Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zita Sulyok, Rolf Fendel, Bianca Eder, Freia-Raphaella Lorenz, K. C. Natasha, Matthias Karnahl, Albert Lalremruata, The T. Nguyen, Jana Held, Folashade Almeine Cyntiche Adjadi, Torsten Klockenbring, Judith Flugge, Tamirat Gebru Woldearegai, Carlos Lamsfus Calle, Javier Ibanez, Miriam Rodi, Diane Egger-Adam, Andrea Kreidenweiss, Carsten Kohler, Meral Esen, Mihaly Sulyok, Anita Manoj, Thomas L. Richie, B. Kim Lee Sim, Stephen L. Hoffman, Benjamin Mordmuller, Peter G. Kremsner
Summary: The study reports the results of a trial on a simplified PfSPZ-CVac immunization regimen, demonstrating its high efficacy, safety, good tolerability, and high immunogenicity in malaria-naive participants.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Luz Garcia-Longoria, Dag Ahren, Arnaud Berthomieu, Victor Kalbskopf, Ana Rivero, Olof Hellgren
Summary: This study presents the first transcriptomic analysis of the immune response of the mosquito Culex quinquefasciatus to Plasmodium relictum infection. The results reveal the important roles of Toll and Imd pathways during the critical period of parasite development. Unexpected differences in immune RNA expression patterns were also observed in infected mosquitoes compared to uninfected mosquitoes. The study expands our understanding of immune pathways and the selective pressures exerted by Plasmodium parasites on their vectors.
Article
Immunology
Sungano Mharakurwa, Zvifadzo Matsena-Zingoni, Nobert Mudare, Charmaine Matimba, Tanatswa Xuxa Gara, Aramu Makuwaza, Gladys Maponga, Shungu Munyati, Lovemore Gwanzura, Susan L. Mutambu, Peter Mason, Tamaki Kobayashi, Nicholas Midzi, William J. Moss, Matthew M. Ippolito
Summary: The removal of chloroquine from national malaria formularies can lead to a decrease in chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum, highlighting the significant impact of drug policy on antimalarial resistance in malaria control programs.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Fostino R. B. Bokosi, Richard M. Beteck, Mziyanda Mbaba, Thanduxolo E. Mtshare, Dustin Laming, Heinrich C. Hoppe, Setshaba D. Khanye
Summary: Several classes of antimalarial drugs are available, but issues of toxicity and drug resistant malaria parasites have reduced their efficiency. Quinoline based antiplasmodial drugs have a long-established history and continue to inspire the design of new antimalarial agents. Among a series of synthesized mono- and bisquinoline methanamine derivatives, compounds 40 and 59 showed the most promising in vitro antiplasmodial activity.
BIOORGANIC & MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Biology
Joshua Blight, A. Katarzyna Sala, Erwan Atcheson, Holger Kramer, Aadil El-Turabi, Eliana Real, A. Farah Dahalan, Paulo Bettencourt, Emma Dickinson-Craig, Eduardo Alves, M. Ahmed Salman, J. Chris Janse, M. Frances Ashcroft, V. S. Adrian Hill, Arturo Reyes-Sandoval, M. Andrew Blagborough, Jake Baum
Summary: Researchers have developed a multi-step method that quickly produces pure, infective sporozoite inoculum by batch processing whole mosquitoes, slurry, and density-gradient filtration combined with free-flow electrophoresis. Sporozoites produced using this method are two to three times more infective in vitro hepatocyte infection assays compared to those obtained through manual salivary gland dissection.
LIFE SCIENCE ALLIANCE
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Sumana Chakravarty, Melanie J. Shears, Eric R. James, Urvashi Rai, K. C. Natasha, Solomon Conteh, Lynn E. Lambert, Patrick E. Duffy, Sean C. Murphy, Stephen L. Hoffman
Summary: This study demonstrates the successful infection of purified, vialed, cryopreserved P. knowlesi sporozoites in nonhuman primates, providing a basis for investigating the protective immunological mechanisms elicited by PfSPZ vaccines in humans.
