Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Christopher M. Woodley, Patricia S. M. Amado, Maria L. S. Cristiano, Paul M. O'Neill
Summary: Recent research has highlighted the need for fully synthetic endoperoxide-based antimalarials due to the rise of resistance to artemisinin in Southeast Asia and the synthetic limitations of the artemisinin scaffold. Various synthetic endoperoxide antimalarials utilizing different endoperoxide warheads have been explored, with two classes - 1,2,4-trioxolanes and 1,2,4,5-tetraoxanes - showing promise and still actively being developed.
MEDICINAL RESEARCH REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Navaporn Posayapisit, Jutharat Pengon, Philip J. Shaw, Chairat Uthaipibull, Darin Kongkasuriyachai, Aung Pyae Phyo, Francois Nosten, Yongyuth Yuthavong, Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan
Summary: The effectiveness of antimalarial drug P218 against artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum is still uncertain, despite its efficacy against other drug-resistant parasites.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biology
Colin Sutherland, Didier Menard
Summary: A tool that analyzes the genome of parasites in the blood of malaria patients can assist policymakers in making informed decisions on how to address the increase in drug-resistant infections.
Article
Microbiology
Amuza Byaruhanga Lucky, Chengqi Wang, Ahmad Rushdi Shakri, Mohammad Kalamuddin, Anongruk Chim-Ong, Xiaolian Li, Jun Miao
Summary: This study demonstrates the critical role of PfGCN5 gene in stress responses of Plasmodium falciparum, indicating its potential as a target for malaria intervention.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Harvie P. Portugaliza, H. Magloire Natama, Pieter Guetens, Eduard Rovira-Vallbona, Athanase M. Some, Aida Millogo, D. Florence Ouedraogo, Innocent Valea, Hermann Sorgho, Halidou Tinto, Nguyen Van Hong, Antonio Sitoe, Rosauro Varo, Quique Bassat, Alfred Cortes, Anna Rosanas-Urgell
Summary: The study found that in most infections from African cohorts, increased expression of pfap2-g and other sexual ring biomarkers was observed after treatment. The estimated parasite age at the time of treatment was negatively correlated with the increase in pfap2-g transcript levels, suggesting that younger parasites are less susceptible to stimulation of sexual conversion.
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Neelima Shrivastava, Shah A. Khan, Saif Ahmad, Khalid Al-Balushi, Asif Husain
Summary: This review summarized the recent advances in the development of chemotherapeutic agents for malaria, focusing on the structure-activity relationship of potential antimalarial agents. The authors suggest that the multi-target conjugated hybrid approach is the best strategy for discovering and developing effective antimalarial agents.
MINI-REVIEWS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Lucien Platon, David A. Baker, Didier Menard
Summary: The ring-stage survival assay is the reference assay to measure in vitro Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin partial resistance. The main challenge of the standard protocol is to generate 0-to-3-h postinvasion ring stages (the stage least susceptible to artemisinin) from schizonts obtained by sorbitol treatment and Percoll gradient.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Ana Beatriz Batista Rodrigues, Rebecca de Abreu-Fernandes, Zoraima Neto, Domingos Jandondo, Natalia Ketrin Almeida-de-Oliveira, Aline Rosa de Lavigne Mello, Joana Morais, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro, Didier Menard, Maria de Fatima Ferreira-da-Cruz
Summary: Artemisinin is recommended as the first-line drug for P. falciparum infections, but resistance is a concern. A study in Angola found little polymorphism in the Pfkelch13 gene, but the limited sample size may not be representative of all endemic areas.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Mukul Rawat, Abhishek Kanyal, Deepak Choubey, Bhagyashree Deshmukh, Rashim Malhotra, D. Mamatharani, Anjani Gopal Rao, Krishanpal Karmodiya
Summary: This study investigates the genetic and transcriptomic features of artemisinin-resistant parasites. The research identifies mutations in genes such as Kelch13 as molecular markers of resistance. The study also explores the deregulation of key biological pathways in resistant parasites. These findings provide important insights for further research on artemisinin resistance.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Melissa D. Conrad, Victor Asua, Shreeya Garg, David Giesbrecht, Karamoko Niare, Sawyer Smith, Jane F. Namuganga, Thomas Katairo, Jennifer Legac, Rebecca M. Crudale, Patrick K. Tumwebaze, Samuel L. Nsobya, Roland A. Cooper, Moses R. Kamya, Grant Dorsey, Jeffrey A. Bailey, Philip J. Rosenthal
