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Bertran-Cobo C, Dumont E, Noordin NR, Lai MY, Stone W, Tetteh KK, Drakeley C, Krishna S, Lau YL, Wassmer SC. Plasmodium knowlesi infection is associated with elevated circulating biomarkers of brain injury and endothelial activation. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.04.25.24306382. [PMID: 38712121 PMCID: PMC11071568 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.25.24306382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Introduction Malaria remains a major public health concern with substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. In Malaysia, the emergence of Plasmodium knowlesi has led to a surge in zoonotic malaria cases and deaths in recent years. Signs of cerebral involvement have been observed in a non-comatose, fatal case of severe knowlesi infection, but the potential impact of this malaria species on the brain remains underexplored. To address this gap, we investigated circulating levels of brain injury, inflammation, and vascular biomarkers in a cohort of knowlesi-infected patients and controls. Methods Archived plasma samples from 19 patients with confirmed symptomatic knowlesi infection and 19 healthy, age-matched controls from Peninsular Malaysia were analysed. A total of 52 plasma biomarkers of brain injury, inflammation, and vascular activation were measured using Luminex and SIMOA assays. Wilcoxon tests were used to examine group differences, and biomarker profiles were explored through hierarchical clustering heatmap analysis. Results Bonferroni-corrected analyses revealed significantly elevated brain injury biomarker levels in knowlesi-infected patients, including S100B (p<0.0001), Tau (p=0.0007), UCH-L1 (p<0.0001), αSyn (p<0.0001), Park7 (p=0.0006), NRGN (p=0.0022), and TDP-43 (p=0.005). Compared to controls, levels were lower in the infected group for BDNF (p<0.0001), CaBD (p<0.0001), CNTN1 (p<0.0001), NCAM-1 (p<0.0001), GFAP (p=0.0013), and KLK6 (p=0.0126). Hierarchical clustering revealed distinct group profiles for circulating levels of brain injury and vascular activation biomarkers. Conclusions Our findings highlight for the first time the impact of Plasmodium knowlesi infection on the brain, with distinct alterations in cerebral injury and endothelial activation biomarker profiles compared to healthy controls. Further studies are warranted to investigate the pathophysiology and clinical significance of these altered surrogate markers, through both neuroimaging and long-term neurocognitive assessments.
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Thiele PJ, Mela-Lopez R, Blandin SA, Klug D. Let it glow: genetically encoded fluorescent reporters in Plasmodium. Malar J 2024; 23:114. [PMID: 38643106 PMCID: PMC11032601 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-024-04936-9] [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: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The use of fluorescent proteins (FPs) in Plasmodium parasites has been key to understand the biology of this obligate intracellular protozoon. FPs like the green fluorescent protein (GFP) enabled to explore protein localization, promoter activity as well as dynamic processes like protein export and endocytosis. Furthermore, FP biosensors have provided detailed information on physiological parameters at the subcellular level, and fluorescent reporter lines greatly extended the malariology toolbox. Still, in order to achieve optimal results, it is crucial to know exactly the properties of the FP of choice and the genetic scenario in which it will be used. This review highlights advantages and disadvantages of available landing sites and promoters that have been successfully applied for the ectopic expression of FPs in Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium falciparum. Furthermore, the properties of newly developed FPs beyond DsRed and EGFP, in the visualization of cells and cellular structures as well as in the sensing of small molecules are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia J Thiele
- Inserm, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR9022/U1257, Mosquito Immune Responses (MIR), IBMC, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Raquel Mela-Lopez
- Inserm, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR9022/U1257, Mosquito Immune Responses (MIR), IBMC, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphanie A Blandin
- Inserm, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR9022/U1257, Mosquito Immune Responses (MIR), IBMC, F-67000, Strasbourg, France
| | - Dennis Klug
- Inserm, CNRS, Université de Strasbourg, UPR9022/U1257, Mosquito Immune Responses (MIR), IBMC, F-67000, Strasbourg, France.
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Department of Molecular Cell Physiology, Philipps University Marburg, 35037, Marburg, Germany.
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Vanhove M, Schwabl P, Clementson C, Early AM, Laws M, Anthony F, Florimond C, Mathieu L, James K, Knox C, Singh N, Buckee CO, Musset L, Cox H, Niles-Robin R, Neafsey DE. Temporal and spatial dynamics of Plasmodium falciparum clonal lineages in Guyana. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578156. [PMID: 38352461 PMCID: PMC10862847 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Plasmodium parasites, the causal agents of malaria, are eukaryotic organisms that obligately undergo sexual recombination within mosquitoes. However, in low transmission settings where most mosquitoes become infected with only a single parasite clone, parasites recombine with themselves, and the clonal lineage is propagated rather than broken up by outcrossing. We investigated whether stochastic/neutral factors drive the persistence and abundance of Plasmodium falciparum clonal lineages in Guyana, a country with relatively low malaria transmission, but the only setting in the Americas in which an important artemisinin resistance mutation (pfk13 C580Y) has been observed. To investigate whether this clonality was potentially associated with the persistence and spatial spread of the mutation, we performed whole genome sequencing on 1,727 Plasmodium falciparum samples collected from infected patients across a five-year period (2016-2021). We characterized the relatedness between each pair of monoclonal infections (n=1,409) through estimation of identity by descent (IBD) and also typed each sample for known or candidate drug resistance mutations. A total of 160 clones (mean IBD ≥ 0.90) were circulating in Guyana during the study period, comprising 13 highly related clusters (mean IBD ≥ 0.40). In the five-year study period, we observed a decrease in frequency of a mutation associated with artemisinin partner drug (piperaquine) resistance (pfcrt C350R) and limited co-occurence of pfcrt C350R with duplications of plasmepsin 2/3, an epistatic interaction associated with piperaquine resistance. We additionally report polymorphisms exhibiting evidence of selection for drug resistance or other phenotypes and reported a novel pfk13 mutation (G718S) as well as 61 nonsynonymous substitutions that increased markedly in frequency. However, P. falciparum clonal dynamics in Guyana appear to be largely driven by stochastic factors, in contrast to other geographic regions. The use of multiple artemisinin combination therapies in Guyana may have contributed to the disappearance of the pfk13 C580Y mutation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Vanhove
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Philipp Schwabl
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Angela M Early
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Margaret Laws
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Frank Anthony
- National Malaria Program, Ministry of Health, Georgetown, Guyana
| | - Célia Florimond
- Laboratoire de parasitologie, World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Surveillance of Antimalarial Drug Resistance, Center Nationale de Référence du Paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Luana Mathieu
- Laboratoire de parasitologie, World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Surveillance of Antimalarial Drug Resistance, Center Nationale de Référence du Paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Kashana James
- National Malaria Program, Ministry of Health, Georgetown, Guyana
| | - Cheyenne Knox
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Narine Singh
- National Malaria Program, Ministry of Health, Georgetown, Guyana
| | - Caroline O Buckee
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Lise Musset
- Laboratoire de parasitologie, World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Surveillance of Antimalarial Drug Resistance, Center Nationale de Référence du Paludisme, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane, Cayenne, French Guiana
| | - Horace Cox
- National Malaria Program, Ministry of Health, Georgetown, Guyana
- Caribbean Public Health Agency, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Reza Niles-Robin
- National Malaria Program, Ministry of Health, Georgetown, Guyana
| | - Daniel E Neafsey
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Ishengoma DS, Mandara CI, Bakari C, Fola AA, Madebe RA, Seth MD, Francis F, Buguzi C, Moshi R, Garimo I, Lazaro S, Lusasi A, Aaron S, Chacky F, Mohamed A, Njau RJA, Kitau J, Rasmussen C, Bailey JA, Juliano JJ, Warsame M. Evidence of artemisinin partial resistance in North-western Tanzania: clinical and drug resistance markers study. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.01.31.24301954. [PMID: 38352311 PMCID: PMC10863006 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.24301954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
