BCR-ABL drugs suppress P falciparum growth in RBCs. (A) Schematic of the 2-cycle P falciparum blood stage growth inhibition assay. (B) Upper panel, 2-fold dose-response curve ranging from 0.1 to 8 μM, followed by a media wash at 55 hours. Parasitemia was measured using SYBR staining with flow cytometry, which was performed at 72 hours. The half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC₅₀) of the drugs are indicated. Lower panel, P falciparum asexual intraerythrocytic growth assay. At the ring stage (∼12 h after invasion), media only treatment or treatment with 4 μM KIs or DMSO (vehicle) was applied. The parasites were grown for 2 consecutive growth cycles and the percentage parasitemia was determined using SYBR staining with flow cytometry every 12 hours after infection. The data are presented as means ± SD (n = 3). (C) Representative bright field images of Giemsa-stained blood smears for parasite maturation during drug assay. The percentage of the representative parasite stage is shown at the bottom left corner of each Giemsa-stained image for the respective time point and treatment condition. Scale bar = 5 μm. RBCs, red blood cells.