Article
Parasitology
Pornpawee Sookpongthai, Korawich Utayopas, Thassanai Sitthiyotha, Theerakamol Pengsakul, Morakot Kaewthamasorn, Kittikhun Wangkanont, Pongchai Harnyuttanakorn, Surasak Chunsrivirot, Sittiporn Pattaradilokrat
Summary: This study investigated the global diversity of Pfs25 in P. falciparum populations, identifying 11 unique haplotypes, with H1 and H2 as the major haplotypes. The distribution patterns of these haplotypes varied across different geographical populations, with limited polymorphism likely due to negative selection.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(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
Immunology
Kazutoyo Miura, Thao P. Pham, Shwu-Maan Lee, Jordan Plieskatt, Ababacar Diouf, Issaka Sagara, Camila H. Coelho, Patrick E. Duffy, Yimin Wu, Carole A. Long
Summary: Monitoring the integrity of recombinant proteins is critical during the development of subunit vaccines. This study developed a sandwich ELISA-based in vitro potency assay, called the Antigen Integrity Assay (AIA), to monitor the potency of Pfs230 protein. The AIA demonstrated excellent precision, sensitivity, and high throughput, making it a useful tool for future subunit vaccine development.
Article
Immunology
Maartje R. Inklaar, Roos M. de Jong, Ezra T. Bekkering, Hikaru Nagaoka, Felix L. Fennemann, Karina Teelen, Marga van de Vegte-bolmer, Geert-Jan van Gemert, Rianne Stoter, C. Richter King, Nicholas I. Proellochs, Teun Bousema, Eizo Takashima, Takafumi Tsuboi, Matthijs M. Jore
Summary: This study identifies a new target for malaria transmission-blocking vaccines, Domain 7 of Pfs230, which can induce antibodies to block parasite development in mosquitoes. The study also discovers a new monoclonal antibody, mAb 18F25.2a, that significantly reduces mosquito infection with Plasmodium.
Article
Immunology
Kazutoyo Miura, Eizo Takashima, Thao P. Pham, Bingbing Deng, Luwen Zhou, Wei-Chiao Huang, Ababacar Diouf, Yonas T. Gebremicale, Mayumi Tachibana, Tomoko Ishino, C. Richter King, Jonathan F. Lovell, Carole A. Long, Takafumi Tsuboi
Summary: This study identifies functional epitopes within the malaria transmission-blocking vaccine Pfs230, using antibody depletion and enrichment techniques. Multiple functional epitopes were found and the feasibility of using synthetic peptide antigens for a malaria TBV was established.
Article
Immunology
Rebecca Webster, Hayley Mitchell, Jenny M. Peters, Juanita Heunis, Brighid O'Neill, Jeremy Gower, Sean Lynch, Helen Jennings, Fiona H. Amante, Stacey Llewellyn, Louise Marquart, Adam J. Potter, Geoffrey W. Birrell, Michael D. Edstein, G. Dennis Shanks, James S. McCarthy, Bridget E. Barber
Summary: A single low dose of tafenoquine can effectively reduce the transmission of Plasmodium falciparum parasites to mosquitoes, although there is a delay in its effect.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Patrick E. Duffy
Summary: Pfs230 is currently the target of the most advanced candidate for a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine. It is expressed in the mosquito midgut and gametes lacking Pfs230 cannot bind to red blood cells. Human antibodies can lyse gametes in the presence of complement.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(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
Immunology
Eizo Takashima, Mayumi Tachibana, Masayuki Morita, Hikaru Nagaoka, Bernard N. Kanoi, Takafumi Tsuboi
Summary: Efforts to control malaria have seen success in the past two decades, but have been complicated by the emergence of COVID-19. Developing more effective malaria vaccines, especially transmission-blocking vaccines, is vital for the goal of malaria elimination. Challenges in TBV development highlight the need for novel approaches and accelerated candidate discovery.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Sara A. Healy, Charles Anderson, Bruce J. Swihart, Agnes Mwakingwe, Erin E. Gabriel, Hope Decederfelt, Charlotte Hobbs, Kelly M. Rausch, Daming Zhu, Olga Muratova, Raul Herrera, Puthupparampil Scaria, Nicholas J. MacDonald, Lynn E. Lambert, Irfan Zaidi, Camila H. Coelho, Jonathan P. Renn, Yimin Wu, David L. Narum, Patrick E. Duffy
Summary: In this study, the vaccine candidate Pfs230D1-EPA induced stronger serum functional activity in rhesus monkeys and US adults compared to Pfs25, with complement-dependency noted. This suggests that Pfs230D1 may be more suitable for advancing transmission-blocking vaccines for malaria eradication.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL INVESTIGATION
