ABSTRACT:
The human malaria-
Aotus
monkey model has served the malaria research community since its inception in 1966 at the Gorgas Memorial Laboratory (GML) in Panama. Spanning over five decades, this model has been instrumental in evaluating the
in vivo
efficacy and pharmacokinetics of a wide array of candidate antimalarial drugs, whether used singly or in combination. The animal model could be infected with drug-resistant and susceptible
Plasmodium falciparum
and
Plasmodium vivax
strains that follow a characteristic and reproducible course of infection, remarkably like human untreated and treated infections. Over the years, the model has enabled the evaluation of several synthetic and semisynthetic endoperoxides, for instance, artelinic acid, artesunate, artemether, arteether, and artemisone. These compounds have been evaluated alone and in combination with long-acting partner drugs, commonly referred to as artemisinin-based combination therapies, which are recommended as first-line treatment against uncomplicated malaria. Further, the model has also supported the evaluation of the primaquine analog tafenoquine against blood stages of
P. vivax
, contributing to its progression to clinical trials and eventual approval. Besides, the
P. falciparum
/
Aotus
model at GML has also played a pivotal role in exploring the biology, immunology, and pathogenesis of malaria and in the characterization of drug-resistant
P. falciparum
and
P. vivax
strains. This minireview offers a historical overview of the most significant contributions made by the Panamanian owl monkey (
Aotus lemurinus lemurinus
) to malaria chemotherapy research.