Summary: This study identified multifocal emergence and spread of Plasmodium falciparum with partial resistance to artemisinins in Uganda. The emergence and spread of resistance were predominantly observed in areas where effective malaria control had been discontinued or transmission was unstable.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Xinyi Wang, Yiwei Xie, Ning Jiang, Jingyi Wang, Hongrui Liang, Dingyuan Liu, Na Yang, Xiaoyu Sang, Ying Feng, Ran Chen, Qijun Chen
Summary: This study developed a targeted drug delivery system for malaria treatment by preparing ferrite nanoparticles with ferromagnetic properties and loading them with artemisinin and heparin. The nanoparticles effectively targeted parasite-infected erythrocytes and interfered with the release of merozoites, enhancing the inhibitory efficacy of the antimalarial drug. Furthermore, the heparin-coated nanoparticles showed stronger blocking capability against malaria compared to free heparin due to multivalent interactions with surface receptors on merozoites.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2021)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jui A. Shah
Summary: This commentary reviews the success factors for Thailand to achieve zero malaria, focusing on effective surveillance, and discusses other measures needed to reach the goal on time.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brendan Fries, Carlos A. Guerra, Guillermo A. Garcia, Sean L. Wu, Jordan M. Smith, Jeremias Nzamio Mba Oyono, Olivier T. Donfack, Jose Osa Osa Nfumu, Simon Hay, David L. Smith, Andrew J. Dolgert
Summary: Different population layers performed differently in matching the gold standard distribution at different population densities. Choosing the appropriate population map has a significant impact on burden estimates in a malaria model.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Wenn-Chyau Lee, Bruce Russell, Bernett Lee, Cindy S. Chu, Aung Pyae Phyo, Kanlaya Sriprawat, Yee-Ling Lau, Francois Nosten, Laurent Renia
Summary: Brief exposure to artesunate (AS) stimulates rosetting, with AS-resistant isolates forming more rosettes rapidly for protection. Deletions in genes associated with AS-mediated rosetting are significantly selected in the parasite population, along with the K13 mutations as a marker of ART resistance.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Benjamin R. Taft, Fumiaki Yokokawa, Tom Kirrane, Anne-Catherine Mata, Richard Huang, Nicole Blaquiere, Grace Waldron, Bin Zou, Oliver Simon, Subramanyam Vankadara, Wai Ling Chan, Mei Ding, Sandra Sim, Judith Straimer, Armand Guiguemde, Suresh B. Lakshminarayana, Jay Prakash Jain, Christophe Bodenreider, Christopher Thompson, Christian Lanshoeft, Wei Shu, Eric Fang, Jafri Qumber, Katherine Chan, Luying Pei, Yen-Liang Chen, Hanna Schulz, Jessie Lim, Siti Nurdiana Abas, Xiaoman Ang, Yugang Liu, Inigo Angulo-Barturen, Maria Belen Jimenez-Diaz, Francisco Javier Gamo, Benigno Crespo-Fernandez, Philip J. Rosenthal, Roland A. Cooper, Patrick Tumwebaze, Anna Caroline Campos Aguiar, Brice Campo, Simon Campbell, Jurgen Wagner, Thierry T. Diagana, Christopher Sarko
Summary: A highly potent antimalarial compound, INE963 (1), with favorable pharmacological properties, has been identified through high-throughput screening and shows potential for curing uncomplicated malaria.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jabar Babatunde Pacome Achimi Agbo Abdul, Bayode Romeo Adegbite, Micheska Epola Dibamba Ndanga, Jean Ronald Edoa, Rhett Chester Mevyann, Guy Rogue Arnault Ibinda Mfoumbi, Tshisekedi Jean de Dieu, Jocelyn Mahoumbou, Christopher Mebiame Biyogho, Sankarganesh Jeyaraj, Stefan Niemann, Bertrand Lell, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Abraham Sunday Alabi, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Martin Peter Grobusch
Summary: The increasing incidence of MDR-TB infection in Gabon is alarming, especially among individuals aged 25-35. There is a need for improvement in case finding and contact tracing strategies for treatment-naive MDR-TB patients.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Oriol Mitja, Gilmar Reis, David R. Boulware, Adam M. Spivak, Ammar Sarwar, Christine Johnston, Brandon Webb, Michael D. Hill, Davey Smith, Peter Kremsner, Marla Curran, David Carter, Jim Alexander, Marc Corbacho, Todd C. Lee, Katherine Huppler Hullsiek, Emily G. McDonald, Rachel Hess, Michael Hughes, Jared M. Baeten, Ilan Schwartz, Luanne Metz, Lawrence Richer, Kara W. Chew, Eric Daar, David Wohl, Michael Dunne
Summary: This study conducted a pooled analysis of individual participant data from 11 randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in outpatients with mild COVID-19. The results suggest that HCQ does not show significant effects on viral clearance and hospitalization rate, and therefore, the use of HCQ in mild COVID-19 outpatients should be discontinued to reduce the risk of disease progression.