Article
Microbiology
James S. McCarthy, Azrin N. Abd-Rahman, Katharine A. Collins, Louise Marquart, Paul Griffin, Anne Kummel, Aline Fuchs, Cornelis Winnips, Vishal Mishra, Katalin Csermak-Renner, J. Prakash Jain, Preetam Gandhi
Summary: The new antimalarial compound cipargamin showed antimalarial activity in healthy volunteers infected with blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum, although some subjects experienced serious liver function changes during treatment. Further evaluation of the compound's hepatic safety profile is needed despite the promising antimalarial activity observed.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sean C. Murphy, Gregory A. Deye, B. Kim Lee Sim, Shirley Galbiati, Jessie K. Kennedy, Kristen W. Cohen, Sumana Chakravarty, K. C. Natasha, Yonas Abebe, Eric R. James, James G. Kublin, Stephen L. Hoffman, Thomas L. Richie, Lisa A. Jackson
Summary: The study evaluated different dosing schedules of PfSPZ-CVac vaccine and found that a higher dose given with a shorter interval achieved better vaccine efficacy, while administering the vaccine during blood-stage parasitemia resulted in almost no efficacy. This suggests that blood-stage infections may impair the protective responses to malaria.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Gregory M. Martin, Jonathan L. Torres, Tossapol Pholcharee, David Oyen, Yevel Flores-Garcia, Grace Gibson, Re'em Moskovitz, Nathan Beutler, Diana D. D. Jung, Jeffrey Copps, Wen-Hsin Lee, Gonzalo Gonzalez-Paez, Daniel Emerling, Randall S. MacGill, Emily Locke, C. Richter King, Fidel Zavala, Ian A. Wilson, Andrew B. Ward
Summary: In this study, the authors used cryo-EM to determine the structures of potent human antibodies and demonstrated their protective effects in vivo. They focused on antibodies targeting the circumsporozoite protein of Plasmodium falciparum, an important antigen for developing malaria vaccines. Through structural and functional analyses, they revealed the diverse structures of the antibody-PfCSP complexes and highlighted the key role of mutated homotypic contacts in high avidity binding and protection against malaria infection.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Agnes Mwakingwe-Omari, Sara A. Healy, Jacquelyn Lane, David M. Cook, Sahand Kalhori, Charles Wyatt, Aarti Kolluri, Omely Marte-Salcedo, Alemush Imeru, Martha Nason, Lei K. Ding, Hope Decederfelt, Junhui Duan, Jillian Neal, Jacob Raiten, Grace Lee, Jen C. C. Hume, Jihyun E. Jeon, Ijeoma Ikpeama, K. C. Natasha, Sumana Chakravarty, Tooba Murshedkar, L. W. Preston Church, Anita Manoj, Anusha Gunasekera, Charles Anderson, Sean C. Murphy, Sandra March, Sangeeta N. Bhatia, Eric R. James, Peter F. Billingsley, B. Kim Lee Sim, Thomas L. Richie, Irfan Zaidi, Stephen L. Hoffman, Patrick E. Duffy
Summary: Increased vaccine efficacy against malaria can be achieved through higher vaccine dosage and specific chemoprophylaxis vaccination regimens, providing protection against both homologous and heterologous parasite strains. This enhanced protection is associated with V delta 2 gamma delta T cell and antibody responses.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tales V. Pascini, Yeong Je Jeong, Wei Huang, Zarna R. Pala, Juliana M. Sa, Michael B. Wells, Christopher Kizito, Brendan Sweeney, Thiago L. Alves e Silva, Deborah J. Andrew, Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena, Joel Vega-Rodriguez
Summary: Researchers have successfully controlled the transmission of malaria by generating transgenic mosquitoes that secrete a protein inhibitor to block plasminogen activation. This approach reduces the intensity of the parasite in mosquitoes and mammals, thereby inhibiting malaria infection and transmission.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Alfred B. Tiono, Nirianne Marie Q. Palacpac, Edith Christiane Bougouma, Issa Nebie, Alphonse Ouedraogo, Sophie Houard, Nobuko Arisue, Flavia D'Alessio, Toshihiro Horii, Sodiomon B. Sirima
Summary: The study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of the BK-SE36 malaria vaccine in two cohorts of children. The results showed that uninfected individuals had higher antibody levels compared to infected individuals after vaccination.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Felicia Watson, Melanie Shears, Jokichi Matsubara, Anya Kalata, Annette Seilie, Irene Cruz Talavera, Tayla Olsen, Moriya Tsuji, Sumana Chakravarty, B. Kim Lee Sim, Stephen Hoffman, Sean Murphy
Summary: In this study, it was found that cryopreserved RAS could be used as an alternative to freshly dissected RAS for prime-and-trap vaccination in BALB/cj mice, inducing a similar level of immune response and protection against Plasmodium yoelii sporozoite challenge. Additionally, the use of glycolipid adjuvant 7DW8-5 allowed for a reduction in the dose of cryo-RAS while still achieving high rates of sterile protection, which may facilitate the advancement of this vaccine strategy to nonhuman primates and humans.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Edith Christiane Bougouma, Nirianne Marie Q. Palacpac, Alfred B. Tiono, Issa Nebie, Alphonse Ouedraogo, Sophie Houard, Masanori Yagi, Sam Aboubacar Coulibaly, Amidou Diarra, Takahiro Tougan, Amidou Z. Ouedraogo, Issiaka Soulama, Nobuko Arisue, Jean Baptiste Yaro, Flavia D'Alessio, Odile Leroy, Simon Cousens, Toshihiro Horii, Sodiomon B. Sirima
Summary: The blood-stage vaccine candidate BK-SE36 showed good safety and immunogenicity in young children, with higher immune response observed in the younger cohort.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Javier Ibanez, Rolf Fendel, Freia-Raphaella Lorenz, Patricia Granados-Bayon, Sina Brueckner, Meral Esen, Mihaly Sulyok, Zita Sulyok, Steffen Borrmann, Petra Bacher, Alexander Scheffold, Stephen L. Hoffman, Peter G. Kremsner, Benjamin Mordmueller
Summary: This study tested two accelerated three-dose schedules for malaria vaccination and found that the 10-day regimen had better outcomes in inducing specific T cell and antibody responses. The shorter vaccination interval may lead to a longer exposure to liver-stage parasites, which contributes to a stronger immune response.
