5-ALA does not potentiate dihydroartemisinin against Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites.

In this Correspondence, H. Behrens and colleagues show that the potentiating effect of the small molecule 5-aminolaevulinic acid (5-ALA) on the activity of artemisinin observed in cancer does not translate to malaria parasites. Thus, co-administration of artemisinin and 5-ALA does not seem to be a promising strategy to improve malaria treatment. [Image: see text]