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Hashim D, Umer S, Hymete A, Mekonnen Y. In-Vivo Anti-Malarial Activity of 80% Methanol Leaf Extract of Croton Dichogamus Pax and Ehretia Cymosa Thonn in Plasmodium Berghei Infected Mice. J Exp Pharmacol 2024; 16:221-229. [PMID: 38826847 PMCID: PMC11144411 DOI: 10.2147/jep.s457659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Malaria is causing high mortality and morbidity due to Plasmodium's resistance to currently available anti-malarial drugs and mosquito's resistance to insecticides. Thus, there is a critical need to search for novel anti-malarial drugs from natural sources. Therefore, this study investigated in vivo antimalarial activities of two Ethiopian medicinal plants, Croton dichogamus Pax and Ehretia cymosa Thonn, in Plasmodium berghei infected Swiss albino mice. Methods Soxhlet extraction method using 80% methanol as a solvent was used to prepare crude extracts of the two plants. Acute oral toxicity and 4-day suppressive in vivo antimalarial activity tests were performed on healthy female mice and P. berghei infected male mice, respectively. Antimalarial activity of the crude extracts at doses of 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg and the standard drug, chloroquine were used to assesse in Plasmodium berghei infected Swiss albino mice. Parasitemia level, packed cell volume, body weight, and rectal temperature of the mice were determined before infection (day 0) and after treatment (day 4). Survival time was determined by recording the date on which the mice died, considering the date of infection as day 0. The recorded data were analyzed using ANOVA and SPSS version 24. Results The result of the acute toxicity study revealed that the crude extracts were non-toxic at doses up to 2 g/kg. The extract of E. cymosa suppressed parasitemia level by 66.28, 63.44 and 63.14% at 400, 200, and 100mg/kg, levels while C. dichogamus extract suppressed parasitemia level by 45.29% at a dose of 400mg/kg. The remaining two dose levels of C.dichogamus extract suppressed parasitemia level by < 30%. Conclusion C. dichogamus and E. cymosa showed anti-plasmodial activities. E. cymosa exhibited a more pronounced anti-plasmodial effect than C. dichogamus. The activities of both plants observed in this study support their traditional use as antimalarial drugs. Further studies on these plants using solvent fractions are required to identify their active ingredients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Desta Hashim
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Hawassa University, Hawassa, Ethiopia
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Shemsu Umer
- Department of Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Ariaya Hymete
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Yalemtsehay Mekonnen
- Department of Zoological Sciences, College of Natural and Computational Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Nkumama IN, Ogwang R, Odera D, Musasia F, Mwai K, Nyamako L, Murungi L, Tuju J, Fürle K, Rosenkranz M, Kimathi R, Njuguna P, Hamaluba M, Kapulu MC, Frank R, Osier FHA. Breadth of Fc-mediated effector function correlates with clinical immunity following human malaria challenge. Immunity 2024:S1074-7613(24)00233-4. [PMID: 38788711 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
Malaria is a life-threatening disease of global health importance, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The growth inhibition assay (GIA) is routinely used to evaluate, prioritize, and quantify the efficacy of malaria blood-stage vaccine candidates but does not reliably predict either naturally acquired or vaccine-induced protection. Controlled human malaria challenge studies in semi-immune volunteers provide an unparalleled opportunity to robustly identify mechanistic correlates of protection. We leveraged this platform to undertake a head-to-head comparison of seven functional antibody assays that are relevant to immunity against the erythrocytic merozoite stage of Plasmodium falciparum. Fc-mediated effector functions were strongly associated with protection from clinical symptoms of malaria and exponential parasite multiplication, while the gold standard GIA was not. The breadth of Fc-mediated effector function discriminated clinical immunity following the challenge. These findings present a shift in the understanding of the mechanisms that underpin immunity to malaria and have important implications for vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene N Nkumama
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya; European Vaccine Initiative, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rodney Ogwang
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Dennis Odera
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Fauzia Musasia
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Kennedy Mwai
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya; Epidemiology and Biostatistics Division, School of Public Health, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Lydia Nyamako
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Linda Murungi
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - James Tuju
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya; Department of Biotechnology and Biochemistry, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Kristin Fürle
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Micha Rosenkranz
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rinter Kimathi
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Patricia Njuguna
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Mainga Hamaluba
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Melissa C Kapulu
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Roland Frank
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Faith H A Osier
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany; Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute, Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya; Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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3
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Gbaguidi MLE, Adamou R, Edslev S, Hansen A, Domingo ND, Dechavanne C, Massougbodji A, Garcia A, Theisen M, Milet J, Donadi EA, Courtin D. IgG and IgM responses to the Plasmodium falciparum asexual stage antigens reflect respectively protection against malaria during pregnancy and infanthood. Malar J 2024; 23:154. [PMID: 38764069 PMCID: PMC11103834 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04970-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Plasmodium falciparum malaria is a public health issue mostly seen in tropical countries. Until now, there is no effective malaria vaccine against antigens specific to the blood-stage of P. falciparum infection. Because the pathogenesis of malarial disease results from blood-stage infection, it is essential to identify the most promising blood-stage vaccine candidate antigens under natural exposure to malaria infection. METHODS A cohort of 400 pregnant women and their infants was implemented in South Benin. An active and passive protocol of malaria surveillance was established during pregnancy and infancy to precisely ascertain malaria infections during the follow-up. Twenty-eight antibody (Ab) responses specific to seven malaria candidate vaccine antigens were repeatedly quantified during pregnancy (3 time points) and infancy (6 time points) in order to study the Ab kinetics and their protective role. Abs were quantified by ELISA and logistic, linear and cox-proportional hazard model were performed to analyse the associations between Ab responses and protection against malaria in mothers and infants, taking into account socio-economic factors and for infants an environmental risk of exposure. RESULTS The levels of IgM against MSP1, MSP2 and MSP3 showed an early protective response against the onset of symptomatic malaria infections starting from the 18th month of life, whereas no association was found for IgG responses during infancy. In women, some IgG responses tend to be associated with a protection against malaria risk along pregnancy and at delivery, among them IgG3 against GLURP-R0 and IgG2 against MSP1. CONCLUSION The main finding suggests that IgM should be considered in vaccine designs during infanthood. Investigation of the functional role played by IgM in malaria protection needs further attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahugnon L Erasme Gbaguidi
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- IRD, MERIT, Université Paris Cité, 75006, Paris, France
- Centre d'Etude Et de Recherche Sur Les Pathologies Associées À La Grossesse Et À L'Enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Rafiou Adamou
- IRD, MERIT, Université Paris Cité, 75006, Paris, France
- Centre d'Etude Et de Recherche Sur Les Pathologies Associées À La Grossesse Et À L'Enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | - Sofie Edslev
- Institut de Recherche Clinique du Bénin, Abomey-Calavi, Benin
| | - Anita Hansen
- Institut de Recherche Clinique du Bénin, Abomey-Calavi, Benin
| | - Nadia D Domingo
- Centre d'Etude Et de Recherche Sur Les Pathologies Associées À La Grossesse Et À L'Enfance, Cotonou, Bénin
| | | | | | - André Garcia
- IRD, MERIT, Université Paris Cité, 75006, Paris, France
| | - Michael Theisen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department for Congenital Disorders, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Eduardo A Donadi
- Division of Clinical Immunology, Department of Medicine, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - David Courtin
- IRD, MERIT, Université Paris Cité, 75006, Paris, France.
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Shepherd-Gorringe MAM, Pettit MW, Hawkes FM. Lethal and sublethal impacts of membrane-fed ivermectin are concentration dependent in Anopheles coluzzii. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:228. [PMID: 38755640 PMCID: PMC11100210 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06287-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ivermectin is a well-tolerated anthelminthic drug with wide clinical and veterinary applications. It also has lethal and sublethal effects on mosquitoes. Mass drug administration with ivermectin has therefore been suggested as an innovative vector control tool in efforts to curb emerging insecticide resistance and reduce residual malaria transition. To support assessments of the feasibility and efficacy of current and future formulations of ivermectin for vector control, we sought to establish the relationship between ivermectin concentration and its lethal and sublethal impacts in a primary malaria vector. METHODS The in vitro effects of ivermectin on daily mortality and fecundity, measured by egg production, were assessed up to 14 days post-blood feed in a laboratory colony of Anopheles coluzzii. Mosquitoes were fed ivermectin in blood meals delivered by membrane feeding at one of six concentrations: 0 ng/ml (control), 10 ng/ml, 15 ng/ml, 25 ng/ml, 50 ng/ml, 75 ng/ml, and 100 ng/ml. RESULTS Ivermectin had a significant effect on mosquito survival in a concentration-dependent manner. The LC50 at 7 days was 19.7 ng/ml. The time to median mortality at ≥ 50 ng/ml was ≤ 4 days, compared to 9.6 days for control, and 6.3-7.6 days for ivermectin concentrations between 10 and 25 ng/ml. Fecundity was also affected; no oviposition was observed in surviving females from the two highest concentration treatment groups. While females exposed to 10 to 50 ng/ml of ivermectin did oviposit, significantly fewer did so in the 50 ng/ml treatment group compared to the control, and they also produced significantly fewer eggs. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed ivermectin reduced mosquito survival in a concentration-dependent manner and at ≥ 50 ng/ml significantly reduced fecundity in An. coluzzii. Results indicate that levels of ivermectin found in human blood following ingestion of a single 150-200 μg/kg dose would be sufficient to achieve 50% mortality across 7 days; however, fecundity in survivors is unlikely to be affected. At higher doses, a substantial impact on both survival and fecundity is likely. Treating human populations with ivermectin could be used as a supplementary malaria vector control method to kill mosquito populations and supress their reproduction; however strategies to safely maintain mosquitocidal blood levels of ivermectin against all Anopheles species require development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique A M Shepherd-Gorringe
- Medway Centre for Pharmaceutical Science, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK.
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich at Medway, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK.