Article
Immunology
Manon Alkema, Isaie J. Reuling, Gerdie M. de Jong, Kjerstin Lanke, Luc E. Coffeng, Geert-Jan van Gemert, Marga van de Vegte-Bolmer, Quirijn de Mast, Reinout van Crevel, Karen Ivinson, Christian F. Ockenhouse, James S. McCarthy, Robert Sauerwein, Katharine A. Collins, Teun Bousema
Summary: The study found that the method of infection through mosquito bites or induced blood-stage malaria has a significant impact on gametocyte production, despite similar asexual parasite densities. The findings suggest that induced blood-stage malaria may be more conducive to gametocyte production compared to mosquito bites.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Infectious Diseases
B. Kabore, A. Post, P. Lompo, J. D. Bognini, S. Diallo, B. T. D. Kam, J. Rahamat-Langendoen, H. F. L. Wertheim, F. van Opzeeland, J. D. Langereis, M. de Jonge, H. Tinto, J. Jacobs, A. J. van der Ven, Q. de Mast
Summary: The study found that viral respiratory infections, malaria, and invasive bacterial infections are common causes of childhood acute febrile illness in high malaria transmission areas. Improvements in targeted treatment with antimicrobials are needed to address unnecessary antibiotic use in viral infections and inadequate antibiotic provision in some cases of invasive bacterial infections.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Lisa Van de Wijer, Wouter A. van der Heijden, Rob ter Horst, Martin Jaeger, Wim Trypsteen, Sofie Rutsaert, Bram van Cranenbroek, Esther van Rijssen, Irma Joosten, Leo Joosten, Linos Vandekerckhove, Till Schoofs, Jan van Lunzen, Mihai G. Netea, Hans J. P. M. Koenen, Andre J. A. M. van der Ven, Quirijn de Mast
Summary: This study revealed substantial differences in T and B cell composition and function in people living with HIV (PLHIV) on stable treatment compared to HIV-uninfected controls. The changes in various immune cell populations were influenced by host factors, markers of HIV reservoir, and CMV serostatus. Furthermore, alterations in circulating lymphocytes translated into functional changes with reduced IFN-gamma responses to specific stimuli.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Hematology
Jun Wan, Nadira Vadaq, Joke Konings, Martin Jaeger, Vinod Kumar, Bas de Laat, Leo Joosten, Mihai G. Netea, Andre J. van der Ven, Philip G. de Groot, Quirijn de Mast, Mark Roest
Summary: The KLKB1 gene was found to be associated with the protein C pathway function and thrombin generation. Kallikrein may play a role in regulating the anticoagulant protein C pathway during thrombin generation.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2022)
Article
Hematology
Nadira Vadaq, Melanie Schirmer, Rahajeng N. Tunjungputri, Hera Vlamakis, Cecilia Chiriac, Edwin Ardiansyah, M. Hussein Gasem, Leo A. B. Joosten, Philip G. de Groot, Ramnik J. Xavier, Mihai G. Netea, Andre J. van der Ven, Quirijn de Mast
Summary: Platelet reactivity is influenced by plasma metabolome, with a focus on lipid metabolites and dietary polyphenols. Functional microbial profiles revealed two key metabolic pathways associated with platelet reactivity, offering insights into the regulation of platelet function and the potential role of gut microbiota.
THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Wouter Graumans, Kjerstin Lanke, Geert-Jan Van Gemert, Manon Alkema, Marga van de Vegte-Bolmer, Teun Bousema, Katharine A. Collins
Summary: This study assessed the impact of four commonly used anticoagulants on the infectivity of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes to mosquitoes. The results demonstrated that sodium citrate and EDTA significantly reduced the infection burden in mosquitoes, while lithium heparin and sodium heparin showed the highest transmission potential.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2022)
Article
Surgery
Ilse J. E. Kouijzer, Michel F. P. Van der Jagt, Chantal P. Bleeker-Rovers, Mark Dirven, Quirijn de Mast, Paul P. C. Poyck
Summary: The study evaluated the outcome and specific surgical considerations of autologous femoral vein reconstruction in patients with aortic infection and aortic graft infection. The results showed that central aortic reconstruction with femoral veins is a durable solution with low rates of reinfections, complications, and need for amputations and stockings.