Background Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are the recommended antimalarial drugs for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria. The recent emergence of artemisinin partial resistance (ART-R) in Rwanda, Uganda and Eritrea is of great concern. In Tanzania, a nationwide molecular malaria surveillance in 2021 showed a high prevalence of the Kelch13 (K13) 561H mutation in Plasmodium falciparum from the north-western region, close to the border with Rwanda and Uganda. This study was conducted in 2022 to evaluate the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria and to confirm the presence of ART-R in Tanzania. Methods This single-arm study evaluated the efficacy of AL and ASAQ in eligible children aged six months to 10 years at Bukangara Dispensary in Karagwe District, Kagera Region. Clinical and parasitological responses were monitored for 28 days according to standard WHO protocol. Mutations in K13 gene and extended haplotypes with these mutations were analysed using Sanger and whole genome sequencing data, respectively. Findings 176 children (88 in each AL and ASAQ group) were enrolled and all achieved the defined outcomes. PCR-corrected adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) was 98.3% (95% CI: 90.8-100) and 100.0% (95% CI: 95.8-100) for AL and ASAQ, respectively. Parasitaemia on day 3 was observed in 11/88 (12.5%) and 17/88 (19.3%) in the AL and ASAQ groups, respectively. The half-life of parasitaemia was significantly higher (>6.5 hrs) in patients with parasitaemia on day 3 and/or mutations in K13 gene at enrolment. Most patients with parasitaemia on day 3 (8/11 = 72.7% in the AL group and 10/17 = 58.8% in the ASAQ group) had 561H mutation at enrolment. The parasites with K13 mutations were not similar to those from south-east Asia and Rwanda, but had the same core haplotype of a new 561H haplotype reported in Kagera in 2021. Interpretation These findings confirm the presence of ART-R in Tanzania. A context-specific strategy to respond to artemisinin partial resistance is urgently needed. Although both AL and ASAQ showed high efficacy, increased vigilance for reduced efficacy of these ACTs and detection of ART-R in other parts of the country is critical.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deus S. Ishengoma
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Harvard T.H Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry, Kampala International University in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Catherine Bakari
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Abebe A. Fola
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Rashid A. Madebe
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Misago D. Seth
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Filbert Francis
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Creyton Buguzi
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Ramadhan Moshi
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Issa Garimo
- National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Samwel Lazaro
- National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | | | - Sijenunu Aaron
- National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Frank Chacky
- National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Ally Mohamed
- National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Dodoma, Tanzania
| | - Ritha J. A. Njau
- Malariologist and Public Health Specialist, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, School of Public Health and Social Sciences Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Jovin Kitau
- World Health Organization Country Office, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | - Jeffrey A. Bailey
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Marian Warsame
- Gothenburg University, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Benadir University, Mogadishu, Somalia
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Adam KY, Moses OM, Gitaka J, Walong E, Ogutu O, Ojwang SBO. Histomorphometric features of placentae from women having malaria and HIV coinfection with preterm births. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.10.30.23297751. [PMID: 37961170 PMCID: PMC10635241 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.30.23297751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Background Malaria and HIV are associated with preterm births possibly due to partial maternal vascular malperfusion resulting from altered placental angiogenesis. There is a paucity of data describing structural changes associated with malaria and HIV coinfection in the placentae of preterm births thus limiting the understanding of biological mechanisms by which preterm birth occurs. Objectives This study aimed to determine the differences in clinical characteristics, placental parenchymal histological, and morphometric features of the terminal villous tree among women with malaria and HIV coinfection having preterm births. Methods Twenty-five placentae of preterm births with malaria and HIV coinfection (cases) were randomly selected and compared to twenty-five of those without both infections (controls). Light microscopy was used to determine histological features on H&E and MT-stained sections while histomorphometric features of the terminal villous were analyzed using image analysis software. Clinical data regarding maternal age, parity, marital status, level of education, gestational age and placental weight were compared. Results Placental weight, villous perimeter and area were significantly lower in cases as compared to controls 454g vs. 488g, 119.32μm vs. 130.47μm, and 937.93μm2 vs. 1132.88μm2 respectively. Increased syncytial knots and accelerated villous maturity were significantly increased in the cases. The relative risk of development of partial maternal vascular malperfusion was 2.1 (CI: 1.26-3.49). Conclusion These findings suggest that malaria and HIV coinfection leads to partial maternal vascular malperfusion that may lead to chronic hypoxia in the placenta and altered weight, villous perimeter and surface area. This may represent a mechanism by which malaria and HIV infection results in pre-term births.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khalil Y Adam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nairobi. Kenya
- Basic Clinical and Translational Research Laboratory, Nairobi. Kenya
| | - Obimbo M Moses
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nairobi. Kenya
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, University of Nairobi. Kenya
- Basic Clinical and Translational Research Laboratory, Nairobi. Kenya
| | - Jesse Gitaka
- College of Health Sciences, Mount Kenya University. Kenya
| | - Edwin Walong
- Department of Human Pathology, University of Nairobi. Kenya
| | - Omondi Ogutu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Nairobi. Kenya
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Molgora BM, Mukherjee SK, Baumel-Alterzon S, Santiago FM, Muratore KA, Sisk AE, Mercer F, Johnson PJ. Trichomonas vaginalis adherence phenotypes and extracellular vesicles impact parasite survival in a novel in vivo model of pathogenesis. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011693. [PMID: 37871037 PMCID: PMC10621976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Trichomonas vaginalis is a human infective parasite responsible for trichomoniasis-the most common, non-viral, sexually transmitted infection worldwide. T. vaginalis resides exclusively in the urogenital tract of both men and women. In women, T. vaginalis has been found colonizing the cervix and vaginal tract while in men it has been identified in the upper and lower urogenital tract and in secreted fluids such as semen, urethral discharge, urine, and prostatic fluid. Despite the over 270 million cases of trichomoniasis annually worldwide, T. vaginalis continues to be a highly neglected organism and thus poorly studied. Here we have developed a male mouse model for studying T. vaginalis pathogenesis in vivo by delivering parasites into the murine urogenital tract (MUT) via transurethral catheterization. Parasite burden was assessed ex-vivo using a nanoluciferase-based gene expression assay which allowed quantification of parasites pre- and post-inoculation. Using this model and read-out approach, we show that T. vaginalis can be found within MUT tissue up to 72 hrs post-inoculation. Furthermore, we also demonstrate that parasites that exhibit increased parasite adherence in vitro also have higher parasite burden in mice in vivo. These data provide evidence that parasite adherence to host cells aids in parasite persistence in vivo and molecular determinants found to correlate with host cell adherence in vitro are applicable to infection in vivo. Finally, we show that co-inoculation of T. vaginalis extracellular vesicles (TvEVs) and parasites results in higher parasite burden in vivo. These findings confirm our previous in vitro-based predictions that TvEVs assist the parasite in colonizing the host. The establishment of this pathogenesis model for T. vaginalis sets the stage for identifying and examining parasite factors that contribute to and influence infection outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda M. Molgora
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Sandip Kumar Mukherjee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Sharon Baumel-Alterzon
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Fernanda M. Santiago