| | - Marie W Pettit
- Medway Centre for Pharmaceutical Science, University of Greenwich, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Frances M Hawkes
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich at Medway, Chatham Maritime, Kent, ME4 4TB, UK
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5
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Pian H, Wang H, Wang H, Li Z. Dual CRISPR/Cas13a Cascade Strand Displacement-Triggered Transcription for Point-of-Care Detection of Plasmodium in Asymptomatic Malaria. Anal Chem 2024; 96:7524-7531. [PMID: 38695755 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
Asymptomatic infections of Plasmodium parasites are major obstacles to malaria control and elimination. A sensitive, specific, and user-friendly method is urgently needed for point-of-care (POC) Plasmodium diagnostics in asymptomatic malaria, especially in resource-limited settings. In this work, we present a POC method (termed Cas13a-SDT) based on the cascade sequence recognition and signal amplification of dual Cas13a trans-cleavage and strand displacement-triggered transcription (SDT). Cas13a-SDT not only achieves exceptional specificity in discriminating the target RNA from nontarget RNAs with any cross-interaction but also meets the sensitivity criterion set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for effective malaria detection. Remarkably, this novel method was successfully applied to screen malaria in asymptomatic infections from clinical samples. The proposed method provides a user-friendly and visually interpretable output mode while maintaining high accuracy and reliability comparable to RT-PCR. These excellent features demonstrate the significant potential of Cas13a-SDT for POC diagnosis of Plasmodium infections, laying a vital foundation for advancing malaria control and elimination efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongru Pian
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Hui Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Honghong Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Zhengping Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Bioengineering and Sensing Technology, School of Chemistry and Biological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
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Feineis D, Bringmann G. Structural variety and pharmacological potential of naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids. THE ALKALOIDS. CHEMISTRY AND BIOLOGY 2024; 91:1-410. [PMID: 38811064 DOI: 10.1016/bs.alkal.2024.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
Naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids are a fascinating class of natural biaryl compounds. They show characteristic mono- and dimeric scaffolds, with chiral axes and stereogenic centers. Since the appearance of the last comprehensive overview on these secondary plant metabolites in this series in 1995, the number of discovered representatives has tremendously increased to more than 280 examples known today. Many novel-type compounds have meanwhile been discovered, among them naphthylisoquinoline-related follow-up products like e.g., the first seco-type (i.e., ring-opened) and ring-contracted analogues. As highlighted in this review, the knowledge on the broad structural chemodiversity of naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids has been decisively driven forward by extensive phytochemical studies on the metabolite pattern of Ancistrocladus abbreviatus from Coastal West Africa, which is a particularly "creative" plant. These investigations furnished a considerable number of more than 80-mostly new-natural products from this single species, with promising antiplasmodial activities and with pronounced cytotoxic effects against human leukemia, pancreatic, cervical, and breast cancer cells. Another unique feature of naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids is their unprecedented biosynthetic origin from polyketidic precursors and not, as usual for isoquinoline alkaloids, from aromatic amino acids-a striking example of biosynthetic convergence in nature. Furthermore, remarkable botanical results are presented on the natural producers of naphthylisoquinoline alkaloids, the paleotropical Dioncophyllaceae and Ancistrocladaceae lianas, including first investigations on the chemoecological role of these plant metabolites and their storage and accumulation in particular plant organs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Feineis
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gerhard Bringmann
- Institute of Organic Chemistry, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
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Abdullaziz MA, Takada S, Illarionov B, Pessanha de Carvalho L, Sakamoto Y, Höfmann S, Knak T, Kiffe-Delf AL, Mazzone F, Pfeffer K, Kalscheuer R, Bacher A, Held J, Fischer M, Tanaka N, Kurz T. Reverse N-Substituted Hydroxamic Acid Derivatives of Fosmidomycin Target a Previously Unknown Subpocket of 1-Deoxy-d-xylulose 5-Phosphate Reductoisomerase (DXR). ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1739-1752. [PMID: 38647213 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.4c00100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Reverse analogs of the phosphonohydroxamic acid antibiotic fosmidomycin are potent inhibitors of the nonmevalonate isoprenoid biosynthesis enzyme 1-deoxy-d-xylulose 5-phosphate reductoisomerase (DXR, IspC) of Plasmodium falciparum. Some novel analogs with large phenylalkyl substituents at the hydroxamic acid nitrogen exhibit nanomolar PfDXR inhibition and potent in vitro growth inhibition of P. falciparum parasites coupled with good parasite selectivity. X-ray crystallographic studies demonstrated that the N-phenylpropyl substituent of the newly developed lead compound 13e is accommodated in a subpocket within the DXR catalytic domain but does not reach the NADPH binding pocket of the N-terminal domain. As shown for reverse carba and thia analogs, PfDXR selectively binds the S-enantiomer of the new lead compound. In addition, some representatives of the novel inhibitor subclass are nanomolar Escherichia coli DXR inhibitors, whereas the inhibition of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DXR is considerably weaker.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona A Abdullaziz
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
- National Research Centre (NRC), 33 El Buhouth St, Ad Doqi, Dokki, Cairo 12622, Egypt
| | - Sana Takada
- School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Boris Illarionov
- Hamburg School of Food Science, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Lais Pessanha de Carvalho
- Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstr. 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yasumitsu Sakamoto
- School of Pharmacy, Iwate Medical University, Yahaba, Iwate 028-3694, Japan
| | - Stefan Höfmann
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Talea Knak
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Anna-Lene Kiffe-Delf
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Flaminia Mazzone
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Heinrich Heine University, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Pfeffer
- Institute of Medical Microbiology and Hospital Hygiene, Heinrich Heine University, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Germany, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Rainer Kalscheuer
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical Biology and Biotechnology, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Adelbert Bacher
- Hamburg School of Food Science, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
- TUM School of Natural Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Boltzmannstr. 10, 85748 Garching, Germany
| | - Jana Held
- Institut für Tropenmedizin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstr. 27, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Hamburg School of Food Science, Universität Hamburg, Grindelallee 117, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nobutada Tanaka
- School of Pharmacy, Kitasato University, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8641, Japan
| | - Thomas Kurz
- Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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Choi JW, Ha SO, Kim YJ, Shin JS, Choi MJ, Yu SE, Han J, Park EJ, Park KS, Kang JH. Characterization of Escherichia coli Strains for Novel Production of Plasmodium ovale Lactate Dehydrogenase. Microorganisms 2024; 12:876. [PMID: 38792706 PMCID: PMC11123484 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms12050876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2024] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide with high incidence and mortality. Among the five species that can infect humans, Plasmodium ovale morphologically resembles Plasmodium vivax, resulting in misidentification and confusion in diagnosis, and is responsible for malarial disease relapse due to the formation of hypnozoites. P. ovale receives relatively less attention compared to other major parasites, such as P. falciparum and P. vivax, primarily due to its lower pathogenicity, mortality rates, and prevalence rates. To efficiently produce lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), a major target for diagnosing malaria, this study used three Escherichia coli strains, BL21(DE3), BL21(DE3)pLysS, and Rosetta(DE3), commonly used for recombinant protein production. These strains were characterized to select the optimal strain for P. ovale LDH (PoLDH) production. Gene cloning for recombinant PoLDH production and transformation of the three strains for protein expression were performed. The optimal PoLDH overexpression and washing buffer conditions in nickel-based affinity chromatography were established to ensure high-purity PoLDH. The yields of PoLDH expressed by the three strains were as follows: BL21(DE3), 7.6 mg/L; BL21(DE3)pLysS, 7.4 mg/L; and Rosetta(DE3), 9.5 mg/L. These findings are expected to be highly useful for PoLDH-specific diagnosis and development of antimalarial therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae-Won Choi
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang-Oh Ha
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon-Jun Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Seop Shin
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Ji Choi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Si-Eun Yu
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Junghun Han
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Ji Park
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyoung Sik Park
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Hoon Kang
- Department of Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biopharmaceutical Sciences, Cheongju University, Cheongju 28160, Republic of Korea
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9
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Daubenberger CA, Silva JC. First-generation malaria vaccine successfully implemented in three African countries. Lancet 2024; 403:1607-1609. [PMID: 38583452 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)02892-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia A Daubenberger
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland; University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
| | - Joana C Silva
- Institute for Genome Sciences and Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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Creek D, Giannangelo C, Challis M, Siddiqui G, Edgar R, Malcolm T, Webb C, Drinkwater N, Vinh N, MacRaild C, Counihan N, Duffy S, Wittlin S, Devine S, Avery V, de Koning-Ward T, Scammells P, McGowan S. Chemoproteomics validates selective targeting of Plasmodium M1 alanyl aminopeptidase as an antimalarial strategy. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3251230. [PMID: 38746424 PMCID: PMC11092810 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3251230/v3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
New antimalarial drug candidates that act via novel mechanisms are urgently needed to combat malaria drug resistance. Here, we describe the multi-omic chemical validation of Plasmodium M1 alanyl metalloaminopeptidase as an attractive drug target using the selective inhibitor, MIPS2673. MIPS2673 demonstrated potent inhibition of recombinant Plasmodium falciparum ( Pf A-M1) and Plasmodium vivax ( Pv A-M1) M1 metalloaminopeptidases, with selectivity over other Plasmodium and human aminopeptidases, and displayed excellent in vitro antimalarial activity with no significant host cytotoxicity. Orthogonal label-free chemoproteomic methods based on thermal stability and limited proteolysis of whole parasite lysates revealed that MIPS2673 solely targets Pf A-M1 in parasites, with limited proteolysis also enabling estimation of the binding site on Pf A-M1 to within ~5 Å of that determined by X-ray crystallography. Finally, functional investigation by untargeted metabolomics demonstrated that MIPS2673 inhibits the key role of Pf A-M1 in haemoglobin digestion. Combined, our unbiased multi-omic target deconvolution methods confirmed the on-target activity of MIPS2673, and validated selective inhibition of M1 alanyl metalloaminopeptidase as a promising antimalarial strategy.
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11
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Dunican C, Andradi-Brown C, Ebmeier S, Georgiadou A, Cunnington AJ. The malarial blood transcriptome: translational applications. Biochem Soc Trans 2024; 52:651-660. [PMID: 38421063 PMCID: PMC11088907 DOI: 10.1042/bst20230497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The blood transcriptome of malaria patients has been used extensively to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms and host immune responses to disease, identify candidate diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, and reveal new therapeutic targets for drug discovery. This review gives a high-level overview of the three main translational applications of these studies (diagnostics, prognostics, and therapeutics) by summarising recent literature and outlining the main limitations and future directions of each application. It highlights the need for consistent and accurate definitions of disease states and subject groups and discusses how prognostic studies must distinguish clearly between analyses that attempt to predict future disease states and those which attempt to discriminate between current disease states (classification). Lastly it examines how many promising therapeutics fail due to the choice of imperfect animal models for pre-clinical testing and lack of appropriate validation studies in humans, and how future transcriptional studies may be utilised to overcome some of these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Dunican
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, U.K
- Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, U.K
| | - Clare Andradi-Brown
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, U.K
- Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, U.K
| | - Stefan Ebmeier
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, U.K
- Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, U.K
| | - Athina Georgiadou
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, U.K
- Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, U.K
| | - Aubrey J. Cunnington
- Section of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, London, U.K
- Centre for Paediatrics and Child Health, Imperial College London, London, U.K
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12
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Sharma I, Kataria P, Das J. Cerebral malaria pathogenesis: Dissecting the role of CD4 + and CD8 + T-cells as major effectors in disease pathology. Int Rev Immunol 2024:1-18. [PMID: 38618863 DOI: 10.1080/08830185.2024.2336539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe complication of Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum) infection, with complex pathogenesis involving multiple factors, including the host's immunological response. T lymphocytes, specifically CD4+ T helper cells and CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, are crucial in controlling parasite growth and activating cells for parasite clearance via cytokine secretion. Contrary to this, reports also suggest the pathogenic nature of T lymphocytes as they are often involved in disease progression and severity. CD8+ cytotoxic T cells migrate to the host's brain vasculature, disrupting the blood-brain barrier and causing neurological manifestations. CD4+ T helper cells on the other hand play a variety of functions as they differentiate into different subtypes which may function as pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. The excessive pro-inflammatory response in CM can lead to multi-organ failure, necessitating a check mechanism to maintain immune homeostasis. This is achieved by regulatory T cells and their characteristic cytokines, which counterbalance the pro-inflammatory immune response. Maintaining a critical balance between pro and anti-inflammatory responses is crucial for determining disease outcomes in CM. A slight change in this balance may contribute to a disease severity owing to an extreme inflammatory response or unrestricted parasite growth, a potential target for designing immunotherapeutic treatment approaches. The review briefly discusses the pathogenesis of CM and various mechanisms responsible for the disruption of the blood-brain barrier. It also highlights the role of different T cell subsets during infection and emphasizes the importance of balance between pro and anti-inflammatory T cells that ultimately decides the outcome of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indu Sharma
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Noida, India
- Division of Immunology, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Poonam Kataria
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Noida, India
- Division of Immunology, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Jyoti Das
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Noida, India
- Division of Immunology, National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
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13
