Article
Parasitology
Sajad Rashidi, Reza Mansouri, Mohammad Ali-Hassanzadeh, Antonio Muro, Paul Nguewa, Rail Manzano-Roman
Summary: This study summarizes the most prominent Annexin proteins identified thus far and their relevant functions in parasites and infected host cells during pathogenesis, especially in the most important intracellular protozoan parasitic infections, such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, and toxoplasmosis. The study shows that helminth parasites may express and secrete Annexins to develop pathogenesis, while intracellular protozoan parasites may employ the modulation of host Annexins as a crucial strategy. Additionally, the use of analogs of both parasite and host Annexin peptides might suggest novel therapeutic insights into the treatment of parasitic infections, and Annexins could also be potentially relevant as vaccine and diagnostic biomarkers due to their immunoregulatory activities and expression levels in infected tissues.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Thomas Mouveaux, Dante Rotili, Tom Boissavy, Emmanuel Roger, Christine Pierrot, Antonello Mai, Mathieu Gissot
Summary: This study identified a potent HDAC inhibitor compound, MC1742, which showed activity in inhibiting the growth of Toxoplasma gondii in vitro and preventing the consequences of the acute disease in vivo. The compound induced hyper-acetylation of histones and changed the parasite's gene expression program, leading to parasite death.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Isha Saini, Jyoti Joshi, Sukhbir Kaur
Summary: Co-infection between leishmaniasis and other infectious diseases is common and leads to increased disease severity and mortality. The immunology, diagnosis, and treatment options for co-infections are areas that require further research.
INTERNATIONAL IMMUNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Natalya N. Besednova, Tatyana S. Zaporozhets, Boris G. Andryukov, Sergey P. Kryzhanovsky, Svetlana P. Ermakova, Tatyana A. Kuznetsova, Anastasia N. Voronova, Mikhail Y. Shchelkanov
Summary: This review examines the potential of sulfated polysaccharides from marine hydrobionts as means for preventing and treating protozoa and helminthiasis. The high antiparasitic activity, good solubility, and low toxicity of SPS make them attractive candidates for developing drugs and functional food products with antiparasitic properties.
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jasmita Gill, Amit Sharma
Summary: Halofuginone, derived from a Chinese herb, has shown beneficial effects in treating various diseases such as parasitic diseases, cancer, fibrosis, and autoimmune disorders. Its mechanism of action involves inhibiting the prolyl-tRNA synthetase enzyme for its antiparasitic role.
DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY
(2022)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Orlando Elso, Guadalupe Garcia Linares, Valeria Sulsen
Summary: Infections caused by parasites are a global health issue and pose significant challenges. Current chemotherapy methods for these infections are often ineffective and associated with severe side effects. Drug resistance and varying susceptibility among different strains further complicate the situation. This review focuses on the potential of 1,4-dihydropyridines derivatives as a class of compounds for new drug development, discussing their antiparasitic activities and the development of new derivatives or repurposing of existing drugs for designing effective treatments.
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paulo A. F. Pacheco, Maria M. M. Santos
Summary: Protozoan diseases pose a significant global health problem, particularly for socially and economically vulnerable populations. Due to limited investment in drug discovery, the available therapeutic options are limited. The emergence of drug-resistant parasite strains further emphasizes the need for safe and effective antiparasitic agents. Indole-based compounds have shown promise as drug candidates for treating important parasitic diseases such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, and leishmaniasis, with recent advancements in the design, optimization, and synthesis of synthetic indole scaffolds.