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Stephen Tottey, Yoko Shoji, R. Mark Jones, Konstantin Musiychuk, Jessica A. Chichester, Kazutoyo Miura, Luwen Zhou, Shwu-Maan Lee, Jordan Plieskatt, Yimin Wu, Carole A. Long, Stephen J. Streatfield, Vidadi Yusibov
Summary: Malaria kills a significant number of people, especially young children. A study demonstrates an improved virus-like particle antigen display molecule for a leading malaria transmission-blocking antigen. This re-engineered molecule shows higher antigen display and enhanced transmission-blocking activity in a mouse model.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rebecca L. Clements, Alexander A. Morano, Francesca M. Navarro, James P. McGee, Esrah W. Du, Vincent A. Streva, Scott E. Lindner, Jeffrey D. Dvorin
Summary: This study identifies a basal complex protein, PfBLEB, as a key player in gametocytogenesis. Parasites lacking PfBLEB are unable to form mature gametocytes, highlighting the importance of PfBLEB. The study also provides a potential molecular target for the eradication of malaria transmission.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Kuang-Ting Ko, Frank Lennartz, David Mekhaiel, Bora Guloglu, Arianna Marini, Danielle J. Deuker, Carole A. Long, Matthijs M. Jore, Kazutoyo Miura, Sumi Biswas, Matthew K. Higgins
Summary: Researchers have determined the structure of the Pfs48/45 protein, a potential candidate for a malaria vaccine, and identified antibodies that can block transmission of the parasite. These findings will help in developing future Pfs48/45-based vaccines.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Parasitology
Benyl M. Ondeto, Xiaoming Wang, Harrysone Atieli, Daibin Zhong, Guofa Zhou, Ming-Chieh Lee, Pauline Winnie Orondo, Kevin O. Ochwedo, Collince J. Omondi, Simon M. Muriu, David O. Odongo, Horace Ochanda, James Kazura, Andrew K. Githeko, Guiyun Yan
Summary: Despite initial reductions in asymptomatic malaria parasite prevalence among school children from 2005 to 2008 in all sites, a resurgence of parasite prevalence by over 40% has been observed in Kombewa and Marani since 2011. The study also found that Kombewa had a higher risk of infection compared to Iguhu and Marani.
PARASITES & VECTORS
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Matthew B. Laurens
Summary: Malaria vaccines, including the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine, are showing moderate efficacy and new approaches are being developed for next-generation vaccines. Techniques such as RNA vaccine delivery and whole organism vaccination are being explored, with the goal of creating highly effective malaria vaccines that provide sustained protection.
HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNOTHERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Sung-Jae Cha, Xiang Yu, Brian D. Gregory, Yong Seok Lee, Tomoko Ishino, Robert O. Opoka, Chandy C. John, Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena
Summary: This study identifies activation and inhibition pathways leading to cerebral malaria (CM) and provides evidence from human specimens. The researchers found that liver infection by Plasmodium sporozoites can trigger immune responses that inhibit CM development. They also identified several early-stage prognostic biomarkers for CM, which have direct relevance to human CM.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Zoe Shih-Jung Liu, Jetsumon Sattabongkot, Michael White, Sadudee Chotirat, Chalermpon Kumpitak, Eizo Takashima, Matthias Harbers, Wai-Hong Tham, Julie Healer, Chetan E. Chitnis, Takafumi Tsuboi, Ivo Mueller, Rhea J. Longley
Summary: The study in western Thailand monitored antibody kinetics in 34 patients after P. vivax infections, showing an increase in antibody levels within 1 week post infection followed by an exponential decay. IgG1 dominance and IgG3 sub-dominance were observed, with some proteins inducing long-lived IgM responses.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Caitlin Bourke, Eizo Takashima, Li-Jin Chan, Melanie H. Dietrich, Ramin Mazhari, Michael White, Jetsumon Sattabongkot, Wai-Hong Tham, Takafumi Tsuboi, Ivo Mueller, Rhea Longley
Summary: The study investigates the use of antibody responses to predict recent infection of Plasmodium vivax. The results suggest that antibody responses to different sized fragments of PvRBP2b protein can be used as predictors of recent P. vivax infection.