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Hellingman A, Sifoniou K, Buser T, Thommen BT, Walz A, Passecker A, Collins J, Hupfeld M, Wittlin S, Witmer K, Brancucci NMB. Next Generation Chemiluminescent Probes for Antimalarial Drug Discovery. ACS Infect Dis 2024; 10:1286-1297. [PMID: 38556981 PMCID: PMC11019541 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Malaria is caused by parasites of the Plasmodium genus and remains one of the most pressing human health problems. The spread of parasites resistant to or partially resistant to single or multiple drugs, including frontline antimalarial artemisinin and its derivatives, poses a serious threat to current and future malaria control efforts. In vitro drug assays are important for identifying new antimalarial compounds and monitoring drug resistance. Due to its robustness and ease of use, the [3H]-hypoxanthine incorporation assay is still considered a gold standard and is widely applied, despite limited sensitivity and the dependence on radioactive material. Here, we present a first-of-its-kind chemiluminescence-based antimalarial drug screening assay. The effect of compounds on P. falciparum is monitored by using a dioxetane-based substrate (AquaSpark β-D-galactoside) that emits high-intensity luminescence upon removal of a protective group (β-D-galactoside) by a transgenic β-galactosidase reporter enzyme. This biosensor enables highly sensitive, robust, and cost-effective detection of asexual, intraerythrocytic P. falciparum parasites without the need for parasite enrichment, washing, or purification steps. We are convinced that the ultralow detection limit of less than 100 parasites of the presented biosensor system will become instrumental in malaria research, including but not limited to drug screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Hellingman
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kleopatra Sifoniou
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tamara Buser
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Basil T. Thommen
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Annabelle Walz
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Armin Passecker
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Sergio Wittlin
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Kathrin Witmer
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
- NEMIS
Technologies AG, 8804 Au, ZH, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas M. B. Brancucci
- Department
of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, 4123 Allschwil, Switzerland
- University
of Basel, 4001 Basel, Switzerland
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14
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Adegboro AG, Afolabi IS. Molecular mechanisms of mitochondria-mediated ferroptosis: a potential target for antimalarial interventions. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1374735. [PMID: 38660623 PMCID: PMC11039840 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1374735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent form of regulated cell death characterized by glutathione (GSH) depletion, glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) inactivation, and the build-up of lipotoxic reactive species. Ferroptosis-targeted induction is a promising therapeutic approach for addressing antimalarial drug resistance. In addition to being the primary source of intracellular energy supply and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, mitochondria actively participate in diverse forms of regulated cell death, including ferroptosis. Altered mitochondrial morphology and functionality are attributed to ferroptosis. Diverse mitochondria-related proteins and metabolic activities have been implicated in fine-tuning the action of ferroptosis inducers. Herein, we review recent progress in this evolving field, elucidating the numerous mechanisms by which mitochondria regulate ferroptosis and giving an insight into the role of the organelle in ferroptosis. Additionally, we present an overview of how mitochondria contribute to ferroptosis in malaria. Furthermore, we attempt to shed light on an inclusive perspective on how targeting malaria parasites' mitochondrion and attacking redox homeostasis is anticipated to induce ferroptosis-mediated antiparasitic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adegbolagun Grace Adegboro
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science and Technology, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria
- Covenant Applied Informatics and Communication Africa Centre of Excellence (CApIC-ACE), Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria
| | - Israel Sunmola Afolabi
- Department of Biochemistry, College of Science and Technology, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria
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15
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Frempong NA, Mama A, Adu B, Kusi KA, Ofori MF, Ahiabor C, Anyan WK, Debrah AY, Anang AA, Ndam NT, Courtin D. Antibody response to malaria vaccine candidates in pregnant women with Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma haematobium infections. Parasite Immunol 2024; 46:e13027. [PMID: 38587985 DOI: 10.1111/pim.13027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
Malaria in pregnancy has severe consequences for the mother and foetus. Antibody response to specific malaria vaccine candidates (MVC) has been associated with a decreased risk of clinical malaria and its outcomes. We studied Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) and Schistosoma haematobium (Sh) infections and factors that could influence antibody responses to MVC in pregnant women. A total of 337 pregnant women receiving antenatal care (ANC) and 139 for delivery participated in this study. Pf infection was detected by qPCR and Sh infection using urine filtration method. Antibody levels against CSP, AMA-1, GLURP-R0, VAR2CSA and Pfs48/45 MVC were quantified by ELISA. Multivariable linear regression models identified factors associated with the modulation of antibody responses. The prevalence of Pf and Sh infections was 27% and 4% at ANC and 7% and 4% at delivery. Pf infection, residing in Adidome and multigravidae were positively associated with specific IgG response to CSP, AMA-1, GLURP-R0 and VAR2CSA. ITN use and IPTp were negatively associated with specific IgG response to GLURP-R0 and Pfs48/45. There was no association between Sh infection and antibody response to MVC at ANC or delivery. Pf infections in pregnant women were positively associated with antibody response to CSP, GLURP-R0 and AMA-1. Antibody response to GLURP-R0 and Pfs48/45 was low for IPTp and ITN users. This could indicate a lower exposure to Pf infection and low malaria prevalence observed at delivery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naa Adjeley Frempong
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
- Parasitology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Atikatou Mama
- Inserm U 1016, Institut Cochin, Université de, Paris, France
| | - Bright Adu
- Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi
- Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Michael F Ofori
- Immunology Department, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Charity Ahiabor
- Science Laboratory Department, Accra Technical University, Accra, Ghana
| | - William K Anyan
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, School of Medical Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Alex Yaw Debrah
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Abraham A Anang
- Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS), University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
| | - Nicaise T Ndam
- UMR 216 MERIT, IRD, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - David Courtin
- UMR 216 MERIT, IRD, Université Paris Cité, Paris, France
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16
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Raza M, Bharti H, Chauhan C, Singal A, Jha D, Ghosh PC, Nag A. Enhanced anti-malarial efficacy of mefloquine delivered via cationic liposome in a murine model of experimental cerebral malaria. Eur J Pharm Biopharm 2024; 197:114210. [PMID: 38340876 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejpb.2024.114210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Revised: 12/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Malaria is a longstanding global health challenge that continues to afflict over 90 countries located in tropical and subtropical regions of the globe. The rise of drug-resistant malarial parasites has curtailed the therapeutic efficacy of a number of once-effective anti-malarials, including mefloquine. In the present study, we have taken advantage of drug encapsulation approach to elevate the anti-malarial potential of mefloquine. Encouragingly, our findings unveil that liposomal formulations of mefloquine outperform equivalent doses of free mefloquine, both in laboratory cultures and in a murine model of malaria. Intriguingly, a cationic liposomal mefloquine formulation, administered at four successive doses of 3 mg/kg body weight, achieves complete resolution of cerebral malaria in the murine model while avoiding noticeable toxic repercussions. Altogether, our study furnishes pre-clinical validation for a therapeutic strategy that can remarkably enhance the drug efficacy, offering a revitalizing solution for failing anti-malarials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsin Raza
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Hina Bharti
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Charu Chauhan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Aakriti Singal
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Deepa Jha
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Prahlad C Ghosh
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India
| | - Alo Nag
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, New Delhi, India.
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17
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Nishi T, Kaneko I, Iwanaga S, Yuda M. PbARID-associated chromatin remodeling events are essential for gametocyte development in Plasmodium. Nucleic Acids Res 2024:gkae207. [PMID: 38554111 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Gametocyte development of the Plasmodium parasite is a key step for transmission of the parasite. Male and female gametocytes are produced from a subpopulation of asexual blood-stage parasites, but the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation of sexual stages are still under investigation. In this study, we investigated the role of PbARID, a putative subunit of a SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, in transcriptional regulation during the gametocyte development of P. berghei. PbARID expression starts in early gametocytes before the manifestation of male and female-specific features, and disruption of its gene results in the complete loss of gametocytes with detectable male features and the production of abnormal female gametocytes. ChIP-seq analysis of PbARID showed that it forms a complex with gSNF2, an ATPase subunit of the SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complex, associating with the male cis-regulatory element, TGTCT. Further ChIP-seq of PbARID in gsnf2-knockout parasites revealed an association of PbARID with another cis-regulatory element, TGCACA. RIME and DNA-binding assays suggested that HDP1 is the transcription factor that recruits PbARID to the TGCACA motif. Our results indicated that PbARID could function in two chromatin remodeling events and paly essential roles in both male and female gametocyte development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsubasa Nishi
- Department of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - Izumi Kaneko
- Department of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita 565-0871, Japan
| | - Masao Yuda
- Department of Medicine, Mie University, Tsu 514-8507, Japan
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18
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Perera DJ, Koger-Pease C, Paulini K, Daoudi M, Ndao M. Beyond schistosomiasis: unraveling co-infections and altered immunity. Clin Microbiol Rev 2024; 37:e0009823. [PMID: 38319102 PMCID: PMC10938899 DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00098-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the helminth Schistosoma spp. and has the second highest global impact of all parasites. Schistosoma are transmitted through contact with contaminated fresh water predominantly in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Due to the widespread prevalence of Schistosoma, co-infection with other infectious agents is common but often poorly described. Herein, we review recent literature describing the impact of Schistosoma co-infection between species and Schistosoma co-infection with blood-borne protozoa, soil-transmitted helminths, various intestinal protozoa, Mycobacterium, Salmonella, various urinary tract infection-causing agents, and viral pathogens. In each case, disease severity and, of particular interest, the immune landscape, are altered as a consequence of co-infection. Understanding the impact of schistosomiasis co-infections will be important when considering treatment strategies and vaccine development moving forward.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dilhan J. Perera
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Cal Koger-Pease
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
| | - Kayla Paulini
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mohamed Daoudi
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Momar Ndao
- Division of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Infectious Diseases and Immunity in Global Health Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- National Reference Centre for Parasitology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada
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19
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Tebben K, Yirampo S, Coulibaly D, Koné AK, Laurens MB, Stucke EM, Dembélé A, Tolo Y, Traoré K, Niangaly A, Berry AA, Kouriba B, Plowe CV, Doumbo OK, Lyke KE, Takala-Harrison S, Thera MA, Travassos MA, Serre D. Gene expression analyses reveal differences in children's response to malaria according to their age. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2021. [PMID: 38448421 PMCID: PMC10918175 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46416-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
In Bandiagara, Mali, children experience on average two clinical malaria episodes per year. However, even in the same transmission area, the number of uncomplicated symptomatic infections, and their parasitemia, can vary dramatically among children. We simultaneously characterize host and parasite gene expression profiles from 136 Malian children with symptomatic falciparum malaria and examine differences in the relative proportion of immune cells and parasite stages, as well as in gene expression, associated with infection and or patient characteristics. Parasitemia explains much of the variation in host and parasite gene expression, and infections with higher parasitemia display proportionally more neutrophils and fewer T cells, suggesting parasitemia-dependent neutrophil recruitment and/or T cell extravasation to secondary lymphoid organs. The child's age also strongly correlates with variations in gene expression: Plasmodium falciparum genes associated with age suggest that older children carry more male gametocytes, while variations in host gene expression indicate a stronger innate response in younger children and stronger adaptive response in older children. These analyses highlight the variability in host responses and parasite regulation during P. falciparum symptomatic infections and emphasize the importance of considering the children's age when studying and treating malaria infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran Tebben
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Salif Yirampo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Drissa Coulibaly
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Abdoulaye K Koné
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Matthew B Laurens
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Emily M Stucke
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ahmadou Dembélé
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Youssouf Tolo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Karim Traoré
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Amadou Niangaly
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Andrea A Berry
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bourema Kouriba
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Christopher V Plowe
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ogobara K Doumbo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Kirsten E Lyke
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shannon Takala-Harrison
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mahamadou A Thera
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Mark A Travassos
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - David Serre
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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20
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Long B, MacDonald A, Liang SY, Brady WJ, Koyfman A, Gottlieb M, Chavez S. Malaria: A focused review for the emergency medicine clinician. Am J Emerg Med 2024; 77:7-16. [PMID: 38096639 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.11.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 11/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Malaria is a potentially fatal parasitic disease transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. A resurgence in locally acquired infections has been reported in the U.S. OBJECTIVE This narrative review provides a focused overview of malaria for the emergency clinician, including the epidemiology, presentation, diagnosis, and management of the disease. DISCUSSION Malaria is caused by Plasmodium and is transmitted by the Anopheles mosquito. Disease severity can range from mild to severe. Malaria should be considered in any returning traveler from an endemic region, as well as those with unexplained cyclical, paroxysms of symptoms or unexplained fever. Patients most commonly present with fever and rigors but may also experience cough, myalgias, abdominal pain, fatigue, vomiting, and diarrhea. Hepatomegaly, splenomegaly, pallor, and jaundice are findings associated with malaria. Although less common, severe malaria is precipitated by microvascular obstruction with complications of anemia, acidosis, hypoglycemia, multiorgan failure, and cerebral malaria. Peripheral blood smears remain the gold standard for diagnosis, but rapid diagnostic tests are available. Treatment includes specialist consultation and antimalarial drugs tailored depending on chloroquine resistance, geographic region of travel, and patient comorbidities. Supportive care may be required, and patients with severe malaria will require resuscitation. Most patients will require admission for treatment and further monitoring. CONCLUSION Emergency medicine clinicians should be aware of the presentation, diagnosis, evaluation, and management of malaria to ensure optimal outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brit Long
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA.
| | - Austin MacDonald
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX, USA
| | - Stephen Y Liang
- Divisions of Emergency Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO, USA.
| | - William J Brady
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
| | - Alex Koyfman
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Boulevard, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Michael Gottlieb
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Summer Chavez
- Department of Health Systems and Population Health Sciences, Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine, USA.
