Review
Microbiology
Carola Schafer, Gigliola Zanghi, Ashley M. Vaughan, Stefan H. I. Kappe
Summary: Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread human malaria parasite, can form latent liver stages known as hypnozoites which can activate weeks, months, or even years after the primary infection, causing relapses of blood stage infection. Eliminating hypnozoites is a major obstacle for malaria treatment and eradication as they are undetectable and unaffected by most antimalarial drugs.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF MICROBIOLOGY, VOL 75, 2021
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Rajeev K. Mehlotra, Andrea Gaedigk, Rosalind E. Howes, Tovonahary A. Rakotomanga, Arsene C. Ratsimbasoa, Peter A. Zimmerman
Summary: The study found genetic variation in CYP2D6 in the population of Madagascar, where some individuals are predicted to be intermediate metabolizers, which is associated with therapeutic failure of PQ. The results also provide insights into the unique Asian-African admixed origin of Malagasy populations.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Amelie Vantaux, Julie Peneau, Caitlin A. Cooper, Dennis E. Kyle, Benoit Witkowski, Steven P. Maher
Summary: Plasmodium vivax, a parasite causing human malaria, forms dormant liver stage known as hypnozoite, which can be activated weeks, months, or years after the initial infection, resulting in relapse episodes. Relapses contribute significantly to the burden of vivax malaria. However, the molecular processes underlying hypnozoite formation, persistence, and activation, as well as the factors determining relapse periodicity, remain largely unknown.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Immunology
Annemarie Voorberg-van der Wel, Clemens H. M. Kocken, Anne-Marie Zeeman
Summary: Recent studies on liver stage malaria parasite-host interactions have shed light on the intricate cross-talk between the parasite and its mammalian host, particularly focusing on the interactions between hypnozoites and hepatocytes. Understanding these interactions may help identify factors that could awaken dormant parasite reservoirs, potentially leading to the total eradication of malaria.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jasmine M. Olvany, Scott M. Williams, Peter A. Zimmerman
Summary: Clinical trials and treatment outcomes have shown that genetic variation in the human cytochrome P450 gene, CYP2D6, is associated with effective primaquine treatment for malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax and P. ovale. Coordinated efforts between malaria and pharmacogenomics research communities are needed to optimize safe and effective PQ treatment for global malaria elimination.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Cedar L. Mitchell, Nicholas F. Brazeau, Corinna Keeler, Melchior Kashamuka Mwandagalirwa, Antoinette K. Tshefu, Jonathan J. Juliano, Steven R. Meshnick
Summary: The study found that Plasmodium ovale infections are widely distributed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with major risk factors including gender, co-infection with P. falciparum, and rural residence. Both P. ovale curtisi and P. ovale wallikeri were found circulating throughout the country.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Anthony A. Ruberto, Steven P. Maher, Amelie Vantaux, Chester J. Joyner, Caitlin Bourke, Balu Balan, Aaron Jex, Ivo Mueller, Benoit Witkowski, Dennis E. Kyle
Summary: By sequencing over 1,000 P. vivax-infected hepatocytes at single-cell resolution, we have revealed the transcriptome-wide signatures of the parasite and the infected host cell. Key differences in transcripts encoding RNA-binding proteins associated with cell fate were identified between replicating schizonts and hypnozoites at the transcriptional level. In infected hepatocytes, genes associated with energy metabolism and antioxidant stress response were upregulated, while those involved in the host immune response were downregulated. The transcriptional markers in schizonts, hypnozoites, and infected hepatocytes identified in this study can provide insights into potential factors underlying dormancy and inform therapeutic targets against P. vivax liver-stage infection.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Ayaz Shaukat, Qasim Ali, Lucy Raud, Abdul Wahab, Taj Ali Khan, Imran Rashid, Muhammad Rashid, Mubashir Hussain, Mushtaq A. Saleem, Neil D. Sargison, Umer Chaudhry
Summary: Pyrimethamine, introduced in the 1980s as a malaria treatment, has become a common drug for malaria control. Recent research using deep amplicon sequencing technology revealed the evolutionary origins of pyrimethamine resistance in Plasmodium vivax. Different mutations, such as 58R and 173L, have shown both common and multiple origins, providing insights for mitigation strategies.