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology “Dr. Mário Endsfeldz Camargo,” Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Brazil
| | - Katherine A. Muratore
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Anthony E. Sisk
- Department of Pathology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Frances Mercer
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, Pomona, California, United States of America
| | - Patricia J. Johnson
- Molecular Biology Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
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Hutchins H, Bradley J, Pretorius E, Teixeira da Silva E, Vasileva H, Jones RT, Ndiath MO, Dit Massire Soumare H, Mabey D, Nante EJ, Martins C, Logan JG, Slater H, Drakeley C, D'Alessandro U, Rodrigues A, Last AR. Protocol for a cluster randomised placebo-controlled trial of adjunctive ivermectin mass drug administration for malaria control on the Bijagós Archipelago of Guinea-Bissau: the MATAMAL trial. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e072347. [PMID: 37419638 PMCID: PMC10335573 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION As malaria declines, innovative tools are required to further reduce transmission and achieve elimination. Mass drug administration (MDA) of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) is capable of reducing malaria transmission where coverage of control interventions is already high, though the impact is short-lived. Combining ACT with ivermectin, an oral endectocide shown to reduce vector survival, may increase its impact, while also treating ivermectin-sensitive co-endemic diseases and minimising the potential impact of ACT resistance in this context. METHODS AND ANALYSIS MATAMAL is a cluster-randomised placebo-controlled trial. The trial is being conducted in 24 clusters on the Bijagós Archipelago, Guinea-Bissau, where the peak prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) parasitaemia is approximately 15%. Clusters have been randomly allocated to receive MDA with dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine and either ivermectin or placebo. The primary objective is to determine whether the addition of ivermectin MDA is more effective than dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine MDA alone in reducing the prevalence of P. falciparum parasitaemia, measured during peak transmission season after 2 years of seasonal MDA. Secondary objectives include assessing prevalence after 1 year of MDA; malaria incidence monitored through active and passive surveillance; age-adjusted prevalence of serological markers indicating exposure to P. falciparum and anopheline mosquitoes; vector parous rates, species composition, population density and sporozoite rates; prevalence of vector pyrethroid resistance; prevalence of artemisinin resistance in P. falciparum using genomic markers; ivermectin's impact on co-endemic diseases; coverage estimates; and the safety of combined MDA. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The trial has been approved by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine's Ethics Committee (UK) (19156) and the Comite Nacional de Eticas de Saude (Guinea-Bissau) (084/CNES/INASA/2020). Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed publications and in discussion with the Bissau-Guinean Ministry of Public Health and participating communities. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT04844905.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Hutchins
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - John Bradley
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Elizabeth Pretorius
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Eunice Teixeira da Silva
- Projecto de Saúde Bandim, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Ministério de Saúde Pública, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Hristina Vasileva
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Robert T Jones
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | | | - David Mabey
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Ernesto Jose Nante
- Programa Nacional de Luta Contra o Paludismo, Ministério de Saúde, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | | | - James G Logan
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Arctech Innovation, London, UK
| | | | - Chris Drakeley
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | | | - Amabelia Rodrigues
- Projecto de Saúde Bandim, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
- Ministério de Saúde Pública, Bissau, Guinea-Bissau
| | - Anna R Last
- Clinical Research Department, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Ndiaye YD, Wong W, Thwing J, Schaffner SS, Tine A, Diallo MA, Deme A, Sy M, Bei AK, Thiaw AB, Daniels R, Ndiaye T, Gaye A, Ndiaye IM, Toure M, Gadiaga N, Sene A, Sow D, Garba MN, Yade MS, Dieye B, Diongue K, Zoumarou D, Ndiaye A, Gomis J, Fall FB, Ndiop M, Diallo I, Sene D, Macinnis B, Seck MC, Ndiaye M, Badiane AS, Hartl DL, Volkman SK, Wirth DF, Ndiaye D. Two decades of molecular surveillance in Senegal reveal changes in known drug resistance mutations associated with historical drug use and seasonal malaria chemoprevention. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.04.24.23288820. [PMID: 37163114 PMCID: PMC10168519 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.24.23288820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum is a major threat to malaria control efforts. We analyzed data from two decades (2000-2020) of continuous molecular surveillance of P. falciparum parasite strains in Senegal to determine how historical changes in drug administration policy may have affected parasite evolution. We profiled several known drug resistance markers and their surrounding haplotypes using a combination of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) molecular surveillance and whole-genome sequence (WGS) based population genomics. We observed rapid changes in drug resistance markers associated with the withdrawal of chloroquine and introduction of sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in 2003. We also observed a rapid increase in Pfcrt K76T and decline in Pfdhps A437G starting in 2014, which we hypothesize may reflect changes in resistance or fitness caused by seasonal malaria chemoprevention (SMC). Parasite populations evolve rapidly in response to drug use, and SMC preventive efficacy should be closely monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaye Die Ndiaye
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Wesley Wong
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Julie Thwing
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA ,30329, USA
| | - Stephen S Schaffner
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Abdoulaye Tine
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Mamadou Alpha Diallo
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Awa Deme
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Mouhammad Sy
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Amy K Bei
- Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Alphonse B Thiaw
- Department of biochemistry and Functional Genomics, Sherbrooke University, 2500 Bd de l'Universite, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
| | - Rachel Daniels
- RNA Therapeutics Institute, UMass Chan Medical School, 368 Plantation Street, Worcester MA 01605
| | - Tolla Ndiaye
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Amy Gaye
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Ibrahima Mbaye Ndiaye
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Mariama Toure
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Nogaye Gadiaga
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Aita Sene
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Djiby Sow
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Mamane N Garba
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Mamadou Samba Yade
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Baba Dieye
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Khadim Diongue
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Daba Zoumarou
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Aliou Ndiaye
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Jules Gomis
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Fatou Ba Fall
- Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St, New Haven, CT 06510
| | - Medoune Ndiop
- National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Rue FN 20, Dakar 25270, Senegal
| | - Ibrahima Diallo
- National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Rue FN 20, Dakar 25270, Senegal
| | - Doudou Sene
- National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), Rue FN 20, Dakar 25270, Senegal
| | - Bronwyn Macinnis
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Mame Cheikh Seck
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Mouhamadou Ndiaye
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Aida S Badiane
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
| | - Daniel L Hartl
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 16 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138 USA
| | - Sarah K Volkman
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
- Simmons University, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Dyann F Wirth
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA
| | - Daouda Ndiaye
- International Research Training Center on Genomics and Health Surveillance (CIGASS), Cheikh Anta Diop University, Dakar, 16477, Senegal
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