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21
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Costa E, Rocha D, Lopes JIF, Andrade E, Cardoso P, Ribeiro M, Fontana-Maurell M, Vicentino ARR, Calazans AR, Arruda MB, Mesquita CDA, Ferreira AGP, Amorim Filho L, Alvarez P. Detection of Plasmodium spp. in asymptomatic blood donors by the new Brazilian NAT PLUS HIV/HBV/HCV/Malaria Bio-Manguinhos kit. Transfusion 2024; 64:501-509. [PMID: 38258881 DOI: 10.1111/trf.17726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Transfusion-transmitted malaria (TTM) is a public health problem in endemic and nonendemic areas. The Brazilian Ministry of Health (MH) requested the development of a nucleic acid amplification test (NAT) for the detection of Plasmodium spp. in public blood centers to increase blood safety. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS The new Brazilian NAT kit named NAT PLUS HIV/HBV/HCV/Malaria Bio-Manguinhos was first implemented in HEMORIO, a public blood center in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Since October 1, 2022, this blood center has been testing all its blood donations for malaria in a pool of six plasma samples to detect Plasmodium spp. by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). RESULTS Since the implementation of the NAT PLUS platform until February 2023, HEMORIO has successfully received and tested 200,277 donations. The platform detected two asymptomatic donors in the city of Rio de Janeiro, which is a nonendemic region for malaria. Our analyses suggested a malaria from the Amazon region caused by Plasmodium vivax, in the first case, while an autochthonous transmission case by Plasmodium malariae was identified in the rural area of Rio de Janeiro state. DISCUSSION The NAT PLUS platform detects Plasmodium spp. in plasma samples with sensitivity capable of detecting subpatent infections. This is the first time worldwide that a group developed and implemented molecular diagnosis for Plasmodium spp. to be used by public blood centers to avoid TTM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Costa
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Daniele Rocha
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | | | - Elisabete Andrade
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Marisa Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Marcela Fontana-Maurell
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
- Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Amanda Roberta Revoredo Vicentino
- Laboratório de Imunologia Molecular e Celular, Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Alexandre Rodrigues Calazans
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | - Monica Barcellos Arruda
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | | | - Antonio Gomes Pinto Ferreira
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
| | | | - Patrícia Alvarez
- Laboratório de Tecnologia Diagnóstica (LATED), Instituto de Tecnologia de Imunobiológicos (Bio-Manguinhos), Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro, Brasil
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22
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Memariani H, Memariani M, Ghasemian A. Quercetin as a Promising Antiprotozoan Phytochemical: Current Knowledge and Future Research Avenues. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 2024:7632408. [PMID: 38456097 PMCID: PMC10919984 DOI: 10.1155/2024/7632408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Despite tremendous advances in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, only few antiparasitic drugs have been developed to date. Protozoan infections such as malaria, leishmaniasis, and trypanosomiasis continue to exact an enormous toll on public health worldwide, underscoring the need to discover novel antiprotozoan drugs. Recently, there has been an explosion of research into the antiprotozoan properties of quercetin, one of the most abundant flavonoids in the human diet. In this review, we tried to consolidate the current knowledge on the antiprotozoal effects of quercetin and to provide the most fruitful avenues for future research. Quercetin exerts potent antiprotozoan activity against a broad spectrum of pathogens such as Leishmania spp., Trypanosoma spp., Plasmodium spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Trichomonas spp., and Toxoplasma gondii. In addition to its immunomodulatory roles, quercetin disrupts mitochondrial function, induces apoptotic/necrotic cell death, impairs iron uptake, inhibits multiple enzymes involved in fatty acid synthesis and the glycolytic pathways, suppresses the activity of DNA topoisomerases, and downregulates the expression of various heat shock proteins in these pathogens. In vivo studies also show that quercetin is effective in reducing parasitic loads, histopathological damage, and mortality in animals. Future research should focus on designing effective drug delivery systems to increase the oral bioavailability of quercetin. Incorporating quercetin into various nanocarrier systems would be a promising approach to manage localized cutaneous infections. Nevertheless, clinical trials are needed to validate the efficacy of quercetin in treating various protozoan infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Memariani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Memariani
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Abdolmajid Ghasemian
- Noncommunicable Diseases Research Center, Fasa University of Medical Sciences, Fasa, Iran
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23
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Balmith M, Basson C, Brand SJ. The Malaria Burden: A South African Perspective. J Trop Med 2024; 2024:6619010. [PMID: 38434493 PMCID: PMC10907104 DOI: 10.1155/2024/6619010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a deadly disease caused by protozoan pathogens of the Plasmodium parasite. Transmission to humans occurs through the bite of an infected female Anopheles mosquito. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 247 million cases of malaria were recorded worldwide in 2021, with approximately 619 000 malaria deaths. The initial signs of malaria can be mild and challenging to diagnose due to the signs and symptoms being similar to those of other illnesses. The malaria burden remains largely concentrated in the WHO sub-Saharan African region and has been recognised as a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality. This review aims to contribute to the existing knowledge on malaria in South Africa, a region within sub-Saharan Africa, focusing on the epidemiology and life cycle of the malaria parasite as well as diagnostic approaches for detecting malaria. In addition, nonpharmacological and pharmacological interventions for treating and preventing malaria infections will also be discussed herein. While there has been a significant reduction in the global burden of this disease, malaria remains a public health issue in South Africa. As such, the implementation of effective preventative measures and strategies, early diagnosis, and appropriate treatment regimens are crucial to reducing the malaria burden in South Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marissa Balmith
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Charlise Basson
- Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sarel J. Brand
- Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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24
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Parvatkar P, Maher SP, Zhao Y, Cooper CA, de Castro ST, Péneau J, Vantaux A, Witkowski B, Kyle DE, Manetsch R. In Vitro Antimalarial Activity of Trichothecenes against Liver and Blood Stages of Plasmodium Species. JOURNAL OF NATURAL PRODUCTS 2024; 87:315-321. [PMID: 38262446 PMCID: PMC10897926 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jnatprod.3c01019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2024]
Abstract
Trichothecenes (TCNs) are a large group of tricyclic sesquiterpenoid mycotoxins that have intriguing structural features and remarkable biological activities. Herein, we focused on three TCNs (anguidine, verrucarin A, and verrucarol) and their ability to target both the blood and liver stages of Plasmodium species, the parasite responsible for malaria. Anguidine and verrucarin A were found to be highly effective against the blood and liver stages of malaria, while verrucarol had no effect at the highest concentration tested. However, these compounds were also found to be cytotoxic and, thus, not selective, making them unsuitable for drug development. Nonetheless, they could be useful as chemical probes for protein synthesis inhibitors due to their direct impact on parasite synthesis processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prakash
T. Parvatkar
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Steven P. Maher
- Center
for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Yingzhao Zhao
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
| | - Caitlin A. Cooper
- Center
for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Sagan T. de Castro
- Center
for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Julie Péneau
- Malaria
Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur
du Cambodge, 5 Boulevard Monivong, PO Box 983, Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - Amélie Vantaux
- Malaria
Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur
du Cambodge, 5 Boulevard Monivong, PO Box 983, Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - Benoît Witkowski
- Malaria
Molecular Epidemiology Unit, Institut Pasteur
du Cambodge, 5 Boulevard Monivong, PO Box 983, Phnom Penh, 120 210, Cambodia
| | - Dennis E. Kyle
- Center
for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States
| | - Roman Manetsch
- Department
of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Department
of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Center
for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
- Barnett
Institute
of Chemical and Biological Analysis, Northeastern
University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, United States
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25
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Andrade C, Sousa BKDP, Sigurdardóttir S, Bourgard C, Borba J, Clementino L, Salazar-Alvarez LC, Groustra S, Zigweid R, Khim M, Staker B, Costa F, Eriksson L, Sunnerhagen P. Selective Bias Virtual Screening for Discovery of Promising Antimalarial Candidates targeting Plasmodium N-Myristoyltransferase. RESEARCH SQUARE 2024:rs.3.rs-3963523. [PMID: 38463971 PMCID: PMC10925453 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3963523/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Malaria remains a significant public health challenge, with Plasmodium vivax being the species responsible for the most prevalent form of the disease. Given the limited therapeutic options available, the search for new antimalarials against P. vivax is urgent. This study aims to identify new inhibitors for P. vivax N-myristoyltransferase (PvNMT), an essential drug target against malaria. Through a validated virtual screening campaign, we prioritized 23 candidates for further testing. In the yeast NMT system, seven compounds exhibit a potential inhibitor phenotype. In vitro antimalarial phenotypic assays confirmed the activity of four candidates while demonstrating an absence of cytotoxicity. Enzymatic assays reveal LabMol-394 as the most promising inhibitor, displaying selectivity against the parasite and a strong correlation within the yeast system. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulations shed some light into its binding mode. This study constitutes a substantial contribution to the exploration of a selective quinoline scaffold and provides valuable insights into the development of new antimalarial candidates.
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26
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Dembélé P, Cissoko M, Diarra AZ, Doumbia L, Koné A, Magassa MH, Mehadji M, Thera MA, Ranque S. Evaluation of the Performance of Rapid Diagnostic Tests for Malaria Diagnosis and Mapping of Different Plasmodium Species in Mali. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:228. [PMID: 38397717 PMCID: PMC10888130 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21020228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The first-line diagnosis of malaria in Mali is based on the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) that detect the Histidin Rich Protein 2 (HRP2) antigen specific to Plasmodium falciparum. Our study, based on a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) gold standard, aimed to describe the distribution of the Plasmodium species in each administrative region of Mali and to assess the performance of RDTs. METHODS We randomly selected 150 malaria-negative and up to 30 malaria-positive RDTs in 41 sites distributed in 9 regions of Mali. DNA extracted from the RDT nitrocellulose strip was assayed with a pan-Plasmodium qPCR. Positive samples were then analyzed with P. falciparum-, P. malariae-, P. vivax-, or P. ovale-specific qPCRs. RESULTS Of the 1496 RDTs, 258 (18.6%) were positive for Plasmodium spp., of which 96.9% were P. falciparum. The P. vivax prevalence reached 21.1% in the north. RDT displayed acceptable diagnostic indices; the lower CI95% bounds of Youden indices were all ≥0.50, except in the north (Youden index 0.66 (95% CI [0.44-0.82]) and 0.63 (95% CI [0.33-0.83]. CONCLUSIONS Overall, RDT diagnostic indices are adequate for the biological diagnosis of malaria in Mali. We recommend the use of RDTs detecting P. vivax-specific antigens in the north.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Dembélé
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme (PNLP), Bamako BP 233, Mali; (M.C.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Mady Cissoko
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme (PNLP), Bamako BP 233, Mali; (M.C.); (M.H.M.)
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), FMOS-FAPH, Mali-NIAID-ICER, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Bamako BP 1805, Mali;
| | - Adama Zan Diarra
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Lassana Doumbia
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Appliquée (LBMA), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Badalabougou, Bamako BP 423, Mali;
| | - Aïssata Koné
- Laboratoire de Biologie Moléculaire Appliquée (LBMA), Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Badalabougou, Bamako BP 423, Mali;
| | - Mahamadou H. Magassa
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme (PNLP), Bamako BP 233, Mali; (M.C.); (M.H.M.)
| | - Maissane Mehadji
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
- Aix-Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, 13005 Marseille, France
| | - Mahamadou A. Thera
- Malaria Research and Training Center (MRTC), FMOS-FAPH, Mali-NIAID-ICER, Université des Sciences, des Techniques et des Technologies de Bamako, Bamako BP 1805, Mali;
| | - Stéphane Ranque
- Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Méditerranée Infection (IHU), Aix Marseille Université, 13005 Marseille, France; (P.D.); (A.Z.D.); (L.D.); (M.M.)
