Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jyoti Kumari, Vikash Kumar, Ankita Behl, Raj Kumar Sah, Geeta Kumari, Swati Garg, Aashima Gupta, S. Nazar Mohomed Mohaideen, Sadat Shafi, Soumya Pati, Kirandeep Samby, Jeremy Burrows, Narla Mohandas, Shailja Singh
Summary: The study shows that erythritol, a sugar substitute, has potential as a therapeutic intervention against drug-resistant malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Erythritol effectively inhibits parasite growth and development, as well as invasion and egress processes. It also demonstrates inhibitory effects on liver stage and transmission stage parasites. In addition, erythritol has a cytokine-modulating effect and affects ammonia release across the parasite. The findings suggest that erythritol could be a promising lead compound for anti-malarial drugs and can be combined with existing drugs without losing efficacy.
BIOCHEMICAL PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Immunology
Jonathan S. Schultz, Kimberly E. Mace, Kathrine R. Tan
Summary: The increase in international travel during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery period is expected to lead to an increase in imported malaria cases in the US. Prevention, timely diagnosis, and appropriate treatment are crucial in minimizing imported malaria morbidity and mortality. Intravenous artesunate (IVAS) is now available for severe malaria treatment in the US. Hospitals and pharmacists should have a malaria treatment plan that includes stocking artemether-lumefantrine for uncomplicated malaria and ensuring access to IVAS for severe cases.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Sophie G. Zaloumis, Jason M. Whyte, Joel Tarning, Sanjeev Krishna, James M. McCaw, Pengxing Cao, Michael T. White, Saber Dini, Freya J. Fowkes, Richard J. Maude, Peter Kremsner, Arjen Dondorp, Ric N. Price, Nicholas J. White, Julie A. Simpson
Summary: The efficacy of intravenous artesunate treatment for severe falciparum malaria depends on the sensitivity of the patient to artemisinin. Standard and simplified dosing regimens of intravenous artesunate show slight differences in parasite clearance rates within a short time frame, with potential reduced efficacy in certain cases.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Ilaria D'Agostino, Susi Zara, Simone Carradori, Viviana De Luca, Clemente Capasso, Clemens H. M. Kocken, Anne-Marie Zeeman, Andrea Angeli, Fabrizio Carta, Claudiu T. Supuran
Summary: The hybrid compounds synthesized in this study, which combine the Artesunate core with a sulfonamide moiety, showed high inhibition potency against the protozoan PfCA, while exhibiting low cytotoxic effects on human cells, indicating a wide therapeutic window.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Hossein Torkashvand, S. Ahmad Dehdast, Mehdi Nateghpour, Afsaneh Motevalli Haghi, Ghazaleh Chizari Fard, Taher Elmi, Mohammad Shabani, Fatemeh Tabatabaie
Summary: Malaria infects millions of people annually and drug resistance is a major obstacle to its elimination. Quantum dot-based nanocomposites were developed to increase the antimalarial effect of drugs. The release of drugs was controlled through crosslinking with graphene quantum dot and loading onto it. The prepared nanodrugs showed suitable efficacy against cultured Plasmodium falciparum.
DIAMOND AND RELATED MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ketsanee Srinamon, James A. Watson, Kamolrat Silamut, Benjamas Intharabut, Nguyen Hoan Phu, Pham Thi Diep, Kirsten E. Lyke, Caterina Fanello, Lorenz von Seidlein, Kesinee Chotivanich, Arjen M. Dondorp, Nicholas P. J. Day, Nicholas J. White
Summary: Malaria diagnosis by microscopy is crucial for clinical management, providing rapid and valuable diagnostic and prognostic information. In this meta-analysis, the authors examined the diagnostic and prognostic value of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and monocytes containing malaria pigment in peripheral blood film counts of severe malaria patients. They found that the proportion of pigment-containing polymorphonuclear leukocytes can predict in-hospital mortality, especially in African children, aiding in differentiating severe malaria from other life-threatening febrile illnesses.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(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)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Lais Pessanha de Carvalho, Andrea Kreidenweiss, Jana Held
Summary: This review highlights the use of rectal artesunate suppositories for pre-referral treatment of severe malaria in remote endemic areas. It discusses the discovery, formulations, and clinical studies of artesunate, emphasizing the importance of correct usage to avoid risks of abuse.