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Ambadiang MM, Fouet C, Ashu FA, Penlap-Beng V, Kamdem C. Chronic exposure of mosquito larvae to pesticide residues endangers a new generation of agrochemicals repurposed for malaria prevention. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.18.537423. [PMID: 37131679 PMCID: PMC10153215 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.18.537423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Agrochemicals have been successfully repurposed to control mosquitoes worldwide, but pesticides used in agriculture challenge their effectiveness by contaminating surface waters and driving insecticide resistance in larval populations. Here we implemented a new experimental approach to predict the efficacy of agricultural pesticides newly repurposed for malaria vector control. We mimicked insecticide resistance selection as it occurs in contaminated aquatic habitats by rearing field-collected mosquito larvae in water containing a dose of insecticide at which 100% of individuals from a susceptible strain died within 24 h. We then simultaneously monitored short-term lethal toxicity within 24 h and sublethal effects for 7 days. We found that due to chronic exposure to agricultural pesticides some mosquito populations are currently predisposed to rapidly adapt to neonicotinoids if they were used in vector control. Larvae collected from rural and agricultural areas where neonicotinoid formulations are intensively used for insect pest management were able to survive, grow, pupate and emerge in lethal doses of acetamiprid, imidacloprid and clothianidin. These results emphasize the importance of addressing prior exposure of larvae to formulations used in agriculture before applying agrochemicals against malaria vectors.
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Hussain T, Linera-Gonzalez J, Beck JM, Fierro MA, Mair GR, Smith RC, Beck JR. The PTEX Pore Component EXP2 Is Important for Intrahepatic Development during the Plasmodium Liver Stage. mBio 2022; 13:e0309622. [PMID: 36445080 PMCID: PMC9765067 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03096-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
During vertebrate infection, obligate intracellular malaria parasites develop within a parasitophorous vacuole, which constitutes the interface between the parasite and its hepatocyte or erythrocyte host cells. To traverse this barrier, Plasmodium spp. utilize a dual-function pore formed by EXP2 for nutrient transport and, in the context of the PTEX translocon, effector protein export across the vacuole membrane. While critical to blood-stage survival, less is known about EXP2/PTEX function in the liver stage, although major differences in the export mechanism are suggested by absence of the PTEX unfoldase HSP101 in the intrahepatic vacuole. Here, we employed the glucosamine-activated glmS ribozyme to study the role of EXP2 during Plasmodium berghei liver-stage development in hepatoma cells. Insertion of the glmS sequence into the exp2 3' untranslated region (UTR) enabled glucosamine-dependent depletion of EXP2 after hepatocyte invasion, allowing separation of EXP2 function during intrahepatic development from a recently reported role in hepatocyte invasion. Postinvasion EXP2 knockdown reduced parasite size and largely abolished expression of the mid- to late-liver-stage marker LISP2. As an orthogonal approach to monitor development, EXP2-glmS parasites and controls were engineered to express nanoluciferase. Activation of glmS after invasion substantially decreased luminescence in hepatoma monolayers and in culture supernatants at later time points corresponding to merosome detachment, which marks the culmination of liver-stage development. Collectively, our findings extend the utility of the glmS ribozyme to study protein function in the liver stage and reveal that EXP2 is important for intrahepatic parasite development, indicating that PTEX components also function at the hepatocyte-parasite interface. IMPORTANCE After the mosquito bite that initiates a Plasmodium infection, parasites first travel to the liver and develop in hepatocytes. This liver stage is asymptomatic but necessary for the parasite to transition to the merozoite form, which infects red blood cells and causes malaria. To take over their host cells, avoid immune defenses, and fuel their growth, these obligately intracellular parasites must import nutrients and export effector proteins across a vacuole membrane in which they reside. In the blood stage, these processes depend on a translocon called PTEX, but it is unclear if PTEX also functions during the liver stage. Here, we adapted the glmS ribozyme to control expression of EXP2, the membrane pore component of PTEX, during the liver stage of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. Our results show that EXP2 is important for intracellular development in the hepatocyte, revealing that PTEX components are also functionally important during liver-stage infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tahir Hussain
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | | | - John M. Beck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Manuel A. Fierro
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Gunnar R. Mair
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Ryan C. Smith
- Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Josh R. Beck
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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11
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Machini B, Achia TNO, Kipruto H, Amboko B, Chesang J. Factors associated with hospital length of stay in patients admitted with suspected malaria in Kenya: secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e059263. [PMID: 35725248 PMCID: PMC9214361 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate factors associated with hospital length of stay (LOS) in patients admitted with suspected malaria using a competing risk approach. SETTING County government referrals and major faith-based hospitals in Kenya in 2018. DESIGN Secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey data. PARTICIPANTS Data were extracted from 2396 medical records of patients admitted with suspected malaria at 90 hospitals. OUTCOME MEASURES LOS, defined as time to discharge, was the primary event of interest, and time to death was the competing event against patient factors assessed during admission and hospitalisation. RESULTS Among the patients analysed, 2283 were discharged, 49 died and 64 were censored. The median LOS was 4 days (IQR: 3-6 days). The cumulative incidence of discharge significantly decreased (p<0.05) by 12.7% (subdistribution-HR (SDHR): 0.873; 95% CI 0.789 to 0.967) when the respiratory rate was assessed, by 14.1% (SDHR 0.859; 95% CI 0.754 to 0.978) when oxygen saturation was monitored, by 23.1% (SDHR 0.769; 95% CI 0.709 to 0.833) and 23.4% (SDHR 0.766; 95% CI 0.704 to 0.833) when haemoglobin/haematocrit and glucose/random blood sugar were performed, respectively, and by 30.4% (SDHR 0.696; 95% CI 0.626 to 0.774) when patients had at least one clinical feature of severe malaria. Conversely, patients with confirmed severe malaria and those treated with injectable artesunate had a significantly increased cumulative incidence of discharge by 21.4% (SDHR 1.214; 95% CI 1.082 to 1.362) and 33.9% (SDHR 1.339; 95% CI 1.184 to 1.515), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Factors of inpatient clinical processes that influence hospital LOS were identified. These can be targeted during quality improvement interventions to enhance health service delivery in Kenya. Early recognition and appropriate management of the signs of malaria severity could greatly affect beneficial outcomes. Strengthening clinical practices and nursing care according to national case management guidelines should be a priority for malaria control managers in Kenya.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Machini
- Division of National Malaria Programme, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Public and Global Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Thomas N O Achia
- Department of Public and Global Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
- School of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Kwa Zulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Hillary Kipruto
- Regional Office for Africa, Eastern and Southern Africa, World Health Organization, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | | | - Jacqueline Chesang
- Department of Public and Global Health, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
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12
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Kent RS, Briggs EM, Colon BL, Alvarez C, Silva Pereira S, De Niz M. Paving the Way: Contributions of Big Data to Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid Research. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:900878. [PMID: 35734575 PMCID: PMC9207352 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.900878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the age of big data an important question is how to ensure we make the most out of the resources we generate. In this review, we discuss the major methods used in Apicomplexan and Kinetoplastid research to produce big datasets and advance our understanding of Plasmodium, Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, Trypanosoma and Leishmania biology. We debate the benefits and limitations of the current technologies, and propose future advancements that may be key to improving our use of these techniques. Finally, we consider the difficulties the field faces when trying to make the most of the abundance of data that has already been, and will continue to be, generated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robyn S. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Emma M. Briggs