CTS-CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Nirianne Marie Q. Palacpac, Alfred B. Tiono, Benjamin Mordmuller, Takafumi Tsuboi
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Merel J. Smit, Adam F. Sander, Maud B. P. A. Ariaans, Cyrielle Fougeroux, Constanze Heinzel, Rolf Fendel, Meral Esen, Peter G. Kremsner, Rob ter Heine, Heiman F. Wertheim, Manja Idorn, Alexander P. Underwood, Alekxander Binderup, Santseharay Ramirez, Jens Bukh, Max Soegaard, Sayit M. Erdogan, Tobias Gustavsson, Stine Clemmensen, Thor G. Theander, Lancet Microbe, Ali Salanti, Mette Hamborg, Willem A. de Jongh, Matthew B. B. McCall, Morten A. Nielsen, Benjamin G. Mordmuller
Summary: A clinical trial was conducted in the Netherlands to test a cVLP-based COVID-19 vaccine. The results showed that the vaccine exhibited high immunogenicity at antigen levels of 25-70 mu g and had high virus neutralization activity against major SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Opeyemi Ernest Oludada, Giulia Costa, Clare Burn Aschner, Anna S. Obraztsova, Katherine Prieto, Caterina Canetta, Stephen L. Hoffman, Peter G. Kremsner, Benjamin Mordmueller, Rajagopal Murugan, Jean-Philippe Julien, Elena A. Levashina, Hedda Wardemann
Summary: The central repeat and junction domain of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP) were studied to guide malaria vaccine design using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). The study describes the molecular characteristics and protective potential of 73 germline and mutated human mAbs against the highly immunogenic PfCSP C-terminal domain.
EMBO MOLECULAR MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Virology
Gedeon Prince Manouana, Paul Alvyn Nguema-Moure, Alexandru Tomazatos, Moustapha Nzamba Maloum, C. -Thomas Bock, Peter G. G. Kremsner, Thirumalaisamy P. P. Velavan, Akim Ayola Adegnika, Sandra Niendorf
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the rapid rotavirus test compared to the one-step RT-qPCR method. The results showed that the rapid test had high sensitivity and was suitable for detecting rotavirus A in patients with gastroenteritis, especially in low-income countries.
Article
Immunology
Miriam Rodi, Caspar Gross, Thaisa Lucas Sandri, Lilith Berner, Marina Marcet-Houben, Ersoy Kocak, Michaela Pogoda, Nicolas Casadei, Carsten Koehler, Andrea Kreidenweiss, Selidji Todagbe Agnandji, Toni Gabaldon, Stephan Ossowski, Jana Held
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between Mansonella perstans and a potential new species called Mansonella sp DEUX in Gabon. By screening individuals in the area and generating whole genome data, it was found that Mansonella sp DEUX is a new Mansonella species. The availability of whole genome data will facilitate further research on these species.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Letter
Pediatrics
Constanze Heinzel, Yudi T. Pinilla, Ayla Binder, Peter G. Kremsner, Jana Held, Rolf Fendel, Andrea Kreidenweiss
Article
Microbiology
Tina Krueger, Moses Ikegbunam, Abel Lissom, Thaisa Lucas Sandri, Jacques Dollon Mbama Ntabi, Jean Claude Djontu, Marcel Tapsou Baina, Romeo Aime Laclong Lontchi, Moustapha Maloum, Givina Zang Ella, Romuald Agonhossou, Romaric Akoton, Luc Djogbenou, Steffen Borrmann, Jana Held, Francine Ntoumi, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Andrea Kreidenweiss
Summary: The frequency of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deleted strains in Central and West Africa was assessed and found to be low, indicating a low risk of false-negative results in HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests. However, continuous monitoring is crucial due to the potential for rapid changes in this scenario to ensure the suitability of RDTs for malaria diagnostics.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Selidji Agnandji, Mario Recker, Benjamin Mordmueller, Stephan Gloeckner, Akim A. Adegnika, Bertrand Lell, Lucas Otieno, Walter Otieno, Seth Owusu-Agyei, Kwaku P. Asante, Tsiri Agbenyega, Daniel Ansong, Eusebio Macete, Pedro Aide, Hermann Sorgho, Halidou Tinto, Neema Mturi, John P. A. Lusingu, Samwel Gesase, Irving Hoffman, Nahya Salim Masoud, Charles R. Newton, Kalifa Bojang, Gerard Krause, Peter Gottfried Kremsner
Summary: Malaria remains a major cause of hospitalization in children in sub-Saharan Africa. Rapid risk stratification upon admission is crucial for optimal medical care and improved prognosis. While coma, deep breathing, and to some extent severe anemia are established predictors of malaria-related death, the significance of assessing prostration for risk stratification is not yet certain.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Dorothea Ekoka Mbassi, Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, Jana Held, Dearie Glory Okwu, Wilfrid Ndzebe-Ndoumba, Laura Charlotte Kalkman, Franck Aurelien Ekoka Mbassi, Lais Pessanha de Carvalho, Juliana Inoue, Malik Azeez Akinosho, Lia Betty Dimessa Mbadinga, Emmanuel Koffi Yovo, Benjamin Mordmueller, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Michael Ramharter, Rella Zoleko-Manego
Summary: This study assessed the tolerability and efficacy of ivermectin in Gabonese adults with P. falciparum infections. The results showed that ivermectin reduced the asexual parasites similarly to placebo, indicating its potential as a treatment for asymptomatic P. falciparum infections.
