Review
Chemistry, Medicinal
Lekkala Ravindar, Siti Aishah Hasbullah, K. P. Rakesh, Nurul Izzaty Hassan
Summary: Malaria is a deadly parasitic infection ranked as the fifth most lethal worldwide. Antimalarial medications are crucial for preventing and eradicating malaria. The 4-aminoquinoline moiety has diverse biological applications and has been favored in antimalarial drug discovery. This review focuses on its efficacy when hybridized with various heterocyclic scaffolds, aiding the development of more effective antimalarial agents.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Parasitology
Muhydeen Abiodun Abdulraheem, Medard Ernest, Ifeoma Ugwuanyi, Hussein M. Abkallo, Saori Nishikawa, Mofeyisade Adeleke, Adebola E. Orimadegun, Richard Culleton
Summary: Asymptomatic malaria is prevalent among adolescents in Nigeria, with a high rate of co-infections of Plasmodium malariae and Plasmodium ovale. Symptomatic infections are predominantly caused by single infections of Plasmodium falciparum.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Cell Biology
Christabel N. Hikaambo, Natalia Shakela, John G. Woodland, Kathryn J. Wicht, Kelly Chibale
Summary: Zoonotic and related infections pose a significant health threat to Africa, the world's second-most populous continent. Despite the challenges faced by drug discovery scientists, recent progress in identifying potential medicines across diverse disease areas brings optimism and indicates African-led scientific initiatives are making progress.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Colins O. Oduma, Sidney Ogolla, Harrysone Atieli, Bartholomew N. Ondigo, Ming-Chieh Lee, Andrew K. Githeko, Arlene E. Dent, James W. Kazura, Guiyun Yan, Cristian Koepfli
Summary: The study found that parasites increase their investment in transmission in the wet season, leading to higher gametocyte densities. However, despite the increase in gametocyte densities, parasite density remained similar across seasons. Children aged 5-15 years were found to harbor a majority of infections with moderate-to-high gametocyte densities.
BMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Prisca Lagardere, Romain Mustiere, Nadia Amanzougaghene, Sebastien Hutter, Marion Casanova, Jean-Francois Franetich, Shahin Tajeri, Aurelie Malzert-Freon, Sophie Corvaisier, Nadine Azas, Patrice Vanelle, Pierre Verhaeghe, Nicolas Primas, Dominique Mazier, Nicolas Masurier, Vincent Lisowski
Summary: The need for new compounds effective against multiple stages of Plasmodium falciparum development is urgent due to the increasing number of strains resistant to current treatments. In this study, 25 new 4-amino-substituted analogues based on Gamhepathiopine were synthesized and evaluated on both erythrocytic and hepatic stages of the parasite. A promising compound, N2-(tert-butyl)-N [4]-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)-6-(p-tolyl)thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidine-2,4-diamine, showed improved physicochemical properties, intestinal permeability, and microsomal stability compared to Gamhepathiopine, while maintaining good anti-plasmodial activity on the erythrocytic and hepatic stages of Plasmodium falciparum and P. berghei.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nurfarahanim Muhammad Zubir, Mohd Ridzuan Mohd Abd Razak, Amatul Hamizah Ali, Mukram Mohamed Mackeen, Nurul Izzaty Hassan
Summary: The emergence of parasitic strains resistant to most antimalarial drugs has led to the exploration of more effective alternative mechanisms. Hybridization, particularly using the 4-aminoquinoline framework, has shown promise in the development of new antimalarial agents. However, further development and clinical trials are needed for these hybrids, and the lack of detailed preclinical data has hindered progress.
Editorial Material
Parasitology
Alyssa E. Barry
Summary: Researchers have developed innovative methods for single-cell sequencing of P. vivax infections, providing new insights into the intrahost diversity and evolution of the parasite.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Victor Asua, Melissa D. Conrad, Ozkan Aydemir, Marvin Duvalsaint, Jennifer Legac, Elias Duarte, Patrick Tumwebaze, Deborah M. Chin, Roland A. Cooper, Adoke Yeka, Moses R. Kamya, Grant Dorsey, Sam L. Nsobya, Jeffrey Bailey, Philip J. Rosenthal
Summary: This study identified concerning spread of mutations that may limit the efficacies of key antimalarial drugs in multiple sites in Uganda.