Review
Microbiology
Natalia Tiberti, Silvia Stefania Longoni, Valery Combes, Chiara Piubelli
Summary: Blood and tissue protozoan infections pose a significant burden in tropical and subtropical regions, with potential impacts even in high-income countries due to migration and travel. The lack of proper therapeutic interventions and effective vaccine strategies remains a challenge in controlling these diseases, while the pathophysiological mechanisms behind them are still not fully understood. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have garnered interest for their role in modulating interactions between parasites and hosts, offering potential insights for disease mechanisms and diagnostic markers.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Silvia Stefania Longoni, Natalia Tiberti, Zeno Bisoffi, Chiara Piubelli
Summary: This article discusses the research progress in using mAbs for infectious disease treatment, focusing on the potential strengths and weaknesses of biological treatments in controlling protozoan diseases such as leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, malaria, and toxoplasmosis. Currently, only four mAbs are being used for infectious disease treatment, while protozoan infections remain a neglected area.
FRONTIERS IN MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jose E. Cuellar, Winston Quinones, Sara Robledo, Jesus Gil, Diego Durango
Summary: Leishmaniasis, trypanosomiasis, and malaria are neglected tropical diseases that affect a large number of people in developing countries. In this study, a series of coumaro-chalcones were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-leishmanial, anti-plasmodial, anti-trypanosomal, and cytotoxic activities. The results show that some of these compounds exhibit strong inhibitory effects against the diseases, indicating their potential as therapeutic agents.
Review
Immunology
Ousman Tamgue, Cybelle Fodieu Mezajou, Natacha Njike Ngongang, Charleine Kameni, Jubilate Afuoti Ngum, Ulrich Stephane Fotso Simo, Fabrice Junior Tatang, Mazarin Akami, Annie Ngane Ngono
Summary: Non-coding RNAs play critical roles in the pathogenesis and control of major human tropical diseases as well as neglected tropical diseases. Different ncRNAs are involved at various stages of disease development, with some also being investigated as potential disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nicole S. Britten, Jonathan A. Butler
Summary: Human parasitic infections are challenging diseases for medical intervention, with a high mortality rate and concerns about resistance. Ruthenium metallotherapeutic agents have shown great efficacy in targeting key parasites while having lower cytotoxicity profiles and multiple target sites, reducing the risk of resistance.
CURRENT MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Snehal Rajkumar Jadhav, Banoth Karan Kumar, Renuka Parshuram Joshi, Chougule Kishor Suryakant, Ala Chandu, Mohammed Muzaffar-Ur-Rehman, Yogesh Mahadu Khetmalis, Adinarayana Nandikolla, Sankaranarayan Murugesan, Kondapalli Venkata Gowri Chandra Sekhar
Summary: This article introduces several cases of tropical, vector-borne, and neglected diseases and their current treatments. It also discusses the discovery of chromones and their analogues as a new and effective scaffold for the treatment of these diseases. Furthermore, it explores the prospects of other new therapies and drug molecules.
CURRENT TOPICS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Mrinalini Roy, Aadish Rawat, Sanket Kaushik, Anupam Jyoti, Vijay Kumar Srivastava
Summary: This article reviews the endogenous inhibitors of cysteine proteases in three major pathogenic parasitic protozoa. The inhibitors target proteases involved in host-parasite interactions and are also involved in other functions of the parasites. They show limited sequence homology and are linked to parasite biology and evolution.
MICROBIOLOGICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Leonardo L. G. Ferreira, Josue de Moraes, Adriano D. Andricopulo
Summary: Neglected tropical diseases, such as leishmaniasis and schistosomiasis, continue to be a public health challenge in developing countries. However, advancements in drug discovery using modern strategies have shown promise in addressing these diseases by combining medicinal chemistry and parasite biology.
DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hong You, Johannes U. Mayer, Rebecca L. Johnston, Haran Sivakumaran, Shiwanthi Ranasinghe, Vanessa Rivera, Olga Kondrashova, Lambros T. Koufariotis, Xiaofeng Du, Patrick Driguez, Juliet D. French, Nicola Waddell, Mary G. Duke, Wannaporn Ittiprasert, Victoria H. Mann, Paul J. Brindley, Malcolm K. Jones, Donald P. McManus
Summary: CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing has shown great potential for genetic modification of helminth parasites, as demonstrated by successful gene knock-in in Schistosoma mansoni eggs. This study confirmed the utility of CRISPR/Cas9 for functional genomics in schistosomes through combining CRISPR/Cas9 with single-stranded oligodeoxynucleotides (ssODNs).