ANNALS OF VASCULAR SURGERY
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Liesbeth Martens, Berenger Kabore, Annelies Post, Christa E. van der Gaast-de Jongh, Jeroen D. Langereis, Halidou Tinto, Jan Jacobs, Andre J. van der Ven, Quirijn de Mast, Marien de Jonge
Summary: Age, sex, and season are important determinants of nasopharyngeal colonization with Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis in febrile patients in Burkina Faso. Carriage of S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae is associated with clinical pneumonia, while S. aureus carriage is associated with mortality in febrile patients.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Rahajeng N. Tunjungputri, Silvita Fitri Riswari, Setyo G. Pramudo, Lydia Kuntjoro, Bachti Alisjahbana, Harry Galuh Nugraha, Andre van der Ven, Muhammad Hussein Gasem, Quirijn de Mast
Summary: This study investigated the effects of neuraminidase inhibitor oseltamivir on platelet recovery and plasma leakage in dengue patients. The results showed that oseltamivir had no effect on platelet recovery or plasma leakage parameters.
PLOS NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Health Policy & Services
Rachel M. Arends, Karin J. T. Grintjes, Thom J. van den Heuvel, Eline G. J. Foeken-Verwoert, Aart H. Schene, Andre J. A. M. van der Ven, Arnt F. A. Schellekens
Summary: The study found that targeted behavioral interventions for men who have sex with men (MSM) can effectively reduce sexual transmission risk behavior (STRB), impulsivity, and functional impairment levels, and future research should validate these findings in larger samples.
AIDS CARE-PSYCHOLOGICAL AND SOCIO-MEDICAL ASPECTS OF AIDS/HIV
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Sina Hosseinian, Kathleen Powers, Milind Vasudev, Anton M. Palma, Rafael De Assis, Aarti Jain, Peter Horvath, Paramveer S. Birring, Rana Andary, Connie Au, Brandon Chin, Ghali Khalil, Jenny Ventura, Madeleine K. Luu, Cesar Figueroa, Joshua M. Obiero, Emily Silzel, Rie Nakajima, William Thomas Gombrich, Algis Jasinskas, Frank Zaldivar, Sebastian Schubl, Philip L. Felgner, Saahir Khan, Specimen Collect Grp
Summary: Recent studies provide conflicting evidence on the persistence of SARS-CoV-2 immunity induced by mRNA vaccines. A longitudinal study on healthcare workers found that composite IgG antibody levels did not significantly decrease over a 6-month period after vaccination. Participants previously exposed to the virus had higher IgG levels before vaccination, but no significant difference was observed at 6 months compared to unexposed individuals. Age, vaccine type, and worker role did not have a significant impact on IgG levels.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tate Oulton, Joshua Obiero, Isabel Rodriguez, Isaac Ssewanyana, Rebecca A. Dabbs, Christine M. Bachman, Bryan Greenhouse, Chris Drakeley, Phil L. Felgner, Will Stone, Kevin K. A. Tetteh
Summary: This study compared antigen-matched protein targets from an IVTT system and purified recombinant system. The results showed that purified recombinant proteins induced stronger antibody responses compared to IVTT proteins. There was no clear correlation between responses from targets produced in different expression systems, but responses between amino acid sequence-matched targets from each expression system were more closely correlated. Therefore, protein microarrays produced using either method can be confidently used in a context dependent manner, but caution should be taken when comparing data derived from contrasting approaches.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Wouter Graumans, Michelle Schinkel, Geert-Jan van Gemert, Jeroen Spitzen, Teun Bousema, Pascal Miesen
Summary: This study investigates the use of Hemotek membrane feeders as a standardized alternative feeding system for malaria research. The results showed that there was a loss in transmission when using the Hemotek feeder with a conventional collagen membrane, but there was no difference in transmission between both feeders when Parafilm was used as the membrane. Hemotek feeders with a Parafilm membrane can be used as an alternative feeding system for malaria transmission research.
TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2023)
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Marc J. T. Blaauw, Marvin A. H. Berrevoets, Wilhelm A. J. W. Vos, Albert L. Groenendijk, Louise E. van Eekeren, Nadira Vadaq, Gert Weijers, Andre J. A. M. van der Ven, Joost H. W. Rutten, Niels P. Riksen
Summary: This study found that traditional cardiovascular risk factors were significantly associated with higher carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), but not with carotid plaques. HIV-specific factors were not associated with either ultrasound measurements. It is recommended to improve guideline adherence on lipid-lowering treatment in high- and very high-risk patients for cardiovascular disease.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
(2023)