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Meier-Scherling CPG, Watson OJ, Asua V, Ghinai I, Katairo T, Garg S, Conrad M, Rosenthal PJ, Okell LC, Bailey JA. Selection of artemisinin partial resistance Kelch13 mutations in Uganda in 2016-22 was at a rate comparable to that seen previously in South-East Asia. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.02.03.24302209. [PMID: 38352505 PMCID: PMC10862983 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.03.24302209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Background Artemisinin partial resistance, mediated by mutations in the Plasmodium falciparum Kelch13 protein (K13), rapidly spread in South-East Asia (SEA), undermining antimalarial efficacies of artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT). Validated K13 mutations have recently arisen in Africa, but rates of increase are not well characterized. Methods We investigated K13 mutation prevalence at 16 sites in Uganda (2016-2022, 6586 samples), and five sites in SEA (2003-2018, 5465 samples) by calculating selection coefficients using Bayesian mixed-effect linear models. We then tested whether SEA K13 mutation prevalence could have been forecast accurately using up to the first five years of available data and forecast future K13 mutation prevalence in Uganda. Findings The selection coefficient for the prevalence of relevant K13 mutations (441L, 469F/Y, 561H, 675V) was estimated at s=0·383 (95% CrI: 0·247 - 0·528) per year, a 38% relative prevalence increase. Selection coefficients across Uganda were s=0·968 (0·463 - 1·569) for 441L, s=0·153 (-0·445 - 0·727) for 469F, s=0·222 (-0·011 - 0·398) for 469Y, and s=0·152 (-0·023 - 0·312) for 675V. In SEA, the selection coefficient was s=-0·005 (-0·852 - 0·814) for 539T, s=0·574 (-0·092 - 1·201) for 580Y, and s=0·308 (0·089 - 0·536) for all validated K13 mutations. Forecast prevalences for Uganda assuming constant selection neared fixation (>95% prevalence) within a decade (2028-2033) for combined K13 mutations. Interpretation The selection of K13 mutations in Uganda was at a comparable rate to that observed in SEA, suggesting K13 mutations may continue to increase quickly in Uganda. Funding NIH R01AI156267, R01AI075045, and R01AI089674.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Oliver J Watson
- Medical Research Council Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Victor Asua
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | | | - Thomas Katairo
- Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Shreeya Garg
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Melissa Conrad
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Philip J. Rosenthal
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lucy C Okell
- Medical Research Council Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Jeffrey A. Bailey
- Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, RI, USA
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28
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Rohlfing AK, Kremser M, Schaale D, Dicenta-Baunach V, Laspa Z, Fu X, Zizmare L, Sigle M, Harm T, Münzer P, Pelzer A, Borst O, Trautwein C, Feil R, Müller K, Castor T, Lämmerhofer M, Gawaz MP. cGMP modulates hemin-mediated platelet death. Thromb Res 2024; 234:63-74. [PMID: 38171216 DOI: 10.1016/j.thromres.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Hemolysis is a known risk factor for thrombosis resulting in critical limb ischemia and microcirculatory disturbance and organ failure. Intravasal hemolysis may lead to life-threatening complications due to uncontrolled thrombo-inflammation. Until now, conventional antithrombotic therapies failed to control development and progression of these thrombotic events. Thus, the pathophysiology of these thrombotic events needs to be investigated to unravel underlying pathways and thereby identify targets for novel treatment strategies. METHODS Here we used classical experimental set-ups as well as high-end flow cytometry, metabolomics and lipidomic analysis to in-depth analyze the effects of hemin on platelet physiology and morphology. RESULTS Hemin does strongly and swiftly induce platelet activation and this process is modulated by the sGC-cGMP-cGKI signaling axis. cGMP modulation also reduced the pro-aggregatory potential of plasma derived from patients with hemolysis. Furthermore, hemin-induced platelet death evokes distinct platelet subpopulations. Typical cell death markers, such as ROS, were induced by hemin-stimulation and the platelet lipidome was specifically altered by high hemin concentration. Specifically, arachidonic acid derivates, such as PGE2, TXB2 or 12-HHT, were significantly increased. Balancing the cGMP levels by modulation of the sGC-cGMP-cGKI axis diminished the ferroptotic effect of hemin. CONCLUSION We found that cGMP modulates hemin-induced platelet activation and thrombus formation in vitro and cGMP effects hemin-mediated platelet death and changes in the platelet lipidome. Thus, it is tempting to speculate that modulating platelet cGMP levels may be a novel strategy to control thrombosis and critical limb ischemia in patients with hemolytic crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Katrin Rohlfing
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Marcel Kremser
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - David Schaale
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Valerie Dicenta-Baunach
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Zoi Laspa
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Xiaoqing Fu
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Laimdota Zizmare
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department for Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, University Tübingen, Röntgenweg 13, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Manuel Sigle
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Tobias Harm
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Patrick Münzer
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; DFG Heisenberg Group Cardiovascular Thrombo-inflammation and Translational Thrombocardiology, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Andreas Pelzer
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Oliver Borst
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; DFG Heisenberg Group Cardiovascular Thrombo-inflammation and Translational Thrombocardiology, University of Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Christoph Trautwein
- Werner Siemens Imaging Center, Department for Preclinical Imaging and Radiopharmacy, University Tübingen, Röntgenweg 13, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Robert Feil
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 34, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Karin Müller
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Tatsiana Castor
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Michael Lämmerhofer
- Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, University Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Meinrad P Gawaz
- Department of Cardiology and Angiology, University Hospital Tübingen, University Tübingen, Otfried-Müller-Straße 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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Olejarz JW, Nowak MA. Gene drives for the extinction of wild metapopulations. J Theor Biol 2024; 577:111654. [PMID: 37984587 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2023.111654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Population-suppressing gene drives may be capable of extinguishing wild populations, with proposed applications in conservation, agriculture, and public health. However, unintended and potentially disastrous consequences of release of drive-engineered individuals are extremely difficult to predict. We propose a model for the dynamics of a sex ratio-biasing drive, and using simulations, we show that failure of the suppression drive is often a natural outcome due to stochastic and spatial effects. We further demonstrate rock-paper-scissors dynamics among wild-type, drive-infected, and extinct populations that can persist for arbitrarily long times. Gene drive-mediated extinction of wild populations entails critical complications that lurk far beyond the reach of laboratory-based studies. Our findings help in addressing these challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason W Olejarz
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA; Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
| | - Martin A Nowak
- Department of Mathematics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA; Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
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30
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Nosková E, Sambucci KM, Petrželková KJ, Červená B, Modrý D, Pafčo B. Strongyloides in non-human primates: significance for public health control. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230006. [PMID: 38008123 PMCID: PMC10676817 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Primates are an important source of infectious disease in humans. Strongyloidiasis affects an estimated 600 million people worldwide, with a global distribution and hotspots of infection in tropical and subtropical regions. Recently added to the list of neglected tropical diseases, global attention has been demanded in the drive for its control. Through a literature review of Strongyloides in humans and non-human primates (NHP), we analysed the most common identification methods and gaps in knowledge about this nematode genus. The rise of molecular-based methods for Strongyloides detection is evident in both humans and NHP and provides an opportunity to analyse all data available from primates. Dogs were also included as an important host species of Strongyloides and a potential bridge host between humans and NHP. This review highlights the lack of molecular data across all hosts-humans, NHP and dogs-with the latter highly underrepresented in the database. Despite the cosmopolitan nature of Strongyloides, there are still large gaps in our knowledge for certain species when considering transmission and pathogenicity. We suggest that a unified approach to Strongyloides detection be taken, with an optimized, repeatable molecular-based method to improve our understanding of this parasitic infection. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Strongyloides: omics to worm-free populations'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Nosková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Kelly M. Sambucci
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 611 37 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Klára J. Petrželková
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Červená
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David Modrý
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, 625 00 Brno, Czech Republic
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, 370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Barbora Pafčo
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 603 00 Brno, Czech Republic
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31
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Sulik M, Fontinha D, Steverding D, Sobczak S, Antoszczak M, Prudêncio M, Huczyński A. Unexpected rearrangement of ivermectin in the synthesis of new derivatives with trypanocidal and antiplasmodial activities. Eur J Med Chem 2024; 263:115951. [PMID: 37988797 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Ivermectin is a sixteen-membered macrolactone "wonder drug" of Nobel prize-honored distinction that exhibits a wide range of antiparasitic activities. It has been used for almost four decades in the treatment of various parasitic diseases in humans and animals. In this paper, we describe the synthesis of the first-in-class ivermectin derivatives obtained via derivatization of the C13 position, along with the unexpected rearrangement of the oxahydrindene (hexahydrobenzofuran) unit of the macrolide ring. The structural investigation of the rearrangement has been performed using the single-crystal X-ray diffraction method. The antiparasitic and cytotoxic activities of the newly synthesized derivatives were determined in vitro with the bloodstream form of Trypanosoma brucei brucei, the hepatic stage of Plasmodium berghei, and human leukemia HL-60 cells. The compounds with the highest trypanocidal activity were the C13-epi-2-chloroacetamide analogs of native (6h) or rearranged (7h) ivermectin. Both 6h and 7h displayed trypanocidal activities within a similar mid-nanomolar concentration range as the commercially used trypanocides suramin and ethidium bromide. Furthermore, 6h and 7h exhibited a comparable cytotoxic to trypanocidal ratio as the reference drug ethidium bromide. The double-modified compound 7a (C13-epi-acetamide of rearranged ivermectin) exhibited the highest activity against P. berghei grown in human hepatoma cells, which was 2.5 times higher than that of ivermectin. The findings of this study suggest that C13-epi-amide derivatives of ivermectin are suitable leads in the rational development of new antiparasitic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michał Sulik
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61‒614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Diana Fontinha
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Dietmar Steverding
- Bob Champion Research & Education Building, Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Szymon Sobczak
- Department of Materials Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61‒614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Michał Antoszczak
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61‒614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Miguel Prudêncio
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Prof. Egas Moniz, 1649-028, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Adam Huczyński
- Department of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 8, 61‒614 Poznań, Poland.
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Lisauskaitė M, Nixon GL, Woodley CM, Berry NG, Coninckx A, Qie LC, Leung SC, Taramelli D, Basilico N, Parapini S, Ward SA, Vadas O, Soldati-Favre D, Hong WD, O'Neill PM. Design, synthesis and modelling of photoreactive chemical probes for investigating target engagement of plasmepsin IX and X in Plasmodium falciparum. RSC Chem Biol 2024; 5:19-29. [PMID: 38179191 PMCID: PMC10763550 DOI: 10.1039/d3cb00109a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
The emergence of Plasmodium parasite resistance to current front-line antimalarial treatments poses a serious threat to global malaria control and highlights the necessity for the development of therapeutics with novel targets and mechanisms of action. Plasmepsins IX and X (PMIX/PMX) have been recognised as highly promising targets in Plasmodium due to their contribution to parasite's pathogenicity. Recent research has demonstrated that dual PMIX/PMX inhibition results in the impairment of multiple parasite's life cycle stages, which is an important feature in drug resistance prevention. Herein we report novel hydroxyethylamine photoaffinity labelling (PAL) probes, designed for PMIX/PMX target engagement and proteomics experiments in Plasmodium parasites. The prepared probes have both a photoreactive group (diazirine or benzophenone) for covalent attachment to target proteins, and a terminal alkyne handle allowing their use in bioorthogonal ligation. One of the synthesised benzophenone probes was shown to be highly promising as demonstrated by its outstanding antimalarial potency (IC50 = 15 nM versus D10 P. falciparum) and its inhibitory effect against PfPMX in an enzymatic assay. Molecular docking and molecular dynamics studies show that the inclusion of the benzophenone and alkyne handle does not alter the binding mode compared to the parent compound. The photoaffinity probe can be used in future chemical proteomics studies to allow hydroxyethylamine drug scaffold target identification and validation in Plasmodium. We expect our findings to act as a tool for future investigations on PMIX/PMX inhibition in antimalarial drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gemma L Nixon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | | | - Neil G Berry
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Andy Coninckx
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - L Charlie Qie
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Suet C Leung
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Donatella Taramelli
- Dipartimento di Scienze Farmacologiche e Biomolecolari (DISFEB), Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Nicoletta Basilico
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Chirurgiche e Odontoiatriche, Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Silvia Parapini