JOURNAL OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Medicinal
Benjamin R. Taft, Fumiaki Yokokawa, Tom Kirrane, Anne-Catherine Mata, Richard Huang, Nicole Blaquiere, Grace Waldron, Bin Zou, Oliver Simon, Subramanyam Vankadara, Wai Ling Chan, Mei Ding, Sandra Sim, Judith Straimer, Armand Guiguemde, Suresh B. Lakshminarayana, Jay Prakash Jain, Christophe Bodenreider, Christopher Thompson, Christian Lanshoeft, Wei Shu, Eric Fang, Jafri Qumber, Katherine Chan, Luying Pei, Yen-Liang Chen, Hanna Schulz, Jessie Lim, Siti Nurdiana Abas, Xiaoman Ang, Yugang Liu, Inigo Angulo-Barturen, Maria Belen Jimenez-Diaz, Francisco Javier Gamo, Benigno Crespo-Fernandez, Philip J. Rosenthal, Roland A. Cooper, Patrick Tumwebaze, Anna Caroline Campos Aguiar, Brice Campo, Simon Campbell, Jurgen Wagner, Thierry T. Diagana, Christopher Sarko
Summary: A highly potent antimalarial compound, INE963 (1), with favorable pharmacological properties, has been identified through high-throughput screening and shows potential for curing uncomplicated malaria.
JOURNAL OF MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Review
Parasitology
Prince B. Nyarko, Antoine Claessens
Summary: The survival of malaria parasites heavily relies on asymptomatic infections, which can be exploited as a new model for host-pathogen-vector interactions. Regular sampling from asymptomatic individuals provides insights into the continuous development of parasites within their natural hosts. State-of-the-art techniques can now be applied to study chronic infections and potentially reveal key molecular drivers necessary for malaria eradication.
TRENDS IN PARASITOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fostino R. B. Bokosi, Mpho P. Ngoepe
Summary: This paper describes the synthesis and evaluation of a series of hybrid compounds as antiplasmodial agents. The compounds showed moderate activity, with compound C11 being the most potent. Molecular docking studies identified compounds C14 and C17 as the best inhibitor candidates. Frontier molecular orbitals analysis revealed favorable energy distributions. ADME predictions indicated good drug-like characteristics for the compounds.
CHEMICAL BIOLOGY & DRUG DESIGN
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
T. E. Lee, S. Bonhoeffer, M. A. Penny
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance is a complex health problem, and we have developed a new model to study the dynamics and competition of resistance.
RESULTS IN PHYSICS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Robert Domes, Torsten Frosch
Summary: Deep ultraviolet resonance Raman experiments were conducted to investigate the antimalarial drug FQ. The drug's behavior in different pH environments and membrane polarities was simulated using buffered aqueous solutions. Density functional theory calculations were performed to analyze the drug's microspeciation and shifts in Raman signals. The study found that FQ exists in different forms in polar and nonpolar environments and determined the limit of detection at different pH values.
ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Elangwe M. Sarah-Matio, Emilie Guillochon, Sandrine E. Nsango, Luc Abate, Christelle M. Ngou, Gaelle A. Bouopda, Lionel B. Feufack-Donfack, Albert N. Bayibeki, Majoline Tchioffo Tsapi, Arthur Talman, Alejandro Marin-Menendez, Lawrence Ayong, Antoine Claessens, Thierry Lefevre, Antoine Berry, Isabelle Morlais
Summary: Malaria control heavily relies on passive case detection, which is unable to detect asymptomatic infections. This study used genotyping to reveal the genetic diversity and polymorphisms associated with antimalarial resistance in natural Plasmodium falciparum infections. The study identified higher genetic diversity in asymptomatic infections and found no genetic differentiation between parasites from asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. The findings also confirmed a return to chloroquine-sensitive parasites in Cameroon and suggested the persistence of low-density chloroquine-resistant parasites as a factor contributing to genetic diversity.
ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS AND CHEMOTHERAPY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Dorothea Ekoka Mbassi, Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, Jana Held, Dearie Glory Okwu, Wilfrid Ndzebe-Ndoumba, Laura Charlotte Kalkman, Franck Aurelien Ekoka Mbassi, Lais Pessanha de Carvalho, Juliana Inoue, Malik Azeez Akinosho, Lia Betty Dimessa Mbadinga, Emmanuel Koffi Yovo, Benjamin Mordmueller, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Michael Ramharter, Rella Zoleko-Manego
Summary: This study assessed the tolerability and efficacy of ivermectin in Gabonese adults with P. falciparum infections. The results showed that ivermectin reduced the asexual parasites similarly to placebo, indicating its potential as a treatment for asymptomatic P. falciparum infections.
Article
Immunology
Mirjam Groger, Peter Akhideno, Christine J. Kleist, Femi O. Babatunde, Osahogie Edeawe, Julia Hinzmann, ThankGod Akhigbe, Joy Nwatuzor, Gloria Eifediyi, Jonas Mueller, Mette Hinrichs, Meike Pahlmann, Francisca Naana Sarpong, Christine Wagner, Anke Thielebein, Louis Aihonwalan, Till Koch, Maria Riedner, Ephraim Ogbaini-Emovon, Sylvanus Okogbenin, Stephan Guenther, Sebastian G. Wicha, Michael Ramharter, Lisa Oestereich, Sophie Duraffour, Cyril Erameh
Summary: This study examines the pharmacokinetics of ribavirin in the treatment of Lassa fever and finds consistent exposure across patients. While ribavirin shows low antiviral efficacy, it may have anti-inflammatory effects. Further research is needed to determine the role of ribavirin in the treatment of Lassa fever.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Melina Heinemann, Lukas Kleinjohann, Thierry Rolling, Doris Winter, Nina Hackbarth, Michael Ramharter, Marylyn Addo, Daniel Eibach, Richard O. Phillips, Alex Owusu-Ofori, Christof D. Vinnemeier
Summary: This longitudinal study aimed to assess the impact of antibiotic intake on the incidence of intestinal extended-spectrum b-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-PE) in Ghanaian pharmacy customers outside of hospitals. The study found that the rate of intestinal ESBL-PE carriage among pharmacy customers increased during the 28 days of follow-up, regardless of antibiotic intake. This highlights the urgent need for improved prevention strategies, development of new antibiotic drugs, and potential future elimination strategies.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Jabar Babatunde Pacome Achimi Agbo Abdul, Bayode Romeo Adegbite, Micheska Epola Dibamba Ndanga, Jean Ronald Edoa, Rhett Chester Mevyann, Guy Rogue Arnault Ibinda Mfoumbi, Tshisekedi Jean de Dieu, Jocelyn Mahoumbou, Christopher Mebiame Biyogho, Sankarganesh Jeyaraj, Stefan Niemann, Bertrand Lell, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Abraham Sunday Alabi, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Martin Peter Grobusch
Summary: The increasing incidence of MDR-TB infection in Gabon is alarming, especially among individuals aged 25-35. There is a need for improvement in case finding and contact tracing strategies for treatment-naive MDR-TB patients.
Review
Infectious Diseases
Brice Autier, Bruno Gottstein, Laurence Millon, Michael Ramharter, Beate Gruener, Solange Bresson-Hadni, Sarah Dion, Florence Robert-Gangneux
Summary: This narrative review examines the presentation of alveolar echinococcosis (AE) in immunocompromised patients and provides recommendations for patient management and future research. The findings indicate a significant association between AE and solid organ transplantation, chronic inflammatory/autoimmune diseases, and malignancies, but not HIV infection. AE in immunocompromised patients is characterized by early diagnosis, atypical imaging, and low sensitivity of serology.
CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Oriol Mitja, Gilmar Reis, David R. Boulware, Adam M. Spivak, Ammar Sarwar, Christine Johnston, Brandon Webb, Michael D. Hill, Davey Smith, Peter Kremsner, Marla Curran, David Carter, Jim Alexander, Marc Corbacho, Todd C. Lee, Katherine Huppler Hullsiek, Emily G. McDonald, Rachel Hess, Michael Hughes, Jared M. Baeten, Ilan Schwartz, Luanne Metz, Lawrence Richer, Kara W. Chew, Eric Daar, David Wohl, Michael Dunne
Summary: This study conducted a pooled analysis of individual participant data from 11 randomized controlled trials to evaluate the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in outpatients with mild COVID-19. The results suggest that HCQ does not show significant effects on viral clearance and hospitalization rate, and therefore, the use of HCQ in mild COVID-19 outpatients should be discontinued to reduce the risk of disease progression.
CTS-CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Infectious Diseases
Adama Gansane, Moussa Lingani, Adoke Yeka, Alain Nahum, Marielle Bouyou-Akotet, Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, Grace Kaguthi, Catalina Barcelo, Bart Laurijssens, Cathy Cantalloube, Fiona Macintyre, Elhadj Djeriou, Andreas Jessel, Raphael Bejuit, Helen Demarest, Anne Claire Marrast, Siaka Debe, Halidou Tinto, Afizi Kibuuka, Diolinda Nahum, Denise Patricia Mawili-Mboumba, Rella Zoleko-Manego, Irene Mugenya, Frederick Olewe, Stephan Duparc, Bernhards Ogutu
Summary: This study investigated the contribution of artefenomel to the clinical and parasiticidal activity of ferroquine and artefenomel in combination for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The results showed that the contribution of artefenomel to clinical and parasiticidal activity could not be demonstrated, while parasite clearance was faster with ferroquine/artefenomel. All treatments were well tolerated.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Vincent Rigolot, Yannick Rossez, Christophe Biot, Cedric Lion
Summary: Most Escherichia coli strains associated with neonatal meningitis express the K1 capsule, a sialic acid polysaccharide that is directly related to their pathogenicity. However, bacterial capsules are seldom targeted despite their important role as virulence factors, and the K1 polysialic acid (PSA) antigen that shields bacteria from the immune system still remains untackled. In this study, we develop a fluorescence microplate assay that combines metabolic oligosaccharide engineering (MOE) and bioorthogonal chemistry to detect K1 capsules. The assay is optimized, validated, and can be used for screening approaches to identify novel capsule-targeted antibiotics.
RSC CHEMICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Marie Lopez, Yung-Sing Wong, Christophe Biot, Boris Vauzeilles
Summary: Chemical biology is a growing field that uses chemical and physicochemical tools to address biological questions at the molecular level. Chemical biologists design and develop molecular tools to understand and modify biological processes, and observe their effects in complex biological environments. This field finds applications in areas such as healthcare and the environment.
Article
Virology
Gedeon Prince Manouana, Paul Alvyn Nguema-Moure, Alexandru Tomazatos, Moustapha Nzamba Maloum, C. -Thomas Bock, Peter G. G. Kremsner, Thirumalaisamy P. P. Velavan, Akim Ayola Adegnika, Sandra Niendorf
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the rapid rotavirus test compared to the one-step RT-qPCR method. The results showed that the rapid test had high sensitivity and was suitable for detecting rotavirus A in patients with gastroenteritis, especially in low-income countries.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Farah Saffar, Melina Heinemann, Christian Heitkamp, Daniel Robert Stelzl, Michael Ramharter, Mirjam Schunk, Camilla Rothe, Silja Buehler
Summary: This study aimed to assess the appropriateness of medical management following suspected rabies exposure (SRE) in international travellers. The results showed that awareness for appropriate first aid and timely seeking of professional treatment is insufficient in German travellers. Travel practitioners need to educate travellers about rabies risk, prevention measures, and the correct behavior after SRE including adequate wound treatment and seeking immediate medical help for prophylaxis.
