Article
Immunology
Kathrin Witmer, Farah Aida Dahalan, Tom Metcalf, Arthur M. Talman, Virginia M. Howick, Mara K. N. Lawniczak
Summary: The study using single-cell RNA-seq revealed transcriptional variation in malaria parasite ookinetes in mosquito midguts, showing that while most transcriptional changes are development-driven, there are still candidate genes responding to environmental cues or showing clonal variation in the population. This highlights the importance of single-cell and low-input technologies in understanding clonal variation of parasite populations.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Parasitology
Domonbabele F. D. S. Hien, Prisca S. L. Pare, Amanda Cooper, Benjamin K. Koama, Edwige Guissou, Koudraogo B. Yameogo, Rakiswende S. Yerbanga, Iain W. Farrell, Jean B. Ouedraogo, Olivier Gnankine, Rickard Ignell, Anna Cohuet, Roch K. Dabire, Philip C. Stevenson, Thierry Lefevre
Summary: The study shows that certain plant compounds in nectar can affect the lifespan of mosquitoes and the infection rate of parasites, but the effects of ricinine at different concentrations vary between the two species of mosquitoes.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2021)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Carolina Barillas-Mury, Jose M. C. Ribeiro, Jesus G. Valenzuela
Summary: This article reviews recent progress in the understanding of pathogen transmission from human to vector and from vector to host, and highlights new strategies for controlling vector-borne diseases.
Article
Microbiology
Gunjan Arora, Andaleeb Sajid, Yu-Min Chuang, Yuemei Dong, Akash Gupta, Kristen Gambardella, Kathleen DePonte, Lionel Almeras, George Dimopolous, Erol Fikrig
Summary: Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by Plasmodium sporozoites, and mosquito saliva proteins can influence pathogen transmission and early infection. Anopheles gambiae Sporozoite-Associated Protein (AgSAP) interacts directly with Plasmodium sporozoites, inhibits inflammatory responses, and plays a role in early infection modulation. Individuals in endemic malaria regions generate antibodies against AgSAP, suggesting its potential as a biomarker for disease prevalence and epidemiological analysis.
Article
Plant Sciences
Gervais Mouthe Happi, Pamela Kemda Nangmo, Liliane Clotide Dzouemo, Sorelle Fotsing Kache, Ariane Dolly Kenmogne Kouam, Jean Duplex Wansi
Summary: Meliaceae plants are important herbal sources for treating malaria in traditional African medicine. Studies have found significant antiplasmodial and insecticidal activities in this plant family, suggesting their potential as eco-friendly pesticides.
JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rebeca Carballar-Lejarazu, Yuemei Dong, Thai Binh Pham, Taylor Tushar, Rodrigo M. Corder, Agastya Mondal, Hector M. Sanchez, Hsu-Feng Lee, John M. Marshall, George Dimopoulos, Anthony A. James
Summary: Proposed genetic approaches for reducing human malaria through population modification have shown the potential of Cas9/gRNA-based gene-drive systems linked to dual antiparasite effector genes to rapidly spread through mosquito populations. These gene-drive systems achieved full introduction within 3 to 6 months and significantly reduced parasite prevalence and infection intensities. The data supported transmission modeling of field releases, showing meaningful epidemiological impacts in reducing malaria incidence.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Biology
Abdirahman Abdi, Fiona Achcar, Lauriane Sollelis, Joao Luiz Silva-Filho, Kioko Mwikali, Michelle Muthui, Shaban Mwangi, Hannah W. Kimingi, Benedict Orindi, Cheryl Andisi Kivisi, Manon Alkema, Amrita Chandrasekar, Peter C. Bull, Philip Bejon, Katarzyna Modrzynska, Teun Bousema, Matthias Marti
Summary: The malaria parasite life cycle involves asexual replication in human blood and differentiation into gametocytes for transmission to mosquitoes. Host factors influence the commitment to differentiate into gametocytes, but the exact mechanism is still unclear. In this study, we analyzed data from 828 children in Kenya over 18 years to understand the relationship between host immunity, parasite growth, and transmission investment. We found that reduced plasma lysophosphatidylcholine levels, which are associated with inflammatory responses, are correlated with increased transmission investment and reduced asexual replication.
Article
Biology
Wei Huang, Joel Vega-Rodriguez, Chritopher Kizito, Sung-Jae Cha, Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
Summary: This study provides an in-depth assessment of transgenesis and paratransgenesis for combating malaria. The combination of these two approaches significantly reduces Plasmodium development and effectively inhibits transmission in mice.