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano 20133 Milano Italy
- Affiliated to Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerche sulla Malaria/Italian Malaria Network (CIRM-IMN), Università degli Studi di Camerino Italy
| | - Stephen A Ward
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine Liverpool L3 5QA UK
| | - Oscar Vadas
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet CH-1211 Genève 4 Switzerland
| | - Dominique Soldati-Favre
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, CMU, 1 rue Michel-Servet CH-1211 Genève 4 Switzerland
| | - W David Hong
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
| | - Paul M O'Neill
- Department of Chemistry, University of Liverpool Liverpool L69 7ZD UK
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Martin LE, Hillyer JF. Higher temperature accelerates the aging-dependent weakening of the melanization immune response in mosquitoes. PLoS Pathog 2024; 20:e1011935. [PMID: 38198491 PMCID: PMC10805325 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/01/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The body temperature of mosquitoes, like most insects, is dictated by the environmental temperature. Climate change is increasing the body temperature of insects and thereby altering physiological processes such as immune proficiency. Aging also alters insect physiology, resulting in the weakening of the immune system in a process called senescence. Although both temperature and aging independently affect the immune system, it is unknown whether temperature alters the rate of immune senescence. Here, we evaluated the independent and combined effects of temperature (27°C, 30°C and 32°C) and aging (1, 5, 10 and 15 days old) on the melanization immune response of the adult female mosquito, Anopheles gambiae. Using a spectrophotometric assay that measures phenoloxidase activity (a rate limiting enzyme) in hemolymph, and therefore, the melanization potential of the mosquito, we discovered that the strength of melanization decreases with higher temperature, aging, and infection. Moreover, when the temperature is higher, the aging-dependent decline in melanization begins at a younger age. Using an optical assay that measures melanin deposition on the abdominal wall and in the periostial regions of the heart, we found that melanin is deposited after infection, that this deposition decreases with aging, and that this aging-dependent decline is accelerated by higher temperature. This study demonstrates that higher temperature accelerates immune senescence in mosquitoes, with higher temperature uncoupling physiological age from chronological age. These findings highlight the importance of investigating the consequences of climate change on how disease transmission by mosquitoes is affected by aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay E. Martin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Julián F. Hillyer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America
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Evbuomwan IO, Alejolowo OO, Elebiyo TC, Nwonuma CO, Ojo OA, Edosomwan EU, Chikwendu JI, Elosiuba NV, Akulue JC, Dogunro FA, Rotimi DE, Osemwegie OO, Ojo AB, Ademowo OG, Adeyemi OS, Oluba OM. In silico modeling revealed phytomolecules derived from Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) leaf extract as promising candidates for malaria therapy. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:101-118. [PMID: 36974933 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2192799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of varying levels of resistance to currently available antimalarial drugs significantly threatens global health. This factor heightens the urgency to explore bioactive compounds from natural products with a view to discovering and developing newer antimalarial drugs with novel mode of actions. Therefore, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of sixteen phytocompounds from Cymbopogon citratus leaf extract against Plasmodium falciparum drug targets such as P. falciparum circumsporozoite protein (PfCSP), P. falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (PfMSP1) and P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1). In silico approaches including molecular docking, pharmacophore modeling and 3D-QSAR were adopted to analyze the inhibitory activity of the compounds under consideration. The molecular docking results indicated that a compound swertiajaponin from C. citratus exhibited a higher binding affinity (-7.8 kcal/mol) to PfMSP1 as against the standard artesunate-amodiaquine (-6.6 kcal/mol). Swertiajaponin also formed strong hydrogen bond interactions with LYS29, CYS30, TYR34, ASN52, GLY55 and CYS28 amino acid residues. In addition, quercetin another compound from C. citratus exhibited significant binding energies -6.8 and -8.3 kcal/mol with PfCSP and PfEMP1, respectively but slightly lower than the standard artemether-lumefantrine with binding energies of -7.4 kcal/mol against PfCSP and -8.7 kcal/mol against PfEMP1. Overall, the present study provides evidence that swertiajaponin and other phytomolecules from C. citratus have modulatory properties toward P. falciparum drug targets and thus may warrant further exploration in early drug discovery efforts against malaria. Furthermore, these findings lend credence to the folkloric use of C. citratus for malaria treatment.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikponmwosa Owen Evbuomwan
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Food Science and Microbiology, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | - Omokolade Oluwaseyi Alejolowo
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | | | - Charles Obiora Nwonuma
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | - Oluwafemi Adeleke Ojo
- Phytomedicine, Molecular Toxicology and Computational Biochemistry Research Group, Department of Biochemistry, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria
| | - Evelyn Uwa Edosomwan
- Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria
| | | | | | | | | | - Damilare Emmanuel Rotimi
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
| | | | | | - Olusegun George Ademowo
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
- Drug Research Laboratory, Institute of Advanced Medical Research and Training (IMRAT), College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Oluyomi Stephen Adeyemi
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Osaki, Miyagi, Japan
| | - Olarewaju Michael Oluba
- SDG #03 Group - Good Health and Well-Being Research Cluster, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
- Department of Biochemistry, Landmark University, Omu-Aran, Nigeria
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Gaio P, Cramer A, de Melo Oliveira NF, Porto S, Kramer L, Nonato Rabelo RA, Pereira RDD, de Oliveira Santos LL, Nascimento Barbosa CL, Silva Oliveira FM, Martins Teixeira M, Castro Russo R, Matos MJ, Simão Machado F. N-(coumarin-3-yl)cinnamamide Promotes Immunomodulatory, Neuroprotective, and Lung Function-Preserving Effects during Severe Malaria. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2023; 17:46. [PMID: 38256880 PMCID: PMC10821074 DOI: 10.3390/ph17010046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection in mice resembles several aspects of severe malaria in humans, such as cerebral malaria and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Herein, the effects of N-(coumarin-3-yl)cinnamamide (M220) against severe experimental malaria have been investigated. Treatment with M220 proved to protect cognitive abilities and lung function in PbA-infected mice, observed by an object recognition test and spirometry, respectively. In addition, treated mice demonstrated decreased levels of brain and lung inflammation. The production and accumulation of microglia, and immune cells that produce the inflammatory cytokines TNF and IFN-γ, decreased, while the production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 by innate and adaptive immune cells was enhanced. Treatment with M220 promotes immunomodulatory, neuroprotective, and lung function-preserving effects during experimental severe malaria. Therefore, it may be an interesting therapeutic candidate to treat severe malaria effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Gaio
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
| | - Allysson Cramer
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
| | - Natália Fernanda de Melo Oliveira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
| | - Samuel Porto
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
| | - Lucas Kramer
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
| | - Rayane Aparecida Nonato Rabelo
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
| | - Rafaela das Dores Pereira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
| | - Laura Lis de Oliveira Santos
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
| | - César Luís Nascimento Barbosa
- Program in Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine/Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Investigation, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, MG, Brazil;
| | - Fabrício Marcus Silva Oliveira
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Group, René Rachou Institute, Oswald o Cruz Foundation—FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte 30190-002, MG, Brazil;
| | - Mauro Martins Teixeira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
- Program in Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine/Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Investigation, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, MG, Brazil;
| | - Remo Castro Russo
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Immunology and Mechanics, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil;
| | - Maria João Matos
- Departamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Fabiana Simão Machado
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, MG, Brazil; (P.G.); (A.C.); (N.F.d.M.O.); (S.P.); (L.K.); (R.A.N.R.); (R.d.D.P.); (L.L.d.O.S.); (M.M.T.)
- Program in Health Sciences, Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine/Interdisciplinary Laboratory of Medical Investigation, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 30130-100, MG, Brazil;
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McLellan JL, Sausman W, Reers AB, Bunnik EM, Hanson KK. Single-cell quantitative bioimaging of P. berghei liver stage translation. mSphere 2023; 8:e0054423. [PMID: 37909773 PMCID: PMC10732057 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00544-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Plasmodium parasites cause malaria in humans. New multistage active antimalarial drugs are needed, and a promising class of drugs targets the core cellular process of translation, which has many potential molecular targets. During the obligate liver stage, Plasmodium parasites grow in metabolically active hepatocytes, making it challenging to study core cellular processes common to both host cells and parasites, as the signal from the host typically overwhelms that of the parasite. Here, we present and validate a flexible assay to quantify Plasmodium liver stage translation using a technique to fluorescently label the newly synthesized proteins of both host and parasite followed by computational separation of their respective nascent proteomes in confocal image sets. We use the assay to determine whether a test set of known compounds are direct or indirect liver stage translation inhibitors and show that the assay can also predict the mode of action for novel antimalarial compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- James L. McLellan
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - William Sausman
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Ashley B. Reers
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Evelien M. Bunnik
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, Long School of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Kirsten K. Hanson
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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37
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Bosc N, Felix E, Gardner JMF, Mills J, Timmerman M, Asveld D, Rensen K, Mukherjee P, Das R, Chenu E, Besson D, Burrows JN, Duffy J, Laleu B, Guantai EM, Leach AR. MAIP: An Open-Source Tool to Enrich High-Throughput Screening Output and Identify Novel, Druglike Molecules with Antimalarial Activity. ACS Med Chem Lett 2023; 14:1733-1741. [PMID: 38116432 PMCID: PMC10726451 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.3c00369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Efforts to tackle malaria must continue for a disease that threatens half of the global population. Parasite resistance to current therapies requires new chemotypes that are able to demonstrate effectiveness and safety. Previously, we developed a machine-learning-based approach to predict compound antimalarial activity, which was trained on the compound collections of several organizations. The resulting prediction platform, MAIP, was made freely available to the scientific community and offers a solution to prioritize molecules of interest in virtual screening and hit-to-lead optimization. Here, we experimentally validate MAIP and demonstrate how the approach was used in combination with a robust compound selection workflow and a recently introduced innovative high-throughput screening (HTS) cascade to select and purchase compounds from a public library for subsequent experimental screening. We observed a 12-fold enrichment compared with a randomly selected set of molecules, and the eight hits we ultimately selected exhibit good potency and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Bosc
- European
Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics
Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
| | - Eloy Felix
- European
Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics
Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
| | - J. Mark F. Gardner
- AMG
Consultants Ltd, Discovery
Park House, Discovery Park, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9ND, United Kingdom
| | - James Mills
- Sandexis
Medicinal Chemistry Ltd, Innovation House, Discovery Park, Sandwich, Kent CT13 9FF, United Kingdom
| | - Martijn Timmerman
- Pivot
Park Screening Centre, Pivot Park (Frederick Banting Building), Kloosterstraat 9, 5349 AB Oss, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis Asveld
- Pivot
Park Screening Centre, Pivot Park (Frederick Banting Building), Kloosterstraat 9, 5349 AB Oss, The Netherlands
| | - Kim Rensen
- Pivot
Park Screening Centre, Pivot Park (Frederick Banting Building), Kloosterstraat 9, 5349 AB Oss, The Netherlands
| | - Partha Mukherjee
- TCG
Life Sciences, Bengal Intelligent Park Limited, Block EP & GP, Salt Lake Electronics
Complex, Sector V, Kolkata, West Bengal 700091, India
| | - Rishi Das
- TCG
Life Sciences, Bengal Intelligent Park Limited, Block EP & GP, Salt Lake Electronics
Complex, Sector V, Kolkata, West Bengal 700091, India
| | - Elodie Chenu
- Medicines
for Malaria Ventures, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - James Duffy
- Medicines
for Malaria Ventures, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Benoît Laleu
- Medicines
for Malaria Ventures, 1215 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Eric M. Guantai
- Department
of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, 00202 Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Andrew R. Leach
- European
Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics
Institute (EMBL-EBI), Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridgeshire CB10 1SD, United Kingdom