Article
Parasitology
Mayumi Tachibana, Eizo Takashima, Masayuki Morita, Jetsumon Sattabongkot, Tomoko Ishino, Richard Culleton, Motomi Torii, Takafumi Tsuboi
Summary: Existing control measures have made significant progress in reducing malaria morbidity and mortality, but progress has been slowing down in recent years. Efforts have been made to develop malaria vaccines, with more progress made for Plasmodium falciparum. However, the development of a malaria transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) is crucial for malaria elimination. Challenges in developing TBVs, including low immunogenicity in humans, have hindered progress. In this review, the latest progress, challenges, and innovations in P. vivax TBV research are summarized, along with discussions on accelerating its development.
PARASITOLOGY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Katherine O'Flaherty, Jo-Anne Chan, Julia C. Cutts, Sophie G. Zaloumis, Elizabeth A. Ashley, Aung Pyae Phyo, Damien R. Drew, Arjen M. Dondorp, Nicholas P. Day, Mehul Dhorda, Rick M. Fairhurst, Pharath Lim, Chanaki Amaratunga, Sasithon Pukrittayakamee, Tran Tinh Hien, Ye Htut, Mayfong Mayxay, M. Abul Faiz, Olugbenga A. Mokuolu, Marie A. Onyamboko, Caterina Fanello, Eizo Takashima, Takafumi Tsuboi, Michael Theisen, Francois Nosten, James G. Beeson, Julie A. Simpson, Nicholas J. White, Freya J. Fowkes
Summary: The study found that Pfs230 and Pfs48/45 antibodies are associated with patent gametocytemia and increasing gametocyte density across multiple malaria endemic settings, including regions with emerging artemisinin-resistant P. falciparum.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Eriko Hamasaki, Natsuki Wakita, Hiroki Yasuoka, Hikaru Nagaoka, Masayuki Morita, Eizo Takashima, Takayuki Uchihashi, Tetsuya Takeda, Tadashi Abe, Ji-Won Lee, Tadahiro Iimura, Moin A. Saleem, Naohisa Ogo, Akira Asai, Akihiro Narita, Kohji Takei, Hiroshi Yamada
Summary: This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of actin by dynamin in human podocytes. The results suggest that the affinity of the K562E mutant for lipid membranes and its atypical self-assembling properties lead to actin disorganization in podocytes. Furthermore, the interaction between actin and membranes mediated by dynamin is critical for actin bundle formation and podocyte morphology and functions.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Julia C. Cutts, Katherine O'Flaherty, Sophie G. Zaloumis, Elizabeth A. Ashley, Jo Anne Chan, Marie A. Onyamboko, Caterina Fanello, Arjen M. Dondorp, Nicholas P. Day, Aung Pyae Phyo, Mehul Dhorda, Mallika Imwong, Rick M. Fairhurst, Pharath Lim, Chanaki Amaratunga, Sasithon Pukrittayakamee, Tran Tinh Hien, Ye Htut, Mayfong Mayxay, M. Abdul Faiz, Eizo Takashima, Takafumi Tsuboi, James G. Beeson, Francois Nosten, Julie A. Simpson, Nicholas J. White, Freya J. Fowkes
Summary: The substantially shorter parasite clearance time observed in African patients compared to Asian patients after artemisinin treatment cannot be explained by differences in P. falciparum antibody responses.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Yanie Tayipto, Jason Rosado, Dionicia Gamboa, Michael T. T. White, Benson Kiniboro, Julie Healer, D. Herbert Opi, James G. G. Beeson, Eizo Takashima, Takafumi Tsuboi, Matthias Harbers, Leanne Robinson, Ivo Mueller, Rhea J. J. Longley
Summary: A surveillance tool has been developed to detect total IgG as a serological marker of recent Plasmodium vivax exposure. However, its performance is poorer in areas with moderate-high transmission intensity. Study results suggest that shorter-lived antibodies may be better markers in these settings. IgG3 antibody levels were found to be positively associated with increasing age, higher transmission intensity, and multiple P. vivax infections.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Eizo Takashima, Bernard N. Kanoi, Hikaru Nagaoka, Masayuki Morita, Ifra Hassan, Nirianne M. Q. Palacpac, Thomas G. Egwang, Toshihiro Horii, Jesse Gitaka, Takafumi Tsuboi