- Institute for Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - Beatrice L. Colon
- Wellcome Centre for Anti-Infectives Research, Division of Biological Chemistry and Drug Discovery, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, United Kingdom
| | - Catalina Alvarez
- de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Sara Silva Pereira
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- *Correspondence: Mariana De Niz,
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13
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Nasir N, Aderoba AK, Ariana P. Scoping review of maternal and newborn health interventions and programmes in Nigeria. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e054784. [PMID: 35168976 PMCID: PMC8852735 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To systematically scope and map research regarding interventions, programmes or strategies to improve maternal and newborn health (MNH) in Nigeria. DESIGN Scoping review. DATA SOURCES AND ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Systematic searches were conducted from 1 June to 22 July 2020 in PubMed, Embase, Scopus, together with a search of the grey literature. Publications presenting interventions and programmes to improve maternal or newborn health or both in Nigeria were included. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS The data extracted included source and year of publication, geographical setting, study design, target population(s), type of intervention/programme, reported outcomes and any reported facilitators or barriers. Data analysis involved descriptive numerical summaries and qualitative content analysis. We summarised the evidence using a framework combining WHO recommendations for MNH, the continuum of care and the social determinants of health frameworks to identify gaps where further research and action may be needed. RESULTS A total of 80 publications were included in this review. Most interventions (71%) were aligned with WHO recommendations, and half (n=40) targeted the pregnancy and childbirth stages of the continuum of care. Most of the programmes (n=74) examined the intermediate social determinants of maternal health related to health system factors within health facilities, with only a few interventions aimed at structural social determinants. An integrated approach to implementation and funding constraints were among factors reported as facilitators and barriers, respectively. CONCLUSION Using an integrated framework, we found most MNH interventions in Nigeria were aligned with the WHO recommendations and focused on the intermediate social determinants of health within health facilities. We determined a paucity of research on interventions targeting the structural social determinants and community-based approaches, and limited attention to pre-pregnancy interventions. To accelerate progress towards the sustainable development goal MNH targets, greater focus on implementing interventions and measuring context-specific challenges beyond the health facility is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naima Nasir
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Center for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- APIN Clinic, Infectious Diseases Unit, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria
| | - Adeniyi Kolade Aderoba
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Center for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mother and Child Hospital, Akure, Ondo, Nigeria
| | - Proochista Ariana
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Center for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
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14
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Rasti R, Brännström J, Mårtensson A, Zenk I, Gantelius J, Gaudenzi G, Alvesson HM, Alfvén T. Point-of-care testing in a high-income country paediatric emergency department: a qualitative study in Sweden. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e054234. [PMID: 34824122 PMCID: PMC8627407 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES In many resource-limited health systems, point-of-care tests (POCTs) are the only means for clinical patient sample analyses. However, the speed and simplicity of POCTs also makes their use appealing to clinicians in high-income countries (HICs), despite greater laboratory accessibility. Although also part of the clinical routine in HICs, clinician perceptions of the utility of POCTs are relatively unknown in such settings as compared with others. In a Swedish paediatric emergency department (PED) where POCT use is routine, we aimed to characterise healthcare providers' perspectives on the clinical utility of POCTs and explore their implementation in the local setting; to discuss and compare such perspectives, to those reported in other settings; and finally, to gather requests for ideal novel POCTs. DESIGN Qualitative focus group discussions study. A data-driven content analysis approach was used for analysis. SETTING The PED of a secondary paediatric hospital in Stockholm, Sweden. PARTICIPANTS Twenty-four healthcare providers clinically active at the PED were enrolled in six focus groups. RESULTS A range of POCTs was routinely used. The emerging theme Utility of our POCT use is double-edged illustrated the perceived utility of POCTs. While POCT services were considered to have clinical and social value, the local routine for their use was named to distract clinicians from the care for patients. Requests were made for ideal POCTs and their implementation. CONCLUSION Despite their clinical integration, deficient implementation routines limit the benefits of POCT services to this well-resourced paediatric clinic. As such deficiencies are shared with other settings, it is suggested that some characteristics of POCTs and of their utility are less related to resource level and more to policy deficiency. To address this, we propose the appointment of skilled laboratory personnel as ambassadors to hospital clinics offering POCT services, to ensure higher utility of such services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reza Rasti
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Paediatric Rheumatology Unit, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Paediatric Immuno-psychiatry Unit, CAP Research Centre, Stockholm Healthcare Services, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna Brännström
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Andreas Mårtensson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, International Maternal and Child Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ingela Zenk
- Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, South General Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jesper Gantelius
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Giulia Gaudenzi
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Science for Life Laboratory, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Tobias Alfvén
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Sachs' Children and Youth Hospital, South General Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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15
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Schäfer C, Zanghi G, Vaughan AM, Kappe SHI. Plasmodium vivax Latent Liver Stage Infection and Relapse: Biological Insights and New Experimental Tools. Annu Rev Microbiol 2021; 75:87-106. [PMID: 34196569 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-micro-032421-061155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax is the most widespread human malaria parasite, in part because it can form latent liver stages known as hypnozoites after transmission by female anopheline mosquitoes to human hosts. These persistent stages can activate weeks, months, or even years after the primary clinical infection; replicate; and initiate relapses of blood stage infection, which causes disease and recurring transmission. Eliminating hypnozoites is a substantial obstacle for malaria treatment and eradication since the hypnozoite reservoir is undetectable and unaffected by most antimalarial drugs. Importantly, in some parts of the globe where P. vivax malaria is endemic, as many as 90% of P. vivax blood stage infections are thought to be relapses rather than primary infections, rendering the hypnozoite a major driver of P. vivax epidemiology. Here, we review the biology of the hypnozoite and recent discoveries concerning this enigmatic parasite stage. We discuss treatment and prevention challenges, novel animal models to study hypnozoites and relapse, and hypotheses related to hypnozoite formation and activation. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Microbiology, Volume 75 is October 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Schäfer
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA; , , ,
| | - Gigliola Zanghi
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA; , , ,
| | - Ashley M Vaughan
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA; , , , .,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA
| | - Stefan H I Kappe
- Center for Global Infectious Disease Research, Seattle Children's Research Institute, Seattle, Washington 98109, USA; , , , .,Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, USA.,Deparment of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA
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16
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Laktabai J, Saran I, Zhou Y, Simmons RA, Turner EL, Visser T, O'Meara W. Subsidise the test, the treatment or both? Results of an individually randomised controlled trial of the management of suspected malaria fevers in the retail sector in western Kenya. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 5:bmjgh-2020-003378. [PMID: 33148541 PMCID: PMC7640502 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-003378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In many malaria-endemic countries, the private retail sector is a major source of antimalarial drugs. However, the rarity of malaria diagnostic testing in the retail sector leads to overuse of the first-line class of antimalarial drugs known as artemisinin-combination therapies (ACTs). The goal of this study was to identify the combination of malaria rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and ACT subsidies that maximises the proportion of clients seeking care in a retail outlet that choose to purchase an RDT (RDT uptake) and use ACTs appropriately. METHODS 842 clients seeking care in 12 select retail outlets in western Kenya were recruited and randomised into 4 arms of different combinations of ACT and RDT subsidies, with ACT subsidies conditional on a positive RDT. The outcomes were RDT uptake (primary) and appropriate and targeted ACT use (secondary). Participants' familiarity with RDTs and their confidence in test results were also evaluated. RESULTS RDT uptake was high (over 96%) across the study arms. Testing uptake was 1.025 times higher (98% CI 1.002 to 1.049) in the RDT subsidised arms than in the unsubsidised groups. Over 98% of clients were aware of malaria testing, but only 35% had a previous experience with RDTs. Nonetheless, confidence in the accuracy of RDTs was high. We found high levels of appropriate use and targeting of ACTs, with 86% of RDT positives taking an ACT, and 93.4% of RDT negatives not taking an ACT. The conditional ACT subsidy did not affect the RDT test purchasing behaviour (risk ratio: 0.994; 98% CI 0.979 to 1.009). CONCLUSION Test dependent ACT subsidies may contribute to ACT targeting. However, in this context, high confidence in the accuracy of RDTs and reliable supplies of RDTs and ACTs likely played a greater role in testing uptake and adherence to test results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah Laktabai
- Department of Family Medicine, Moi University School of Medicine, Eldoret, Kenya
| | - Indrani Saran
- Boston College School of Social Work, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Yunji Zhou
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ryan A Simmons
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Turner
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA.,Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Theodoor Visser
- Clinton Health Access Initiative, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Wendy O'Meara
- Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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17
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Moraes Barros RR, Thawnashom K, Gibson TJ, Armistead JS, Caleon RL, Kaneko M, Kite WA, Mershon JP, Brockhurst JK, Engels T, Lambert L, Orr-Gonzalez S, Adams JH, Sá JM, Kaneko O, Wellems TE. Activity of Plasmodium vivax promoter elements in Plasmodium knowlesi, and a centromere-containing plasmid that expresses NanoLuc throughout the parasite life cycle. Malar J 2021; 20:247. [PMID: 34090438 PMCID: PMC8180018 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-021-03773-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Plasmodium knowlesi is now the major cause of human malaria in Malaysia, complicating malaria control efforts that must attend to the elimination of multiple Plasmodium species. Recent advances in the cultivation of P. knowlesi erythrocytic-stage parasites in vitro, transformation with exogenous DNA, and infection of mosquitoes with gametocytes from culture have opened up studies of this pathogen without the need for resource-intensive and costly non-human primate (NHP) models. For further understanding and development of methods for parasite transformation in malaria research, this study examined the activity of various trans-species transcriptional control sequences and the influence of Plasmodium vivax centromeric (pvcen) repeats in plasmid-transfected P. knowlesi parasites. Methods In vitro cultivated P. knowlesi parasites were transfected with plasmid constructs that incorporated Plasmodium vivax or Plasmodium falciparum 5′ UTRs driving the expression of bioluminescence markers (firefly luciferase or Nanoluc). Promoter activities were assessed by bioluminescence, and parasites transformed with human resistant allele dihydrofolate reductase-expressing plasmids were selected using antifolates. The stability of transformants carrying pvcen-stabilized episomes was assessed by bioluminescence over a complete parasite life cycle through a rhesus macaque monkey, mosquitoes, and a second rhesus monkey. Results Luciferase expression assessments show that certain P. vivax promoter regions, not functional in the more evolutionarily-distant P. falciparum, can drive transgene expression in P. knowlesi. Further, pvcen repeats may improve the stability of episomal plasmids in P. knowlesi and support detection of NanoLuc-expressing elements over the full parasite life cycle from rhesus macaque monkeys to Anopheles dirus mosquitoes and back again to monkeys. In assays of drug responses to chloroquine, G418 and WR9910, anti-malarial half-inhibitory concentration (IC50) values of blood stages measured by NanoLuc activity proved comparable to IC50 values measured by the standard SYBR Green method. Conclusion All three P. vivax promoters tested in this study functioned in P. knowlesi, whereas two of the three were inactive in P. falciparum. NanoLuc-expressing, centromere-stabilized plasmids may support high-throughput screenings of P. knowlesi for new anti-malarial agents, including compounds that can block the development of mosquito- and/or liver-stage parasites. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-021-03773-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberto R Moraes Barros
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA. .,Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Kittisak Thawnashom
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Medical Technology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand
| | - Tyler J Gibson
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jennifer S Armistead
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Ramoncito L Caleon
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miho Kaneko
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.,Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Whitney A Kite
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - J Patrick Mershon
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jacqueline K Brockhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Theresa Engels
- Division of Veterinary Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lynn Lambert
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sachy Orr-Gonzalez
- Laboratory of Malaria Immunology and Vaccinology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John H Adams
- Center for Global Health and Infectious Diseases Research, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Juliana M Sá
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Osamu Kaneko
- Department of Protozoology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Thomas E Wellems
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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18
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A natural symbiotic bacterium drives mosquito refractoriness to Plasmodium infection via secretion of an antimalarial lipase. Nat Microbiol 2021; 6:806-817. [PMID: 33958765 PMCID: PMC9793891 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00899-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The stalling global progress in the fight against malaria prompts the urgent need to develop new intervention strategies. Whilst engineered symbiotic bacteria have been shown to confer mosquito resistance to parasite infection, a major challenge for field implementation is to address regulatory concerns. Here, we report the identification of a Plasmodium-blocking symbiotic bacterium, Serratia ureilytica Su_YN1, isolated from the midgut of wild Anopheles sinensis in China that inhibits malaria parasites via secretion of an antimalarial lipase. Analysis of Plasmodium vivax epidemic data indicates that local malaria cases in Tengchong (Yunnan province, China) are significantly lower than imported cases and importantly, that the local vector A. sinensis is more resistant to infection by P. vivax than A. sinensis from other regions. Analysis of the gut symbiotic bacteria of mosquitoes from Yunnan province led to the identification of S. ureilytica Su_YN1. This bacterium renders mosquitoes resistant to infection by the human parasite Plasmodium falciparum or the rodent parasite Plasmodium berghei via secretion of a lipase that selectively kills parasites at various stages. Importantly, Su_YN1 rapidly disseminates through mosquito populations by vertical and horizontal transmission, providing a potential tool for blocking malaria transmission in the field.