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Edwin G. Tse, Laksh Aithani, Mark Anderson, Jonathan Cardoso-Silva, Giovanni Cincilla, Gareth J. Conduit, Mykola Galushka, Davy Guan, Irene Hallyburton, Benedict W. J. Irwin, Kiaran Kirk, Adele M. Lehane, Julia C. R. Lindblom, Raymond Lui, Slade Matthews, James McCulloch, Alice Motion, Ho Leung Ng, Mario Oeren, Murray N. Robertson, Vito Spadavecchio, Vasileios A. Tatsis, Willem P. van Hoorn, Alexander D. Wade, Thomas M. Whitehead, Paul Willis, Matthew H. Todd
Summary: The research aims to develop compounds to kill the malaria parasite by targeting PfATP4. They organized a public competition, and the best models were used to predict and synthesize novel inhibitors with biological activity.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Joseph D. Challenger, Daniela Olivera Mesa, Dari F. Da, R. Serge Yerbanga, Thierry Lefevre, Anna Cohuet, Thomas S. Churcher
Summary: Transmission-blocking vaccines for malaria are being tested and their field efficacy is predicted to be higher than in laboratory conditions. Targeting school-aged children is recommended as it can have a significant impact in reducing malaria cases. Utilizing such vaccines alongside existing interventions could have substantial benefits in malaria control.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
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)
Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Lekkala Ravindar, Siti Aishah Hasbullah, K. P. Rakesh, Nurul Izzaty Hassan
Summary: Malaria is a deadly parasitic infection ranked as the fifth most lethal worldwide. Antimalarial medications are crucial for preventing and eradicating malaria. The 4-aminoquinoline moiety has diverse biological applications and has been favored in antimalarial drug discovery. This review focuses on its efficacy when hybridized with various heterocyclic scaffolds, aiding the development of more effective antimalarial agents.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Emily R. Ebel, Frans A. Kuypers, Carrie Lin, Dmitri A. Petrov, Elizabeth S. Egan
Summary: The study on 121 healthy donors of African ancestry found that various genes and phenotypes related to red blood cell variation were closely associated with the adaptability of Plasmodium falciparum within red blood cells, indicating globally widespread variations play a role in modulating parasite fitness.
Article
Immunology
Chiamaka V. Ukegbu, George K. Christophides, Dina Vlachou
Summary: Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a major cause of global morbidity and mortality, primarily in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite stable numbers of new cases and deaths in recent years, efforts for disease elimination are ongoing but new approaches are needed. Researchers have identified three new genes - PIMMS01, PIMMS57, and PIMMS22 - that play important roles in the formation of ookinetes and could serve as new targets for intervention strategies to block malaria transmission.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Entomology
Naminata Tondossama, Chiara Virgillito, Zanakoungo Ibrahima Coulibaly, Verena Pichler, Ibrahima Dia, Alessandra della Torre, Andre Offianan Toure, Akre Maurice Adja, Beniamino Caputo, Rui-De Xue
Summary: Despite high usage of insecticide-treated bed nets, malaria transmission rates remain high in two studied villages, possibly due to mosquito and human behaviors.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Noelie Bere Henry, Samuel Sindie Serme, Giulia Siciliano, Salif Sombie, Amidou Diarra, N'fale Sagnon, Alfred S. Traore, Sodiomon Bienvenu Sirima, Issiaka Soulama, Pietro Alano
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valeria Messina, Stefano Loizzo, Sara Travaglione, Lucia Bertuccini, Maria Condello, Fabiana Superti, Marco Guidotti, Pietro Alano, Francesco Silvestrini, Carla Fiorentini
Article
Biology
Guillaume Bouyer, Daniela Barbieri, Florian Dupuy, Anthony Marteau, Abdoulaye Sissoko, Marie-Esther N'Dri, Gaelle Neveu, Laurianne Bedault, Nabiha Khodabux, Diana Roman, Sandrine Houze, Giulia Siciliano, Pietro Alano, Rafael M. Martins, Jose-Juan Lopez-Rubio, Jerome Clain, Romain Duval, Stephane Egee, Catherine Lavazec
