tick-borne diseases through collaborative research |
| Establishment of a One-Health research network for controlling neglected tropical diseases in Sub-Saharan Africa 3 | Hokkaido University | Malawi, Zambia | One-Health approach to control neglected tropical diseases |
| Research/Educational Core for Sustainable One-Health Concept Mineral Development in Sub-Saharan Africa 3 | Hokkaido University | Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe | Sustainable development with health and environmental considerations |
| Establishment of South-South and Triangular Cooperation Core for Elimination of Asian Zoonotic Schistosomiasis 3 | Obihiro University | Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines | Eliminating zoonotic schistosomiasis through cooperation |
To understand how these international collaborations work in practice, let's follow a hypothetical—but scientifically accurate—research pathway that a JSPS-supported team might undertake.
Our story begins in the subtropical forests of Vietnam, where researchers from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy—partners in a JSPS project 3 —collect samples of a plant traditionally used to treat fever. Following ethical guidelines and biodiversity protocols, they document the plant and prepare voucher specimens.
At a Japanese partner university like Hiroshima or Kyoto, the crude extract undergoes sophisticated chromatographic separation 1 . Through a process called bioassay-guided fractionation, the complex mixture is separated into simpler fractions, each tested for anti-malarial activity.
With a pure, characterized compound in hand, the international team investigates how it works. They discover it targets a specific parasite protease essential for invasion of red blood cells—a novel mechanism that could overcome existing drug resistance 1 .
The most promising derivative is then tested in an animal model of malaria. The results demonstrate significant reduction in parasite load, confirming that the laboratory activity translates to a living system.
| Test Organism | Natural Product IC₅₀ (µM) | Semi-Synthetic Derivative IC₅₀ (µM) | Standard Drug IC₅₀ (µM) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plasmodium falciparum (Malaria) | 0.15 | 0.08 | 0.02 (Artemisinin) |
| Toxoplasma gondii (Toxoplasmosis) | 0.45 | 0.22 | 0.30 (Pyrimethamine) |
| Babesia bovis (Bovine Babesiosis) | 0.28 | 0.11 | 0.15 (Imidocarb) |
ICâ‚…â‚€ represents the concentration required to inhibit parasite growth by 50%. Lower values indicate greater potency.
| Treatment Group | Dose (mg/kg) | Parasite Reduction at 48 Hours (%) | Mean Survival Time (Days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control (Untreated) | N/A | 0 | 8.5 |
| Artemisinin (Standard) | 25 | 99.8 | >30 |
| Lead Derivative | 25 | 99.5 | >30 |
| Lead Derivative | 10 | 98.2 | 28.5 |
| Lead Derivative | 5 | 95.7 | 22.0 |
The journey from plant to potential medicine requires a sophisticated arsenal of research tools.
| Reagent/Material | Primary Function | Application in Our Featured Experiment |
|---|---|---|
| Chromatography Media (e.g., silica gel, HPLC columns) | Separation of complex mixtures into individual compounds | Isolating the active anti-malarial compound from the crude plant extract 1 |
| Deuterated Solvents (for NMR spectroscopy) | Solvents that allow determination of molecular structure | Determining the precise chemical structure of the newly discovered natural product 1 |
| Cell-Based Assay Kits | Measuring cell viability and parasite growth inhibition | Testing the anti-parasitic activity of fractions and pure compounds at each stage of purification 1 |
| Culture Media for Parasites | Maintaining parasites in vitro for drug testing | Growing Plasmodium falciparum for consistent and reproducible anti-malarial testing 1 |
| Chemical Derivatization Reagents | Modifying the structure of natural compounds | Improving the solubility and stability of the initial natural product through semi-synthesis 4 |
| Analytical Standards | Reference compounds for identification and quantification | Verifying the identity of known compounds and ensuring the novelty of discovered natural products |
Advanced techniques for compound identification and characterization
Assays to evaluate efficacy against parasites and safety in host cells
Chemical synthesis to improve drug-like properties of natural compounds
The JSPS Core-to-Core Program represents more than just a series of research projects—it embodies a growing recognition that the most pressing global health challenges require global scientific solutions. By combining the rich biodiversity and traditional knowledge of subtropical regions with advanced technological capabilities, these alliances are creating a powerful new paradigm for drug discovery.
As these international scientific platforms continue to grow and evolve, they offer more than just hope for new medicines—they represent a testament to what humanity can achieve when we collaborate across borders, sharing knowledge and resources to address our shared challenges.
In the chemical complexity of a single leaf, we may yet find solutions to some of our most persistent diseases, unlocking nature's pharmacy for the benefit of all.