Article
Infectious Diseases
Deepani D. Fernando, Simone L. Reynolds, Gunter Hartel, Bernard Cribier, Nicolas Ortonne, Malcolm K. Jones, Katja Fischer
Summary: The study discovers a unique family of mite proteins, SMIPP-Cs, released by scabies mites, which promote the formation of superficial microthrombi in scabies-infected skin. These proteins may play essential roles in the parasitic lifestyle of scabies mites. Further research is needed to evaluate their potential as a diagnostic or therapeutic target.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2021)
Review
Parasitology
R. Alan Wilson, Malcolm K. Jones
Summary: The review traces the development of knowledge about the tegument of schistosomes from early cytological advances to modern proteomic analyses. While insights have been gained into the nature of proteins in the tegument and how schistosomes interact with hosts, many aspects of tegument function remain unanswered. Current controversies surrounding the tegument's role in extracellular vesicle production and glycolytic enzyme coverage are evaluated in light of cytological and proteomic knowledge.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Geoffrey N. Gobert, Donald P. McManus, Geoff McMullan, Christopher J. Creevey, Jack Carson, Malcolm K. Jones, Sujeevi S. K. Nawaratna, Kosala G. Weerakoon, Hong You
Summary: This study used FISH and microbial profiling techniques to demonstrate for the first time the presence of bacteria on the epithelial surfaces of adult schistosomes, which differ from the host blood and bile. These schistosome surface-associated bacteria are considered an important component of the host-parasite interaction.
Article
Parasitology
Ming Jang Chua, Jiahui Tng, Eva Hesping, Gillian M. Fisher, Christopher D. Goodman, Tina Skinner-Adams, Darren Do, Andrew J. Lucke, Robert C. Reid, David P. Fairlie, Katherine T. Andrews
Summary: Research has shown that the anticancer drug HDAC inhibitor AR-42 and its 36 analogues have in vitro activity against Plasmodium parasites, with some compounds showing low cytotoxicity to human cells and high selectivity for the parasites. AR-42 induces hyperacetylation of Plasmodium histone H4 by inhibiting PfHDAC(s), effectively blocking parasite growth inside red blood cells and demonstrating curative properties in oral treatment of experimental mouse malaria.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-DRUGS AND DRUG RESISTANCE
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Eva Hesping, Ming Jang Chua, Marc Pflieger, Yunan Qian, Lilong Dong, Prabhakar Bachu, Ligong Liu, Thomas Kurz, Gillian M. Fisher, Tina S. Skinner-Adams, Robert C. Reid, David P. Fairlie, Katherine T. Andrews, Alain-Dominique J. P. Gorse
Summary: Malaria, a deadly disease caused by Plasmodium parasites, claims a large number of lives every year. Due to the increasing resistance of the parasites to current antimalarials, there is a need for new drugs. Researchers have developed quantitative structure-activity relationship models to predict the antiplasmodial activity of hydroxamate-based HDAC inhibitors and identified three compounds with strong activity against the parasites.
