Malaria Hemozoin: A Target for Point-of-Care Diagnosis

Abstract

The challenges in malaria diagnosis continue to threaten the malaria elimination goal in India and other malaria-endemic countries. A rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kit is widely used in resource-constrained areas where microscopy and molecular methods are not easily deployable. Considering the problems associated with the currently available RDT kit, such as histidine-rich protein 2 gene deletion and prolonged stability of the protein in the blood, it suggests that new potential biomarkers are urgently needed. Hemozoin (Hz) is an important biomarker for malaria diagnosis, which is the by-product of a detoxification mechanism in the malaria parasite. This article highlights the importance of “Hz” for point-of-care malaria diagnosis when India and other countries are moving toward the goal of malaria elimination.