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19
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De Niz M, Caldelari R, Kaiser G, Zuber B, Heo WD, Heussler VT, Agop-Nersesian C. Hijacking of the host cell Golgi by Plasmodium berghei liver stage parasites. J Cell Sci 2021; 134:jcs252213. [PMID: 34013963 PMCID: PMC8186485 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.252213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The intracellular lifestyle represents a challenge for the rapidly proliferating liver stage Plasmodium parasite. In order to scavenge host resources, Plasmodium has evolved the ability to target and manipulate host cell organelles. Using dynamic fluorescence-based imaging, we here show an interplay between the pre-erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium berghei and the host cell Golgi during liver stage development. Liver stage schizonts fragment the host cell Golgi into miniaturized stacks, which increases surface interactions with the parasitophorous vacuolar membrane of the parasite. Expression of specific dominant-negative Arf1 and Rab GTPases, which interfere with the host cell Golgi-linked vesicular machinery, results in developmental delay and diminished survival of liver stage parasites. Moreover, functional Rab11a is critical for the ability of the parasites to induce Golgi fragmentation. Altogether, we demonstrate that the structural integrity of the host cell Golgi and Golgi-associated vesicular traffic is important for optimal pre-erythrocytic development of P. berghei. The parasite hijacks the Golgi structure of the hepatocyte to optimize its own intracellular development. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana De Niz
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Reto Caldelari
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Gesine Kaiser
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Benoit Zuber
- Institute for Anatomy, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Won Do Heo
- Dept. of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 305-701, Republic of Korea
| | - Volker T. Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
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20
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Krishnan K, Ziniel P, Li H, Huang X, Hupalo D, Gombakomba N, Guerrero SM, Dotrang T, Lu X, Caridha D, Sternberg AR, Hughes E, Sun W, Bargieri DY, Roepe PD, Sciotti RJ, Wilkerson MD, Dalgard CL, Tawa GJ, Wang AQ, Xu X, Zheng W, Sanderson PE, Huang W, Williamson KC. Torin 2 Derivative, NCATS-SM3710, Has Potent Multistage Antimalarial Activity through Inhibition of P. falciparum Phosphatidylinositol 4-Kinase ( Pf PI4KIIIβ). ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2020; 3:948-964. [PMID: 33073193 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.0c00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Drug resistance is a constant threat to malaria control efforts making it important to maintain a good pipeline of new drug candidates. Of particular need are compounds that also block transmission by targeting sexual stage parasites. Mature sexual stages are relatively resistant to all currently used antimalarials except the 8-aminoquinolines that are not commonly used due to potential side effects. Here, we synthesized a new Torin 2 derivative, NCATS-SM3710 with increased aqueous solubility and specificity for Plasmodium and demonstrate potent in vivo activity against all P. berghei life cycle stages. NCATS-SM3710 also has low nanomolar EC50s against in vitro cultured asexual P. falciparum parasites (0.38 ± 0.04 nM) and late stage gametocytes (5.77 ± 1 nM). Two independent NCATS-SM3710/Torin 2 resistant P. falciparum parasite lines produced by growth in sublethal Torin 2 concentrations both had genetic changes in PF3D7_0509800, annotated as a phosphatidylinositol 4 kinase (Pf PI4KIIIβ). One line had a point mutation in the putative active site (V1357G), and the other line had a duplication of a locus containing Pf PI4KIIIβ. Both lines were also resistant to other Pf PI4K inhibitors. In addition NCATS-SM3710 inhibited purified Pf PI4KIIIβ with an IC50 of 2.0 ± 0.30 nM. Together the results demonstrate that Pf PI4KIIIβ is the target of Torin 2 and NCATS-SM3710 and provide new options for potent multistage drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karthik Krishnan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Peter Ziniel
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Hao Li
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Xiuli Huang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Daniel Hupalo
- Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Nita Gombakomba
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Sandra Mendoza Guerrero
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Thoai Dotrang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Xiao Lu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Diana Caridha
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, United States
| | - Anna R Sternberg
- Departments of Chemistry and of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, United States
| | - Emma Hughes
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Wei Sun
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Daniel Y Bargieri
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, 05508, Brazil
| | - Paul D Roepe
- Departments of Chemistry and of Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, United States
| | - Richard J Sciotti
- Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910, United States
| | - Matthew D Wilkerson
- Collaborative Health Initiative Research Program, Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Clifton L Dalgard
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Genetics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States.,The American Genome Center, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
| | - Gregory J Tawa
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Amy Q Wang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Xin Xu
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Wei Zheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Philip E Sanderson
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Wenwei Huang
- National Center for Advancing Translational Science, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20892, United States
| | - Kim C Williamson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814, United States
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21
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Voorberg-van der Wel A, Zeeman AM, Nieuwenhuis IG, van der Werff NM, Klooster EJ, Klop O, Vermaat LC, Kocken CHM. Dual-Luciferase-Based Fast and Sensitive Detection of Malaria Hypnozoites for the Discovery of Antirelapse Compounds. Anal Chem 2020; 92:6667-6675. [PMID: 32267675 PMCID: PMC7203758 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c00547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Efforts to eradicate Plasmodium vivax malaria are hampered by the presence of hypnozoites, persisting stages in the liver that can reactivate after prolonged periods of time enabling further transmission and causing renewed disease. Large-scale drug screening is needed to identify compounds with antihypnozoite activity, but current platforms rely on time-consuming high-content fluorescence imaging as read-out, limiting assay throughput. We here report an ultrafast and sensitive dual-luciferase-based method to differentiate hypnozoites from liver stage schizonts using a transgenic P. cynomolgi parasite line that contains Nanoluc driven by the constitutive hsp70 promoter, as well as firefly luciferase driven by the schizont-specific lisp2 promoter. The transgenic parasite line showed similar fitness and drug sensitivity profiles of selected compounds to wild type. We demonstrate robust bioluminescence-based detection of hypnozoites in 96-well and 384-well plate formats, setting the stage for implementation in large scale drug screens.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne-Marie Zeeman
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Ivonne G. Nieuwenhuis