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Pal K, Lala S, Agarwal P, Patel TS, Legac J, Rahman MA, Ahmedi S, Shahid N, Singh S, Kumari K, Madhav H, Sen A, Manzoor N, Dixit BC, Van Zyl R, Rosenthal PJ, Hoda N. Naphthyl bearing 1,3,4-thiadiazoleacetamides targeting the parasitic folate pathway as anti-infectious agents: in silico, synthesis, and biological approach. RSC Med Chem 2023; 14:2768-2781. [PMID: 38107179 PMCID: PMC10718588 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00423f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria is still a complex and lethal parasitic infectious disease, despite the availability of effective antimalarial drugs. Resistance of malaria parasites to current treatments necessitates new antimalarials targeting P. falciparum proteins. The present study reported the design and synthesis of a series of a 2-(4-substituted piperazin-1-yl)-N-(5-((naphthalen-2-yloxy)methyl)-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)acetamide hybrids for the inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (PfDHFR) using computational biology tools followed by chemical synthesis, structural characterization, and functional analysis. The synthesized compounds were evaluated for their in vitro antimalarial activity against CQ-sensitive PfNF54 and CQ-resistant PfW2 strain. Compounds T5 and T6 are the most active compounds having anti-plasmodial activity against PfNF54 with IC50 values of 0.94 and 3.46 μM respectively. Compound T8 is the most active against the PfW2 strain having an IC50 of 3.91 μM. Further, these active hybrids (T5, T6, and T8) were also evaluated for enzyme inhibition assay against PfDHFR. All the tested compounds were non-toxic against the Hek293 cell line with good selectivity indices. Hemolysis assay also showed non-toxicity of these compounds on normal uninfected human RBCs. In silico molecular docking studies were carried out in the binding pocket of both the wild-type and quadruple mutant Pf-DHFR-TS to gain further insights into probable modes of action of active compounds. ADME prediction and physiochemical properties support their drug-likeness. Additionally, they were screened for antileishmanial activity against L. donovani promastigotes to explore broader applications. Thus, this study provides molecular frameworks for developing potent antimalarials and antileishmanial agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kavita Pal
- Drug Design and Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi 110025 India +91 11 26985507 +91 9910200655
| | - Sahil Lala
- Pharmacology Division, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand South Africa
- Wits Institute for Research Malaria (WRIM), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand South Africa
| | - Priyanka Agarwal
- Pharmacology Division, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand South Africa
- Wits Institute for Research Malaria (WRIM), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand South Africa
| | - Tarosh S Patel
- Chemistry Department, V. P. & R. P. T. P Science College, Affiliated to Sardar Patel University Vallabh Vidyanagar 388 120 Gujarat India
| | - Jenny Legac
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco CA USA
| | - Md Ataur Rahman
- Chemistry Program, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) Saadiyat Island Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates
| | - Saiema Ahmedi
- Medical Mycology Lab, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi 110025 India
| | - Nida Shahid
- Department of Chemistry, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi India
| | - Sneha Singh
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences Bihar India
| | - Kajal Kumari
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences Bihar India
| | - Hari Madhav
- Drug Design and Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi 110025 India +91 11 26985507 +91 9910200655
| | - Abhik Sen
- Department of Molecular Biology, ICMR-Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences Bihar India
| | - Nikhat Manzoor
- Medical Mycology Lab, Department of Biosciences, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi 110025 India
| | - Bharat C Dixit
- Chemistry Department, V. P. & R. P. T. P Science College, Affiliated to Sardar Patel University Vallabh Vidyanagar 388 120 Gujarat India
| | - Robyn Van Zyl
- Pharmacology Division, Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, School of Therapeutic Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand South Africa
- Wits Institute for Research Malaria (WRIM), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Witwatersrand South Africa
| | | | - Nasimul Hoda
- Drug Design and Synthesis Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi 110025 India +91 11 26985507 +91 9910200655
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Fraga A, Mósca AF, Moita D, Simas JP, Nunes-Cabaço H, Prudêncio M. SARS-CoV-2 decreases malaria severity in co-infected rodent models. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 13:1307553. [PMID: 38156320 PMCID: PMC10753813 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1307553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and malaria, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Plasmodium parasites, respectively, share geographical distribution in regions where the latter disease is endemic, leading to the emergence of co-infections between the two pathogens. Thus far, epidemiologic studies and case reports have yielded insufficient data on the reciprocal impact of the two pathogens on either infection and related diseases. We established novel co-infection models to address this issue experimentally, employing either human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2)-expressing or wild-type mice, in combination with human- or mouse-infective variants of SARS-CoV-2, and the P. berghei rodent malaria parasite. We now show that a primary infection by a viral variant that causes a severe disease phenotype partially impairs a subsequent liver infection by the malaria parasite. Additionally, exposure to an attenuated viral variant modulates subsequent immune responses and provides protection from severe malaria-associated outcomes when a blood stage P. berghei infection was established. Our findings unveil a hitherto unknown host-mediated virus-parasite interaction that could have relevant implications for disease management and control in malaria-endemic regions. This work may contribute to the development of other models of concomitant infection between Plasmodium and respiratory viruses, expediting further research on co-infections that lead to complex disease presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Fraga
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Andreia F. Mósca
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Diana Moita
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - J. Pedro Simas
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Católica Biomedical Research, Católica Medical School, Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Helena Nunes-Cabaço
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Miguel Prudêncio
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
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40
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Rayala R, Chaudhari P, Bunnell A, Roberts B, Chakrabarti D, Nefzi A. Parallel Synthesis of Piperazine Tethered Thiazole Compounds with Antiplasmodial Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:17414. [PMID: 38139243 PMCID: PMC10743568 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242417414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Thiazole and piperazine are two important heterocyclic rings that play a prominent role in nature and have a broad range of applications in agricultural and medicinal chemistry. Herein, we report the parallel synthesis of a library of diverse piperazine-tethered thiazole compounds. The reaction of piperazine with newly generated 4-chloromethyl-2-amino thiazoles led to the desired piperazine thiazole compounds with high purities and good overall yields. Using a variety of commercially available carboxylic acids, the parallel synthesis of a variety of disubstituted 4-(piperazin-1-ylmethyl)thiazol-2-amine derivatives is described. the screening of the compounds led to the identification of antiplasmodial compounds that exhibited interesting antimalarial activity, primarily against the Plasmodium falciparum chloroquine-resistant Dd2 strain. The hit compound 2291-61 demonstrated an antiplasmodial EC50 of 102 nM in the chloroquine-resistant Dd2 strain and a selectivity of over 140.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramanjaneyulu Rayala
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; (R.R.); (P.C.); (A.B.)
| | - Prakash Chaudhari
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; (R.R.); (P.C.); (A.B.)
| | - Ashley Bunnell
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; (R.R.); (P.C.); (A.B.)
| | - Bracken Roberts
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USA; (B.R.); (D.C.)
| | - Debopam Chakrabarti
- Division of Molecular Microbiology, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32826, USA; (B.R.); (D.C.)
| | - Adel Nefzi
- Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine, Center for Translational Science, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA; (R.R.); (P.C.); (A.B.)
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41
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Horak P, Auer H, Wiedermann U, Walochnik J. Malaria in Austria : A retrospective analysis of malaria cases diagnosed at a reference center in 2010-2020. Wien Klin Wochenschr 2023; 135:617-624. [PMID: 37069405 PMCID: PMC10108813 DOI: 10.1007/s00508-023-02179-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although malaria is not endemic to Austria, each year infections are imported by travellers, migrants and refugees. This study aims to provide an overview of malaria cases diagnosed at an Austrian institute for tropical medicine between 2010 and 2020. METHODS A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted based on the data of malaria cases confirmed at the Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine of the Medical University of Vienna. Laboratory diagnostics included microscopy, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and real-time quantitative PCR. RESULTS Overall, 122 cases were identified. Annual case numbers were consistently higher from 2016 to 2020 than during the first half of the decade. Most malaria cases were diagnosed during summer and early autumn. This seasonal trend was not observed during the year 2020. With 55.1% (65/118) Plasmodium falciparum was the most common species, followed by Plasmodium vivax (19.5%, 23/118). The majority of patients were male (71.1%, 86/121) and the median age was 34.5 years (interquartile range, IQR 22.5-47.0 years). With a median age of 20.0 years (IQR 14.0-32.0 years), patients with P. vivax infections were younger than those infected with other Plasmodium species. Moreover, they were mostly male (82.6%, 19/23). CONCLUSION From 2010 to 2020, the number of malaria cases diagnosed at the center increased. Growing international mobility and changing travel behavior could at least partly be responsible for this trend and there are indications that particularly P. vivax infections were imported by migrants and refugees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Horak
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Herbert Auer
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ursula Wiedermann
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Walochnik
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
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42
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Tebben K, Yirampo S, Coulibaly D, Koné AK, Laurens MB, Stucke EM, Dembélé A, Tolo Y, Traoré K, Niangaly A, Berry AA, Kouriba B, Plowe CV, Doumbo OK, Lyke KE, Takala-Harrison S, Thera MA, Travassos MA, Serre D. Gene expression analyses reveal differences in children's response to malaria according to their age. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.24.563751. [PMID: 37961701 PMCID: PMC10634788 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.24.563751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
In Bandiagara, Mali, children experience on average two clinical malaria episodes per season. However, even in the same transmission area, the number of uncomplicated symptomatic infections, and their parasitemia, vary dramatically among children. To examine the factors contributing to these variations, we simultaneously characterized the host and parasite gene expression profiles from 136 children with symptomatic falciparum malaria and analyzed the expression of 9,205 human and 2,484 Plasmodium genes. We used gene expression deconvolution to estimate the relative proportion of immune cells and parasite stages in each sample and to adjust the differential gene expression analyses. Parasitemia explained much of the variation in both host and parasite gene expression and revealed that infections with higher parasitemia had more neutrophils and fewer T cells, suggesting parasitemia-dependent neutrophil recruitment and/or T cell extravasation to secondary lymphoid organs. The child's age was also strongly correlated with gene expression variations. Plasmodium falciparum genes associated with age suggested that older children carried more male gametocytes, while host genes associated with age indicated a stronger innate response (through TLR and NLR signaling) in younger children and stronger adaptive immunity (through TCR and BCR signaling) in older children. These analyses highlight the variability in host responses and parasite regulation during P. falciparum symptomatic infections and emphasize the importance of considering the children's age when studying and treating malaria infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran Tebben
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - Salif Yirampo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Drissa Coulibaly
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Abdoulaye K. Koné
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Matthew B. Laurens
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - Emily M. Stucke
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - Ahmadou Dembélé
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Youssouf Tolo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Karim Traoré
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Amadou Niangaly
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Andrea A. Berry
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - Bourema Kouriba
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Christopher V. Plowe
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - Ogobara K Doumbo
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Kirsten E. Lyke
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - Shannon Takala-Harrison
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - Mahamadou A. Thera
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies; Bamako, Mali
| | - Mark A. Travassos
- Malaria Research Program, Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
| | - David Serre
- Institute for Genome Sciences, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine; Baltimore, USA
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Kioko M, Pance A, Mwangi S, Goulding D, Kemp A, Rono M, Ochola-Oyier LI, Bull PC, Bejon P, Rayner JC, Abdi AI. Extracellular vesicles could be a putative posttranscriptional regulatory mechanism that shapes intracellular RNA levels in Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6447. [PMID: 37833314 PMCID: PMC10575976 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42103-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum secretes extracellular vesicles (PfEVs) that contain parasite-derived RNA. However, the significance of the secreted RNA remains unexplored. Here, we compare secreted and intracellular RNA from asexual cultures of six P. falciparum lines. We find that secretion of RNA via extracellular vesicles is not only periodic throughout the asexual intraerythrocytic developmental cycle but is also highly conserved across P. falciparum isolates. We further demonstrate that the phases of RNA secreted via extracellular vesicles are discernibly shifted compared to those of the intracellular RNA within the secreting whole parasite. Finally, transcripts of genes with no known function during the asexual intraerythrocytic developmental cycle are enriched in PfEVs compared to the whole parasite. We conclude that the secretion of extracellular vesicles could be a putative posttranscriptional RNA regulation mechanism that is part of or synergise the classic RNA decay processes to maintain intracellular RNA levels in P. falciparum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mwikali Kioko
- Bioscience Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
| | - Alena Pance
- Pathogens and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
- School of Life and Medical Science, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - Shaban Mwangi
- Bioscience Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - David Goulding
- Pathogens and Microbes Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alison Kemp
- Cambridge Institute of Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Martin Rono
- Bioscience Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Pwani University Biosciences Research Centre, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya
| | | | - Pete C Bull
- Bioscience Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Philip Bejon
- Bioscience Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Cambridge Institute of Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Abdirahman I Abdi
- Bioscience Department, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
- Pwani University Biosciences Research Centre, Pwani University, Kilifi, Kenya.
