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
Immunology
Henglin Yang, Jingyan Wang, Hui Liu, Yan Zhao, Seetha Lakshmi, Xingliang Li, Renhua Nie, Chunfu Li, Hengye Wang, Yaming Cao, Lynette Menezes, Liwang Cui
Summary: The study showed that monthly prophylaxis with NQAZ tablets was well tolerated and highly effective in preventing Plasmodium infections, particularly in protecting against P. vivax.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Helenita C. Quadros, Aysun Capci, Lars Herrmann, Sarah D'Alessandro, Diana Fontinha, Raquel Azevedo, Wilmer Villarreal, Nicoletta Basilico, Miguel Prudencio, Svetlana B. Tsogoeva, Diogo R. M. Moreira
Summary: The artemisinin-quinoline hybrid compound 163A shows potent activity against the asexual blood stage of Plasmodium, with low cytotoxicity and high selectivity for mammalian cells. It suppresses hepatic infection and decreases gametocyte viability, potentially blocking malaria transmission. The bitopic ligand property of the hybrid enhances inhibition of beta-hematin and is essential for arresting the growth of asexual blood parasites.
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
Infectious Diseases
Hussein Mohammed, Heven Sime, Henok Hailgiorgis, Melkie Chernet, Mihreteab Alebachew, Hiwot Solomon, Gudissa Assefa, Mebrahtom Haile, Samuel Girma, Worku Bekele, Geremew Tasew, Bokretsion Gidey, Robert J. Commons, Ashenafi Assefa
Summary: This study confirms the efficacy and safety of pyronaridine-artesunate for the treatment of uncomplicated P. vivax malaria in Northwest Ethiopia. The three-day treatment regimen achieved a 95.9% ACPR on day 42, with no serious adverse events reported.
Article
Microbiology
Simone Dowd, Nanhua Chen, Michelle L. Gatton, Michael D. Edstein, Qin Cheng
Summary: Plasmodium vivax infections and relapses continue to pose a significant health problem. The study investigated the role of CYP2D6 in the efficacy of tafenoquine in preventing relapses. The results showed that CYP2D6 activity did not affect plasma tafenoquine concentrations or the efficacy in preventing P. vivax relapses in the assessed Australian Defence Force personnel.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kassoum Kayentao, Aissata Ongoiba, Anne C. Preston, Sara A. Healy, Safiatou Doumbo, Didier Doumtabe, Abdrahamane Traore, Hamadi Traore, Adama Djiguiba, Shanping Li, Mary E. Peterson, Shinyi Telscher, Azza H. Idris, Neville K. Kisalu, Kevin Carlton, Leonid Serebryannyy, Sandeep Narpala, Adrian B. McDermott, Martin Gaudinski, Siriman Traore, Hamidou Cisse, Mamadou Keita, Jeff Skinner, Zonghui Hu, Amatigue Zeguime, Adama Ouattara, M'Bouye Doucoure, Amagana Dolo, Abdoulaye Djimde, Boubacar Traore, Robert A. Seder, Peter D. Crompton
Summary: A phase 2 trial in Mali showed that CIS43LS was protective against P. falciparum infection over a 6-month malaria season, with 40 mg dosage showing 88.2% efficacy and 10 mg dosage showing 75.0% efficacy compared to placebo.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Kassoum Kayentao, Aissata Ongoiba, Anne C. Preston, Sara A. Healy, Safiatou Doumbo, Didier Doumtabe, Abdrahamane Traore, Hamadi Traore, Adama Ouattara, Shanping Li, Mary E. Peterson, Shinyi Telscher, Azza H. Idris, Neville K. Kisalu, Kevin Carlton, Leonid Serebryannyy, Sandeep Narpala, Adrian B. McDermott, Martin Gaudinski, Siriman Traore, Hamidou Cisse, Mamadou Keita, Jeff Skinner, Zonghui Hu, Amatigue Zeguime, Adama Ouattara, M'Bouye Doucoure, Amagana Dolo, Abdoulaye Djimde, Boubacar Traore, Robert A. Seder, Peter D. Crompton
Summary: A phase 2 trial conducted in Mali showed that a single intravenous infusion of CIS43LS was safe and effective in preventing Plasmodium falciparum infection over a 6-month malaria season.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Review
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jiayun Chen, Peng Gao, Wei Xiao, Guangqing Cheng, Sanjeev Krishna, Jianyou Wang, Yin Kwan Wong, Chen Wang, Liwei Gu, Dong Hua Yang, Jigang Wang
Summary: In this study, we investigated the stage-specific mechanisms of partial resistance to artemisinin in Plasmodium falciparum carrying the Kelch13 C580Y mutation. Our findings revealed the activation and expression patterns of artemisinin targets varied at different stages and periods of parasite development, with the late trophozoite stage harboring the largest number of targets. We also identified 36 overlapping targets and demonstrated the artemisinin-insensitivity of fatty acid-associated activities in the resistant strain.
DRUG RESISTANCE UPDATES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kiran Raj Awasthi, Jonine Jancey, Archie C. A. Clements, Justine Leavy
Summary: This qualitative study explored the knowledge, attitudes, and behavior towards malaria prevention and treatment among residents of rural villages in Khatyad Rural Municipality, Nepal. The majority of participants had knowledge about the causes and complications of malaria, and were aware of the availability of free anti-malarial medicines at public health facilities. Limited supply of medications and diagnostics at public health facilities led some patients to seek care at private hospitals. Factors such as treatment costs, distance to health facilities, and decision-making authority within households influenced health-related decisions.
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
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)
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
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martha A. Clark, Usheer Kanjee, Gabriel W. Rangel, Laura Chery, Anjali Mascarenhas, Edwin Gomes, Pradipsinh K. Rathod, Carlo Brugnara, Marcelo U. Ferreira, Manoj T. Duraisingh
Summary: During Plasmodium intra-erythrocytic development, parasites compromise the structural integrity of host red-blood cells. Researchers found that P. vivax infection destabilizes host reticulocytes, which are less stable than normocytes infected with P. falciparum.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
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.