Review
Immunology
Isobel S. Walker, Stephen J. Rogerson
Summary: This article reviews the latest developments in the immunogenicity and pathogenesis of malaria, with a focus on the leading malaria killer, Plasmodium falciparum. Pathogenic factors include parasite-derived toxins and variant surface antigens that cause sequestration in the deep vasculature. The host response to these toxins and antigens plays a crucial role in determining disease severity.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Laurent Dembele, Ousmaila Diakite, Fanta Sogore, Soriya Kedir, Fatalmoudou Tandina, Mohamed Maiga, Andargie Abate, Lemu Golassa, Abdoulaye A. Djimde
Summary: One of the main obstacles to malaria elimination is the ability of Plasmodium vivax to form resilient hypnozoites in the host liver, causing relapsing infections. Recent studies have found P. vivax in Duffy-negative individuals in Africa, where it was previously thought to be absent. However, research on African P. vivax is limited due to the focus on falciparum malaria and lack of laboratory infrastructure. Therefore, establishing a transmission model and evaluating drug susceptibility in African P. vivax is crucial for further research and drug discovery.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Suelen Queiroz Diniz, Maria Marta Figueiredo, Pedro Augusto Carvalho Costa, Olindo Assis Martins-Filho, Andrea Teixeira-Carvalho, Dhelio Batista Pereira, Mauro Shugiro Tada, Luis Carlos Crocco Afonso, Markus Kohlhoff, Carlos Leomar Zani, Ricardo Tostes Gazzinelli, Fabiano Oliveira, Lis Ribeiro Antonelli
Summary: This study reveals that monocytes in patients with malaria produce high levels of inflammatory cytokines and also have a regulatory role through specific receptors, suggesting a dual role of monocytes in malaria.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Tobias Mourier, Denise Anete Madureira de Alvarenga, Abhinav Kaushik, Anielle de Pina-Costa, Olga Douvropoulou, Qingtian Guan, Francisco J. Guzman-Vega, Sarah Forrester, Filipe Vieira Santos de Abreu, Cesare Bianco Junior, Julio Cesar de Souza Junior, Silvia Bahadian Moreira, Zelinda Maria Braga Hirano, Alcides Pissinatti, Maria de Fatima Ferreira-da-Cruz, Ricardo Lourenco de Oliveira, Stefan T. Arold, Daniel C. Jeffares, Patricia Brasil, Cristiana Ferreira Alves de Brito, Richard Culleton, Claudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro, Arnab Pain
Summary: Plasmodium simium, a malaria parasite of non-human primates, likely originated in South America from Plasmodium vivax and has recently acquired the ability to infect humans. Genetic analysis suggests that specific gene deletions in P. simium, especially in the Duffy-binding protein 1 (DBP1), may play a role in its ability to invade human red blood cells, leading to recent zoonotic infections.
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jack Adderley, Christian Doerig
Summary: This study fills gaps in the kinomes of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, highlighting their similarities and differences for target selection. It also identifies kinases that are not suitable targets for drug discovery due to their high similarity with human counterparts.
Editorial Material
Infectious Diseases
Fang Huang, Li Zhang, Zhi-Gui Xia
Summary: This article highlights China's practices and experience in targeting vivax malaria control and elimination, including radical cure strategies, comprehensive but adaptive strategies, mass drug administration, and case-/focus-centered surveillance and response systems. After nearly 70 years of effort, China was certified as a malaria-free country in June 2021.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES OF POVERTY
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Cindy S. Chu, Marie Stolbrink, Daniel Stolady, Makoto Saito, Candy Beau, Kan Choun, Tha Gay Wah, Ne Mu, Klay Htoo, Be Nu, Arunrot Keereevijit, Jacher Wiladpaingern, Verena Carrara, Aung Pyae Phyo, Khin Maung Lwin, Christine Luxemburger, Stephane Proux, Prakaykaew Charunwatthana, Rose McGready, Nicholas J. White, Francois Nosten
Summary: This study reviewed all malaria cases managed by the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit along the Thailand-Myanmar border between 2000 and 2016. The results showed that Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria had higher incidence and mortality rates in this area compared to areas of low seasonal malaria transmission.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)