Letter
Pediatrics
Constanze Heinzel, Yudi T. Pinilla, Ayla Binder, Peter G. Kremsner, Jana Held, Rolf Fendel, Andrea Kreidenweiss
Summary: This cross-sectional study examines IgG antibody levels in children and adolescents in Germany after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hamada S. Badr, Josh M. Colston, Nhat-Lan H. Nguyen, Yen Ting Chen, Eleanor Burnett, Syed Asad Ali, Ajit Rayamajhi, Syed M. Satter, Nguyen Van Trang, Daniel Eibach, Ralf Krumkamp, Juergen May, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Gedeon Prince Manouana, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Roma Chilengi, Luiza Hatyoka, Amanda K. Debes, Jerome Ateudjieu, Abu S. G. Faruque, M. Jahangir Hossain, Suman Kanungo, Karen L. Kotloff, Inacio Mandomando, M. Imran Nisar, Richard Omore, Samba O. Sow, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Nathalie Lambrecht, Bright Adu, Nicola Page, James A. Platts-Mills, Cesar Mavacala Freitas, Tuula Pelkonen, Per Ashorn, Kenneth Maleta, Tahmeed Ahmed, Pascal Bessong, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Carl Mason, Estomih Mduma, Maribel P. Olortegui, Pablo Penataro Yori, Aldo A. M. Lima, Gagandeep Kang, Jean Humphrey, Robert Ntozini, Andrew J. Prendergast, Kazuhisa Okada, Warawan Wongboot, Nina Langeland, Sabrina J. Moyo, James Gaensbauer, Mario Melgar, Matthew Freeman, Anna N. Chard, Vonethalom Thongpaseuth, Eric Houpt, Benjamin F. Zaitchik, Margaret N. Kosek
Summary: This study aimed to model the spatiotemporal variation in paediatric Shigella infection and predict its prevalence across low-income and middle-income countries. The findings revealed the association between Shigella and climatological factors, with sub-Saharan Africa being a high-risk region for transmission. These findings can guide prioritization of populations for future vaccine trials and campaigns.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Review
Infectious Diseases
Allison M. Hitchcock, Wesley D. Kufel, Keri A. Mastro Dwyer, Eric F. Sidman
Summary: Lenacapavir is a novel HIV-1 treatment option for patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR) HIV-1 infection. It has a favorable pharmacokinetic profile and has shown good tolerability and efficacy in clinical trials.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2024)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Roberta Gagliardini, Alessandro Tavelli, Stefano Rusconi, Sergio Lo Caputo, Vincenzo Spagnuolo, Maria Mercedes Santoro, Andrea Costantini, Alessandra Vergori, Franco Maggiolo, Andrea Giacomelli, Giulia Burastero, Giordano Madeddu, Eugenia Quiros Roldan, Antonella d'Arminio Monforte, Andrea Antinori, Alessandro Cozzi-Lepri
Summary: This study evaluated multiple treatment failures to modern antiretroviral therapy in HIV-infected individuals and found that approximately 4% of them were difficult to treat. The difficult to treat group, compared to the non-difficult to treat group, was characterized by older age, higher prevalence of AIDS, lower CD4+ cell count, and higher risk of treatment failure.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS
(2024)