TRAVEL MEDICINE AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Tina Krueger, Moses Ikegbunam, Abel Lissom, Thaisa Lucas Sandri, Jacques Dollon Mbama Ntabi, Jean Claude Djontu, Marcel Tapsou Baina, Romeo Aime Laclong Lontchi, Moustapha Maloum, Givina Zang Ella, Romuald Agonhossou, Romaric Akoton, Luc Djogbenou, Steffen Borrmann, Jana Held, Francine Ntoumi, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Andrea Kreidenweiss
Summary: The frequency of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deleted strains in Central and West Africa was assessed and found to be low, indicating a low risk of false-negative results in HRP2-based rapid diagnostic tests. However, continuous monitoring is crucial due to the potential for rapid changes in this scenario to ensure the suitability of RDTs for malaria diagnostics.
Article
Infectious Diseases
Cyril O. Erameh, Till Koch, Osahogie Isaac Edeawe, Lisa Oestereich, Till Omansen, Johannes Jochum, Donatus I. Adomeh, Odia Ikponmwonsa, Chris Aire, Meike Pahlmann, Danny A. Asogun, Ephraim Ogbaini-Emovon, Sylvanus A. Okogbenin, Stephan Guenther, Michael Ramharter, Peter E. Akideno, Benno Kreuels
Summary: A study conducted at a hospital in Nigeria utilized POCUS technique to examine LF patients and found various pathological findings such as ascites, pericardial effusion, and pleural effusion. The use of POCUS required minimal resources and training, and it may help guide the clinical management of LF patients.
JOURNAL OF INFECTION
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Dorothea Ekoka Mbassi, Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma, Jana Held, Dearie Glory Okwu, Wilfrid Ndzebe-Ndoumba, Laura Charlotte Kalkman, Franck Aurelien Ekoka Mbassi, Lais Pessanha de Carvalho, Juliana Inoue, Malik Azeez Akinosho, Lia Betty Dimessa Mbadinga, Emmanuel Koffi Yovo, Benjamin Mordmueller, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Michael Ramharter, Rella Zoleko-Manego
Summary: This study assessed the tolerability and efficacy of ivermectin in Gabonese adults with P. falciparum infections. The results showed that ivermectin reduced the asexual parasites similarly to placebo, indicating its potential as a treatment for asymptomatic P. falciparum infections.
Letter
Pediatrics
Constanze Heinzel, Yudi T. Pinilla, Ayla Binder, Peter G. Kremsner, Jana Held, Rolf Fendel, Andrea Kreidenweiss
Summary: This cross-sectional study examines IgG antibody levels in children and adolescents in Germany after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Hamada S. Badr, Josh M. Colston, Nhat-Lan H. Nguyen, Yen Ting Chen, Eleanor Burnett, Syed Asad Ali, Ajit Rayamajhi, Syed M. Satter, Nguyen Van Trang, Daniel Eibach, Ralf Krumkamp, Juergen May, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Gedeon Prince Manouana, Peter Gottfried Kremsner, Roma Chilengi, Luiza Hatyoka, Amanda K. Debes, Jerome Ateudjieu, Abu S. G. Faruque, M. Jahangir Hossain, Suman Kanungo, Karen L. Kotloff, Inacio Mandomando, M. Imran Nisar, Richard Omore, Samba O. Sow, Anita K. M. Zaidi, Nathalie Lambrecht, Bright Adu, Nicola Page, James A. Platts-Mills, Cesar Mavacala Freitas, Tuula Pelkonen, Per Ashorn, Kenneth Maleta, Tahmeed Ahmed, Pascal Bessong, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Carl Mason, Estomih Mduma, Maribel P. Olortegui, Pablo Penataro Yori, Aldo A. M. Lima, Gagandeep Kang, Jean Humphrey, Robert Ntozini, Andrew J. Prendergast, Kazuhisa Okada, Warawan Wongboot, Nina Langeland, Sabrina J. Moyo, James Gaensbauer, Mario Melgar, Matthew Freeman, Anna N. Chard, Vonethalom Thongpaseuth, Eric Houpt, Benjamin F. Zaitchik, Margaret N. Kosek
Summary: This study aimed to model the spatiotemporal variation in paediatric Shigella infection and predict its prevalence across low-income and middle-income countries. The findings revealed the association between Shigella and climatological factors, with sub-Saharan Africa being a high-risk region for transmission. These findings can guide prioritization of populations for future vaccine trials and campaigns.
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)