Summary: Concerted efforts to fight malaria have led to significant reductions in global malaria cases and mortality. Sustaining these efforts is crucial to prevent a rebound and outbreaks of seasonal malaria. Identifying predictive attributes that define clinical malaria will be essential in developing second-generation tools to combat malaria.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Kazutoyo Miura, Thao P. Pham, Shwu-Maan Lee, Jordan Plieskatt, Ababacar Diouf, Issaka Sagara, Camila H. Coelho, Patrick E. Duffy, Yimin Wu, Carole A. Long
Summary: Monitoring the integrity of recombinant proteins is critical during the development of subunit vaccines. This study developed a sandwich ELISA-based in vitro potency assay, called the Antigen Integrity Assay (AIA), to monitor the potency of Pfs230 protein. The AIA demonstrated excellent precision, sensitivity, and high throughput, making it a useful tool for future subunit vaccine development.
Article
Immunology
Surafel K. Tebeje, Wakweya Chali, Elifaged Hailemeskel, Jordache Ramjith, Abrham Gashaw, Temesgen Ashine, Desalegn Nebret, Endashaw Esayas, Tadele Emiru, Tizita Tsegaye, Karina Teelen, Kjerstin Lanke, Eizo Takashima, Takafumi Tsuboi, Nichole D. Salinas, Niraj H. Tolia, David Narum, Chris Drakeley, Benoit Witkowski, Amelie Vantaux, Matthijs M. Jore, William J. R. Stone, Ivo S. Hansen, Fitsum G. Tadesse, Teun Bousema
Summary: This study investigated the association between antibody prevalence and the infectivity of Plasmodium vivax to mosquitoes. The results showed that antibodies against Pvs47, Pvs230, and Pvs25 were significantly associated with a reduction in mosquito infection rates. Further research can help establish causality and contribute to our understanding of P. vivax transmission and vaccine development.
FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR AND INFECTION MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Minami Baba, Mamoru Nozaki, Mayumi Tachibana, Takafumi Tsuboi, Motomi Torii, Tomoko Ishino
Summary: The protein RON4 plays a crucial role in the infection of liver by Plasmodium parasites. It is involved in the crossing of sinusoidal cells and invasion of hepatocytes, contributing to the sporozoite's ability to adhere and move. This finding provides important insights into the invasion mechanisms of Apicomplexa parasites.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Hitoshi Otsuki, Osamu Kaneko, Daisuke Ito, Yoko Kondo, Hideyuki Iriko, Tomoko Ishino, Mayumi Tachibana, Takafumi Tsuboi, Motomi Torii
Summary: Plasmodium malaria parasites use EBL ligands to invade erythrocytes, and a single amino acid substitution within the EBL C-terminal Cys-rich domain caused mislocalization of this molecule and alteration of the infection course and virulence. Transgenic P. yoelii lines with substitutions of Cys residues in EBL region 6 showed mislocalizations, higher parasitemias, and changes in virulence. The results indicate the importance of Cys residues in EBL region 6 for EBL localization, parasite infection course, and virulence.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ifra Hassan, Bernard N. Kanoi, Hikaru Nagaoka, Jetsumon Sattabongkot, Rachanee Udomsangpetch, Takafumi Tsuboi, Eizo Takashima
Summary: Malaria is a significant global health challenge, causing approximately 600,000 deaths each year. A study conducted in Thailand on individuals with partial immunity to malaria revealed that antibodies to certain antigens, particularly P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) domains, were significantly correlated with the absence of symptomatic malaria. These findings support previous research conducted in Uganda and highlight the importance of further characterizing these proteins for vaccine development.