ACS INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Editorial Material
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Franck Katembo Sikakulya, Michel Kalongo Ilumbulumbu, Sonia Fatuma Djuma, Gabriel Kambale Bunduki, Amos Kaghoma Sivulyamwenge, Malcolm K. Jones
Article
Parasitology
Dayana Barker, Samuel Kelava, Renfu Shao, Owen D. Seeman, Malcolm K. Jones, Ryo Nakao, Stephen C. Barker, Dmitry A. Apanaskevich
Summary: This study describes for the first time the female, nymph, larva, and mitochondrial genome of Ixodes barkeri, as well as provides a detailed re-description of the male. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that both I. barkeri and another recently described tick, I. woyliei, are best placed in the subgenus Endopalpiger.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Jessica G. Borger, Ashraful Haque
IMMUNOLOGY AND CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Cameron G. Williams, Hyun Jae Lee, Takahiro Asatsuma, Roser Vento-Tormo, Ashraful Haque
Summary: Single-cell transcriptomics (scRNA-seq) has become essential in biomedical research, especially in the fields of developmental biology, cancer, immunology, and neuroscience. However, most available protocols require intact and viable cells, limiting the scope of study and destroying spatial context. This review introduces different methods of spatial transcriptomics and discusses their features, such as tissue area, spatial resolution, and gene profiling capabilities. It also provides guidance on platform selection, data analysis, and integration with existing scRNA-seq data, aiming to help researchers utilize spatial transcriptomics in their own biomedical research.
Article
Immunology
Xiaofeng Du, Donald P. McManus, Conor E. Fogarty, Malcolm K. Jones, Hong You
Summary: Stem cells in Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic worm, are maintained by the fibroblast growth factor receptor A (SmFGFRA), which is abundantly distributed in germinal/stem cells as well as in various life stages of the worm. SmFGFRA is involved in the development of the nervous and reproductive system of the worm and plays a role in the interaction between the parasite and the host. It can bind to human fibroblast growth factors and activate the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway. Inhibiting FGF signaling reduces egg hatching ability and affects the behavior of the hatched larvae. The findings provide insights into the complex life cycle of the worm and suggest that components of the FGF signaling pathway could be potential targets for developing interventions against schistosomiasis.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dayana Barker, Samuel Kelava, Owen D. Seeman, Renfu Shao, James R. Seaniger, Malcolm K. Jones, Maria A. Apanaskevich, Ryo Nakao, Dmitry A. Apanaskevich, Stephen C. Barker
Summary: In this study, we report the rediscovery of Ixodes confusus in Australia and provide a redescribed characterization of its male and female. We also describe the mitochondrial genome of I. confusus and present a phylogenetic analysis of the subgenera of the Ixodes. Additionally, we find a close relationship between Ixodes anatis and marsupial ticks in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE
(2022)
Review
Microbiology
Hong You, Malcolm K. Jones, Catherine A. Gordon, Alexa E. Arganda, Pengfei Cai, Harry Al-Wassiti, Colin W. Pouton, Donald P. McManus
Summary: Despite long-term efforts, developing effective vaccines against parasitic infections has been challenging due to the complexity of parasite life cycles and their interactions with hosts. Traditional vaccine platforms have proven unsuitable for many parasitic diseases. A new wave of research using mRNA vaccines is anticipated to advance the prevention of parasitic infections.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Sophia Hawas, Dimitrios Vagenas, Ashraful Haque, Makrina Totsika
Summary: This study directly observed host adaptive immune responses in bacterial urinary tract infections (UTIs), and found that UTIs triggered increases in myeloid cells in the bladder and developed B cell immune responses in lymph nodes, which could potentially serve to control the infection.
INFECTION AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Xiaofeng Du, Donald P. McManus, Juliet D. French, Natasha Collinson, Haran Sivakumaran, Skye R. MacGregor, Conor E. Fogarty, Malcolm K. Jones, Hong You
Summary: In this study, CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) was successfully applied to the parasitic helminth Schistosoma mansoni for loss-of-function studies. The repression of the SmfgfrA gene resulted in significant phenotypic differences in the parasites, including decreased levels of SmfgfrA transcription and protein expression, reduced staining of schistosome stem cells, and an increase in cell apoptosis. Furthermore, the repression effect of CRISPRi on SmfgfrA transcription was durable and it played a crucial role in regulating the host immune response during schistosome infection. This research demonstrates the feasibility of using CRISPRi for targeted transcriptional repression in schistosomes and provides a foundation for future gene expression perturbation studies on a genome-wide scale in parasitic helminths.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