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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Stenseth NC, Schlatte R, Liu X, Pielke R, Chen B, Bjørnstad ON, Kusnezov D, Gao GF, Fraser C, Whittington JD, Gong P, Guan D, Johnsen EB. Reply to Ekström and Ottersen: Real-time access to data during outbreaks is a key to avoid a local epidemic becoming a global pandemic. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2312649120. [PMID: 37748067 PMCID: PMC10556645 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312649120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nils Chr. Stenseth
- Center for Pandemics and One Health Research, Sustainable Health Unit (SUSTAINIT), Faculty of Medicine, Oslo0316, Norway
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo0316, Norway
- Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
| | - Rudolf Schlatte
- Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Oslo0316, Norway
| | - Xiaoli Liu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki00560, Finland
| | - Roger Pielke
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo0316, Norway
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO80309
| | - Bin Chen
- Division of Landscape Architecture, Faculty of Architecture, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong999077, China
| | - Ottar N. Bjørnstad
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo0316, Norway
- Department of Biology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA16802
| | - Dimitri Kusnezov
- Deputy Under Secretary, Artificial Intelligence and Technology Office, US Department of Energy, Washington, DC20585
| | - George F. Gao
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100101, China
| | - Christophe Fraser
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford, OxfordOX3 7DQ, United Kingdom
- Big Data Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford0X37LF, United Kingdom
| | - Jason D. Whittington
- Center for Pandemics and One Health Research, Sustainable Health Unit (SUSTAINIT), Faculty of Medicine, Oslo0316, Norway
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo0316, Norway
| | - Peng Gong
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Urban Systems Institute, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong999077, China
| | - Dabo Guan
- Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing100084, China
- The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, LondonWC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
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Siqueira-Neto JL, Wicht KJ, Chibale K, Burrows JN, Fidock DA, Winzeler EA. Antimalarial drug discovery: progress and approaches. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2023; 22:807-826. [PMID: 37652975 PMCID: PMC10543600 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-023-00772-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
Recent antimalarial drug discovery has been a race to produce new medicines that overcome emerging drug resistance, whilst considering safety and improving dosing convenience. Discovery efforts have yielded a variety of new molecules, many with novel modes of action, and the most advanced are in late-stage clinical development. These discoveries have led to a deeper understanding of how antimalarial drugs act, the identification of a new generation of drug targets, and multiple structure-based chemistry initiatives. The limited pool of funding means it is vital to prioritize new drug candidates. They should exhibit high potency, a low propensity for resistance, a pharmacokinetic profile that favours infrequent dosing, low cost, preclinical results that demonstrate safety and tolerability in women and infants, and preferably the ability to block Plasmodium transmission to Anopheles mosquito vectors. In this Review, we describe the approaches that have been successful, progress in preclinical and clinical development, and existing challenges. We illustrate how antimalarial drug discovery can serve as a model for drug discovery in diseases of poverty.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kathryn J Wicht
- Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Kelly Chibale
- Holistic Drug Discovery and Development (H3D) Centre, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council Drug Discovery and Development Research Unit, Department of Chemistry and Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | | | - David A Fidock
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology and Center for Malaria Therapeutics and Antimicrobial Resistance, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
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46
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Feldman TP, Ryan Y, Egan ES. Plasmodium falciparum infection of human erythroblasts induces transcriptional changes associated with dyserythropoiesis. Blood Adv 2023; 7:5496-5509. [PMID: 37493969 PMCID: PMC10515311 DOI: 10.1182/bloodadvances.2023010844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
During development down the erythroid lineage, hematopoietic stem cells undergo dramatic changes to cellular morphology and function in response to a complex and tightly regulated program of gene expression. In malaria infection, Plasmodium spp parasites accumulate in the bone marrow parenchyma, and emerging evidence suggests erythroblastic islands are a protective site for parasite development into gametocytes. Although it has been observed that Plasmodium falciparum infection in late-stage erythroblasts can delay terminal erythroid differentiation and enucleation, the mechanism(s) underlying this phenomenon are unknown. Here, we apply RNA sequencing after fluorescence-activated cell sorting of infected erythroblasts to identify transcriptional responses to direct and indirect interaction with P falciparum. Four developmental stages of erythroid cells were analyzed: proerythroblast, basophilic erythroblast, polychromatic erythroblast, and orthochromatic erythroblast. We found extensive transcriptional changes in infected erythroblasts compared with that in uninfected cells in the same culture, including dysregulation of genes involved in erythroid proliferation and developmental processes. Although some indicators of cellular oxidative and proteotoxic stress were common across all stages of erythropoiesis, many responses were specific to cellular processes associated with developmental stage. Together, our results evidence multiple possible avenues by which parasite infection can induce dyserythropoiesis at specific points along the erythroid continuum, advancing our understanding of the molecular determinants of malaria anemia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar P. Feldman
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Yana Ryan
- Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Elizabeth S. Egan
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA
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47
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Borba JB, de Azevedo BR, Ferreira LA, Rimoldi A, Salazar Alvarez LC, Calit J, Bargieri DY, Costa FTM, Andrade CH. Transcriptomics-Guided In Silico Drug Repurposing: Identifying New Candidates with Dual-Stage Antiplasmodial Activity. ACS OMEGA 2023; 8:34084-34090. [PMID: 37744849 PMCID: PMC10515587 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.3c05138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
In tropical and subtropical areas, malaria stands as a profound public health challenge, causing an estimated 247 million cases worldwide annually. Given the absence of a viable vaccine, the timely and effective treatment of malaria remains a critical priority. However, the growing resistance of parasites to currently utilized drugs underscores the critical need for the identification of new antimalarial therapies. Here, we aimed to identify potential new drug candidates against Plasmodium falciparum, the main causative agent of malaria, by analyzing the transcriptomes of different life stages of the parasite and identifying highly expressed genes. We searched for genes that were expressed in all stages of the parasite's life cycle, including the asexual blood stage, gametocyte stage, liver stage, and sexual stages in the insect vector, using transcriptomics data from publicly available databases. From this analysis, we found 674 overlapping genes, including 409 essential ones. By searching through drug target databases, we discovered 70 potential drug targets and 75 associated bioactive compounds. We sought to expand this analysis to similar compounds to known drugs. So, we found a list of 1557 similar compounds, which we predicted as actives and inactives using previously developed machine learning models against five life stages of Plasmodium spp. From this analysis, two compounds were selected, and the reactions were experimentally evaluated. The compounds HSP-990 and silvestrol aglycone showed potent inhibitory activity at nanomolar concentrations against the P. falciparum 3D7 strain asexual blood stage. Moreover, silvestrol aglycone exhibited low cytotoxicity in mammalian cells, transmission-blocking potential, and inhibitory activity comparable to those of established antimalarials. These findings warrant further investigation of silvestrol aglycone as a potential dual-acting antimalarial and transmission-blocking candidate for malaria control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joyce
V. B. Borba
- Laboratory
for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade Federal de Goias, 74605-170 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department
of Genetics Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, São
Paulo, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Rosa de Azevedo
- Laboratory
for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade Federal de Goias, 74605-170 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
| | - Larissa A. Ferreira
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department
of Genetics Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, São
Paulo, Brazil
| | - Aline Rimoldi
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department
of Genetics Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, São
Paulo, Brazil
| | - Luís C. Salazar Alvarez
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department
of Genetics Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, São
Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana Calit
- Department
of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, 05508-000 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel Y. Bargieri
- Department
of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, 05508-000 São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio T. M. Costa
- Laboratory
of Tropical Diseases—Prof. Dr. Luiz Jacintho da Silva, Department
of Genetics Evolution, Microbiology and Immunology, University of Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, São
Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina Horta Andrade
- Laboratory
for Molecular Modeling and Drug Design (LabMol), Faculdade de Farmacia, Universidade Federal de Goias, 74605-170 Goiânia, Goiás, Brazil
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48
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Phuwajaroanpong A, Chaniad P, Plirat W, Konyanee A, Septama AW, Punsawad C. Phytochemical Analysis, Antimalarial Properties, and Acute Toxicity of Aqueous Extracts of Trisamo and Jatu-Phala-Tiga Recipes. Adv Pharmacol Pharm Sci 2023; 2023:6624040. [PMID: 37745261 PMCID: PMC10516693 DOI: 10.1155/2023/6624040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance remains a significant problem that threatens antimalarial drug treatment. Hence, the challenge is to find new effective antimalarial drugs. Based on our previous study, aqueous extracts of trisamo (TSM) and jatu-phala-tiga (JPT) had good in vitro antimalarial activities, and these recipes contain multiple beneficial pharmacological effects that could be useful for malaria therapy. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the antimalarial activity and toxicity of the aqueous extracts of TSM and JPT in mouse models. The aqueous extractions were carried out using the decoction method. Compound identification was conducted using LC-QTOF-MS analysis. The antimalarial activities of TSM and JPT at doses 200, 400, and 600 mg/kg were evaluated against Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection using a four-day suppressive test. The toxic effects of oral administration of the extracts at 2 g/kg dose were determined using an acute toxicity test. The chemical constituents of TSM contained 83 compounds, whereas JPT contained 84 compounds. All doses of the extracts exhibited a significant suppression (p < 0.05) of the parasite compared to the negative control in a four-day test. The maximum activities were observed at 600 mg/kg dose with 67.02% suppression for TSM and 79.34% for JPT, followed by 400 mg/kg dose (57.63% for TSM and 64.79% for JPT) and then 200 mg/kg dose (52.35% for TSM and 54.46% for JPT). In addition, there were no significant differences (p < 0.05) in the RBC, MCV, and MCH levels of mice receiving JPT extract compared to the uninfected control. The WBC level of mice receiving 400 and 600 mg/kg of TSM, and 200 and 400 mg/kg of JPT, was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than the infected control, and the extracts did not significantly prevent the loss of platelets. For the acute toxicity test, there were no signs of toxicity or deaths in mice, and there were no differences in the histology, weight, or enzyme biochemistry of the liver and kidney between the extract and vehicle groups. However, the platelet count in the extract-treated mice was significantly higher than that in the control group. In conclusion, this study suggests that aqueous extracts of TSM and JPT have potent antimalarial activities and could be promising as new candidates for antimalarial drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arisara Phuwajaroanpong
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
- Research Center in Tropical Pathobiology, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Prapaporn Chaniad
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
- Research Center in Tropical Pathobiology, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Walaiporn Plirat
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
- Research Center in Tropical Pathobiology, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Atthaphon Konyanee
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
- Research Center in Tropical Pathobiology, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Abdi Wira Septama
- Research Center for Pharmaceutical Ingredient and Traditional Medicine, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), Cibinong Science Center, Bogor 16915, Indonesia
| | - Chuchard Punsawad
- Department of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
- Research Center in Tropical Pathobiology, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
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49
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Bansal V, Munjal J, Lakhanpal S, Gupta V, Garg A, Munjal RS, Jain R. Epidemiological shifts: the emergence of malaria in America. Proc AMIA Symp 2023; 36:745-750. [PMID: 37829240 PMCID: PMC10566419 DOI: 10.1080/08998280.2023.2255514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium is a genus of parasites that comprises different species. The species falciparum, vivax, malariae, ovale, and knowlesi are known to cause a vector-borne illness called malaria, and among these, falciparum is known to cause major complications. The vector, the Anopheles mosquito, is commonly found in warmer regions close to the equator, and hence transmission and numbers of cases tend to be higher in Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and Central America. The number of cases of malaria in the United States has remained stable over the years with low transmission rates, and the disease is mostly seen in the population with a recent travel history to endemic regions. The main reason behind this besides the weather conditions is that economically developed countries have eliminated mosquitos. However, there have been reports of locally reported cases with Plasmodium vivax in areas such as Florida and Texas in patients with no known travel history. This paper aims to familiarize US physicians with the pathophysiology, clinical features, and diagnostic modalities of malaria, as well as available treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vasu Bansal
- Internal Medicine, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, Punjab, India
| | - Jaskaran Munjal
- Internal Medicine, Shri Ram Murti Smarak Institute of Medical Sciences, Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | | | - Vasu Gupta
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Akron General, Akron, OhioUSA
| | - Ashwani Garg
- Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PennsylvaniaUSA
| | | | - Rohit Jain
- Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Hershey, PennsylvaniaUSA
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50
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Chung MKY, Gong L, Kwong DL, Lee VH, Lee AW, Guan X, Kam N, Dai W. Functions of double-negative B cells in autoimmune diseases, infections, and cancers. EMBO Mol Med 2023; 15:e17341. [PMID: 37272217 PMCID: PMC10493577 DOI: 10.15252/emmm.202217341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Most mature B cells can be divided into four subtypes based on the expression of the surface markers IgD and CD27: IgD+ CD27- naïve B cells, IgD+ CD27+ unswitched memory B cells, IgD- CD27+ switched memory B cells, and IgD- CD27- double-negative (DN) B cells. Despite their small population size in normal peripheral blood, DN B cells play integral roles in various diseases. For example, they generate autoimmunity in autoimmune conditions, while these cells may generate both autoimmune and antipathogenic responses in COVID-19, or act in a purely antipathogenic capacity in malaria. Recently, DN B cells have been identified in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and non-small-cell lung cancers, where they may play an immunosuppressive role. The distinct functions that DN B cells play in different diseases suggest that they are a heterogeneous B-cell population. Therefore, further study of the mechanisms underlying the involvement of DN B cells in these diseases is essential for understanding their pathogenesis and the development of therapeutic strategies. Further research is thus warranted to characterize the DN B-cell population in detail.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael King Yung Chung
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
| | - Lanqi Gong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized TherapyThe University of Hong Kong‐Shenzhen HospitalShenzhenChina
| | - Dora Lai‐Wan Kwong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized TherapyThe University of Hong Kong‐Shenzhen HospitalShenzhenChina
| | - Victor Ho‐Fun Lee
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized TherapyThe University of Hong Kong‐Shenzhen HospitalShenzhenChina
| | - Ann Wing‐Mui Lee
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized TherapyThe University of Hong Kong‐Shenzhen HospitalShenzhenChina
| | - Xin‐Yuan Guan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized TherapyThe University of Hong Kong‐Shenzhen HospitalShenzhenChina
| | - Ngar‐Woon Kam
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
- Laboratory for Synthetic Chemistry and Chemical BiologyHong Kong (SAR)China
| | - Wei Dai
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of MedicineThe University of Hong KongHong KongHong Kong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Cancer Metastasis and Personalized TherapyThe University of Hong Kong‐Shenzhen HospitalShenzhenChina
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