EXPERT OPINION ON DRUG DISCOVERY
(2021)
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
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Federica Agagliati, Erika Silvestro, Marco Denina, Silvia Garazzino, Federica Mignone, Marisa Zoppo, Giulia Pruccoli, Carlo Scolfaro
Summary: Malaria is not endemic in Italy, but about 600-700 imported cases are detected every year in people born or living in Italy who return from their country of origin. Children, accounting for 20% of this population, are more at risk of severe malaria. Lack of awareness of the importance of prophylaxis due to socio-economic problems and deficiencies in the doctor-patient relationship make the VFR category at increased risk. This study aims to analyze the characteristics of pediatric imported malaria, focusing on prevention and risk factors for severe malaria.
TRAVEL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Rachel Weitzman, Ortal Calfon-Peretz, Trishna Saha, Naamah Bloch, Karin Ben Zaken, Avi Rosenfeld, Moshe Amitay, Abraham O. Samson
Summary: Malaria is a prevalent parasitic disease that kills between one and two million people, mostly children, every year. Most antimalarial drugs exhibit cyclic resistance patterns, supporting the use of combination therapy with multiple antimalarial drugs.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Theresa Reiker, Monica Golumbeanu, Andrew Shattock, Lydia Burgert, Thomas A. Smith, Sarah Filippi, Ewan Cameron, Melissa A. Penny
Summary: Individual-based models are essential in the global fight against infectious diseases, but the complexity of the models can pose challenges for calibration. The authors propose using a Bayesian optimization framework to calibrate a complex malaria transmission simulator, resulting in improved fitting outcomes compared to previous calibrations.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Makoto Saito, Rose McGready, Halidou Tinto, Toussaint Rouamba, Dominic Mosha, Stephen Rulisa, Simon Kariuki, Meghna Desai, Christine Manyando, Eric M. Njunju, Esperanca Sevene, Anifa Vala, Orvalho Augusto, Christine Clerk, Edwin Were, Sigilbert Mrema, William Kisinza, Josaphat Byamugisha, Mike Kagawa, Jan Singlovic, Mackensie Yore, Anna Maria van Eijk, Ushma Mehta, Andy Stergachis, Jenny Hill, Kasia Stepniewska, Melba Gomes, PhilippeJ Guerin, Francois Nosten, Feiko O. ter Kuile, Stephanie Dellicour
Summary: This study compared adverse pregnancy outcomes in the first trimester of pregnancy after artemisinin-based treatment (ABT) versus non-ABTs. The results showed no evidence of embryotoxicity or teratogenicity associated with ABT during the first trimester. Artemether-lumefantrine was found to be the preferred treatment for uncomplicated P falciparum malaria in the first trimester, with fewer adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to quinine.
Article
Cell Biology
James A. Watson, Sophie Uyoga, Perpetual Wanjiku, Johnstone Makale, Gideon M. Nyutu, Neema Mturi, Elizabeth C. George, Charles J. Woodrow, Nicholas P. J. Day, Philip Bejon, Robert O. Opoka, Arjen M. Dondorp, Chandy C. John, Kathryn Maitland, Thomas N. Williams, Nicholas J. White
Summary: Severe malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum is difficult to accurately diagnose in children in high-transmission settings. A combination of platelet count and plasma PfHRP2 concentration can be used to identify severe falciparum malaria in severely ill patients. About one-third of children enrolled in clinical studies of severe malaria in high-transmission settings in Africa had other causes of their severe illness.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jan Stephan Wichers-Misterek, Annika M. Binder, Paolo Mesen-Ramirez, Lilian Patrick Dorner, Soraya Safavi, Gwendolin Fuchs, Tobias L. Lenz, Anna Bachmann, Danny Wilson, Friedrich Frischknecht, Tim-Wolf Gilberger
Summary: The unique three-membrane pellicle is a key feature driving the transition between different life cycle stages of the malaria parasite. A novel subpellicular microtubule-associated protein, SPM3, was identified in the genus Plasmodium. Knockout of this protein resulted in malformed gametocytes and aberrant microtubules in Plasmodium falciparum, while in Plasmodium berghei, it caused perturbed microtubule architecture, aberrant sporozoite motility, and decreased transmission efficiency.