Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Yonas Yimam, Mehdi Mohebali, Mohammad Javad Abbaszadeh Afshar
Summary: This study compared the diagnostic performance of a new ultrasensitive rapid diagnostic test (us-RDT) and a conventional rapid diagnostic test (co-RDT) for detecting malaria. The results showed that us-RDT had higher sensitivity, especially in asymptomatic individuals and low transmission areas.
Article
Hematology
Steven Kho, Nurjati C. Siregar, Labibah Qotrunnada, Aurelie Fricot, Abdoulaye Sissoko, Putu A. I. Shanti, Freis Candrawati, Noy N. Kambuaya, Hasrini Rini, Benediktus Andries, David Hardy, Nur I. Margyaningsih, Fauziyah Fadllan, Desandra A. Rahmayenti, Agatha M. Puspitasari, Leo Leonardo, Bagus T. G. Yayang, Dewi S. Margayani, Pak Prayoga, Leily Trianty, Enny Kenangalem, Ric N. Price, Tsin W. Yeo, Gabriela Minigo, Rintis Noviyanti, Jeanne R. Poespoprodjo, Nicholas M. Anstey, Pierre A. Buffet
Summary: Splenomegaly in malaria patients is associated with retention of uninfected red blood cells in the spleen, which is the major mechanism of anemia.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Xiaojing Qi, Shuo Wang, Shuhao Ma, Keqin Han, Xuejin Li
Summary: This study focuses on the impact of different degrees of surface area loss on the flow dynamics and mechanical retention of surface-altered red blood cells, finding that the reduction in cell surface area plays a key role in determining the RBC traversal dynamics.
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)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Ladawan Khowawisetsut, Sinmanus Vimonpatranon, Kittima Lekmanee, Hathai Sawasdipokin, Narinee Srimark, Kesinee Chotivanich, Kovit Pattanapanyasat
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the physical characteristics of EVs derived from culture-adapted P. falciparum isolates (Pf-EVs) and their impact on monocyte polarization. The results showed that all P. falciparum strains released similar amounts of EVs with variation in size characteristics. Pf-EVs had a more pronounced effect on CD14(+)CD16(+) intermediate monocytes, but miR in Pf-EVs might not be a significant factor in driving M2-like monocyte polarization.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mario Carucci, Julien Duez, Joel Tarning, Irene Garcia-Barbazan, Aurelie Fricot-Monsinjon, Abdoulaye Sissoko, Lucie Dumas, Pablo Gamallo, Babette Beher, Pascal Amireault, Michael Dussiot, Ming Dao, Mitchell V. Hull, Case W. McNamara, Camille Roussel, Papa Alioune Ndour, Laura Maria Sanz, Francisco Javier Gamo, Pierre Buffet
Summary: Malaria parasites multiply in red blood cells, but can be eliminated when the cells become stiff. Through screening, two safe drugs were found that can block the transmission of malaria.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Rakhee Lohia, Benoit Allegrini, Laurence Berry, Helene Guizouarn, Rachel Cerdan, Manouk Abkarian, Dominique Douguet, Eric Honore, Kai Wengelnik
Summary: A gain-of-function variant (E756del) in the PIEZO1 channel prevents severe malaria. Activation of PIEZO1 by Yoda1 and Jedi2 inhibitors induces echinocytosis and dehydration of red blood cells, inhibiting invasion by Plasmodium falciparum.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Gladys J. Keitany, Bethany J. Jenkins, Harold T. Obiakor, Shaji Daniel, Atis Muehlenbachs, Jean-Philippe Semblat, Benoit Gamain, Justin Y. A. Doritchamou, Sanjay A. Desai, Nicholas J. MacDonald, David L. Narum, Robert Morrison, Tracy Saveria, Marissa Vignali, Andrew Oleinikov, Michal Fried, Patrick E. Duffy
Summary: This study characterizes an invariant protein associated with placental malaria (PM), PfCSA-L, which binds both VAR2CSA and placental CSA with high affinity. Unlike VAR2CSA, PfCSA-L is peripherally associated with the outer surface of knobs through protein-protein interactions with VAR2CSA. The findings suggest that sequestration of infected red blood cells (iRBCs) involves complexes of invariant and variant surface proteins, allowing parasites to maintain diversity and function on the iRBC surface.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2022)
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
Biology
Emily R. Ebel, Frans A. Kuypers, Carrie Lin, Dmitri A. Petrov, Elizabeth S. Egan
Summary: The study on 121 healthy donors of African ancestry found that various genes and phenotypes related to red blood cell variation were closely associated with the adaptability of Plasmodium falciparum within red blood cells, indicating globally widespread variations play a role in modulating parasite fitness.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Sinmanus Vimonpatranon, Sittiruk Roytrakul, Narumon Phaonakrop, Kittima Lekmanee, Anyapat Atipimonpat, Narinee Srimark, Kasama Sukapirom, Kesinee Chotivanich, Ladawan Khowawisetsut, Kovit Pattanapanyasat
Summary: In infectious diseases, EVs released from pathogen-infected cells can regulate immune responses and carry specific human proteins, while most pathogen proteins in the EVs are common across different types. Pf-MVs were found to attenuate parasite invasion efficiency, with a greater effect in culture-adapted isolates. This suggests that Pf-EVs play a role in quorum sensing and regulation of parasite growth-density.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Fatou Joof, Morgan M. Goheen, Carla Cerami
Summary: The study investigated whether host anemia could affect the activity of artemisinin, and found that it does not. There was no correlation between host hemoglobin levels and artemisinin activity or drug sensitivity of Plasmodium falciparum. Standard antimalarial drug activity assays also showed no differences in IC50 values between anemic and nonanemic red blood cells.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF TROPICAL MEDICINE AND HYGIENE
(2021)
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)
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.