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Marco Giacometti, Francesca Milesi, Pietro Lorenzo Coppadoro, Alberto Rizzo, Federico Fagiani, Christian Rinaldi, Matteo Cantoni, Daniela Petti, Edoardo Albisetti, Marco Sampietro, Mariagrazia Ciardo, Giulia Siciliano, Pietro Alano, Brigitte Lemen, Joel Bombe, Marie Therese Nwaha Toukam, Paul Fernand Tina, Maria Rita Gismondo, Mario Corbellino, Romualdo Grande, Gianfranco Beniamino Fiore, Giorgio Ferrari, Spinello Antinori, Riccardo Bertacco
Summary: Malaria, caused by a protozoan parasite, remains a significant global health issue. Current diagnostic methods have limitations, leading to the development of a new diagnostic tool, TMek, which shows promising potential for accurate and rapid malaria diagnosis.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amal A. H. Gadalla, Giulia Siciliano, Ryan Farid, Pietro Alano, Lisa Ranford-Cartwright, James S. McCarthy, Joanne Thompson, Hamza Babiker
Summary: Quantitative qRT-PCR assays have shown the high transmission capacity of Plasmodium falciparum by detecting and quantifying late gametocyte stages. Specific qRT-PCR assays targeting early-stage gametocytes have been developed and tested in natural and controlled human infections, showing sensitivity and specificity for circulating sexually committed ring stages/early gametocytes, which can enhance our understanding of epidemiological processes modulating P. falciparum transmission.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Giulia Siciliano, Veronica Di Paolo, Dante Rotili, Rossella Migale, Francesca Pedini, Marialuisa Casella, Serena Camerini, Daniele Dalzoppo, Rob Henderson, Tonnie Huijs, Koen J. Dechering, Antonello Mai, Anna Maria Caccuri, Marco Lalle, Luigi Quintieri, Pietro Alano
Summary: This work investigates the activity of NBDHEX and its carboxylic acid metabolite on the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. NBDHEX shows strong activity against all blood stages of the parasite, with a higher potency against the gametocytes. Covalent modifications of gametocyte proteins are found to be associated with the antiparasitic effect of NBDHEX. Both NBDHEX and its metabolite have limited cytotoxicity in vitro, making them potential starting points for the development of new drugs to block malaria transmission.
Article
Biology
Giacomo Paonessa, Giulia Siciliano, Rita Graziani, Cristiana Lalli, Ottavia Cecchetti, Cristina Alli, Roberto La Valle, Alessia Petrocchi, Alessio Sferrazza, Monica Bisbocci, Mario Falchi, Carlo Toniatti, Alberto Bresciani, Pietro Alano
Summary: High-throughput screening and validation assays have identified potential antimalarial drugs that can kill both sexual and asexual blood stages of Plasmodium falciparum, thus blocking parasite transmission through mosquitoes.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Samantha Donsante, Giulia Siciliano, Mariagrazia Ciardo, Biagio Palmisano, Valeria Messina, Valeria de Turris, Giorgia Farinacci, Marta Serafini, Francesco Silvestrini, Alessandro Corsi, Mara Riminucci, Pietro Alano
Summary: Recent evidence suggests that the bone marrow (BM) plays a key role in the diffusion of P. falciparum malaria by providing a niche for the maturation of the parasite gametocytes, responsible for human-to-mosquito transmission. Suitable humanized in vivo models to study the mechanisms of the interplay between the parasite and the human BM components are still missing. We report a novel experimental system based on the infusion of immature P. falciparum gametocytes into immunocompromised mice carrying chimeric ectopic ossicles whose stromal and bone compartments derive from human osteoprogenitor cells. Our model represents a powerful tool to study BM function and the interplay essential for parasite transmission in P. falciparum malaria and can be extended to study other infections in which the human BM plays a role.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Manu Vanaerschot, James M. Murithi, Charisse Flerida A. Pasaje, Sonja Ghidelli-Disse, Louis Dwomoh, Megan Bird, Natasha Spottiswoode, Nimisha Mittal, Lauren B. Arendse, Edward S. Owen, Kathryn J. Wicht, Giulia Siciliano, Markus Boesche, Tomas Yeo, T. R. Santha Kumar, Sachel Mok, Emma F. Carpenter, Marla J. Giddins, Olalla Sanz, Sabine Ottilie, Pietro Alano, Kelly Chibale, Manuel Llinas, Anne-Catrin Uhlemann, Michael Delves, Andrew B. Tobin, Christian Doerig, Elizabeth A. Winzeler, Marcus C. S. Lee, Jacquin C. Niles, David A. Fidock
CELL CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Meeting Abstract
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Matthias Marti, Pietro Alano
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2019)