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Nicole M. van der Werff
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Els J. Klooster
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Onny Klop
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Lars C. Vermaat
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Clemens H. M. Kocken
- Department of Parasitology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, 2288 GJ Rijswijk, The Netherlands
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22
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Duong HD, Appiah-Kwarteng C, Takashima Y, Aye KM, Nagayasu E, Yoshida A. A novel luciferase-linked antibody capture assay (LACA) for the diagnosis of Toxoplasma gondii infection in chickens. Parasitol Int 2020; 77:102125. [PMID: 32311471 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that causes the most common parasitic zoonosis worldwide in multiples species of mammals and birds. Although free-range chickens may play a role as an important reservoir for T. gondii, there is no reliable and commercially available diagnostic test for this disease in chickens. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel Luciferase-linked Antibody Capture Assay (LACA) for the serodiagnosis of Toxoplasma infection in chickens. Recombinant nanoluciferase fused-T. gondii dense granule antigen 8 (rNluc-GRA8) was produced and applied to LACA assay as a diagnostic antigen. GRA8-LACA was tested with the sera from uninfected and experimentally infected chickens with T. gondii and other parasitic pathogens and showed unexpectedly high sensitivity (90.5%) and specificity (95.4%). Interestingly, E. coli lysate expressing rNluc-GRA8 could be applied in GRA8-LACA with 85.7% sensitivity and an increased specificity (96.9%) that gave better diagnostic performance compared to conventional ELISA. We applied our diagnostic system to examine 267 free-range chicken sera collected from 12 farms and 100 closed-house broiler chicken sera from local poultry abattoirs. The overall seroprevalence of toxoplasmosis in free-range chickens was 10.9% (95% CI: 10.6%-11.1%), while no positive case was found in broiler chickens. GRA8-LACA could be a useful diagnostic technique for T. gondii infection in chickens. The detection of T. gondii seropositive chickens in this study warns a potential risk of Toxoplasma transmission by the consumption of raw or undercooked chicken meat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hieu Duc Duong
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan; Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Viet Nam
| | - Cornelia Appiah-Kwarteng
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Yasuhiro Takashima
- Department of Veterinary Parasitology, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, Japan
| | - Khin Myo Aye
- Division of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan; Parasitology Research Division, Department of Medical Research, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Eiji Nagayasu
- Division of Parasitology, Department of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Ayako Yoshida
- Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan; Centre for Animal Diseases Control (CADIC), University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan.
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23
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Dale NC, Johnstone EKM, White CW, Pfleger KDG. NanoBRET: The Bright Future of Proximity-Based Assays. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:56. [PMID: 30972335 PMCID: PMC6443706 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET) is a biophysical technique used to monitor proximity within live cells. BRET exploits the naturally occurring phenomenon of dipole-dipole energy transfer from a donor enzyme (luciferase) to an acceptor fluorophore following enzyme-mediated oxidation of a substrate. This results in production of a quantifiable signal that denotes proximity between proteins and/or molecules tagged with complementary luciferase and fluorophore partners. BRET assays have been used to observe an array of biological functions including ligand binding, intracellular signaling, receptor-receptor proximity, and receptor trafficking, however, BRET assays can theoretically be used to monitor the proximity of any protein or molecule for which appropriate fusion constructs and/or fluorophore conjugates can be produced. Over the years, new luciferases and approaches have been developed that have increased the potential applications for BRET assays. In particular, the development of the small, bright and stable Nanoluciferase (NanoLuc; Nluc) and its use in NanoBRET has vastly broadened the potential applications of BRET assays. These advances have exciting potential to produce new experimental methods to monitor protein-protein interactions (PPIs), protein-ligand interactions, and/or molecular proximity. In addition to NanoBRET, Nluc has also been exploited to produce NanoBiT technology, which further broadens the scope of BRET to monitor biological function when NanoBiT is combined with an acceptor. BRET has proved to be a powerful tool for monitoring proximity and interaction, and these recent advances further strengthen its utility for a range of applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha C Dale
- Molecular Endocrinology and Pharmacology, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre for Personalised Therapeutics TechnologiesAustralia
| | - Elizabeth K M Johnstone
- Molecular Endocrinology and Pharmacology, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre for Personalised Therapeutics TechnologiesAustralia
| | - Carl W White
- Molecular Endocrinology and Pharmacology, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre for Personalised Therapeutics TechnologiesAustralia
| | - Kevin D G Pfleger
- Molecular Endocrinology and Pharmacology, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Medical Centre, Nedlands, WA, Australia.,Centre for Medical Research, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre for Personalised Therapeutics TechnologiesAustralia.,Dimerix Limited, Nedlands, WA, Australia
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24
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Updating the modified Thompson test by using whole-body bioluminescence imaging to replace traditional efficacy testing in experimental models of murine malaria. Malar J 2019; 18:38. [PMID: 30767768 PMCID: PMC6376706 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-019-2661-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 01/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Rodent malaria models are extensively used to predict treatment outcomes in human infections. There is a constant need to improve and refine these models by innovating ways to apply new scientific findings and cutting edge technologies. In addition, and in accordance with the three R's of animal use in research, in vivo studies should be constantly refined to avoid unnecessary pain and distress to the experimental animals by using preemptive euthanasia as soon as the main scientific study objective has been accomplished. METHODS The new methodology described in this manuscript uses the whole-body bioluminescence signal emitted by transgenic, luciferase-expressing Plasmodium berghei parasites to assess the parasite load predicted parasitaemia (PLPP) in drug and control treated female ICR-CD1 mice infected with 1 × 105 luciferase-expressing P. berghei (ANKA strain) infected erythrocytes. This methodology can replace other time-consuming and expensive methods that are routinely used to measure parasitaemia in infected animals, such as Giemsa-stained thin blood smears and flow cytometry. RESULTS There is a good correlation between whole-body bioluminescence signal and parasitaemia measured using Giemsa-stained thin blood smears and flow cytometry respectively in donor and study mice in the modified Thompson test. The algebraic formulas which represent these correlations can be successfully used to assess PLPP in donor and study mice. In addition, the new methodology can pinpoint sick animals 2-8 days before they would have been otherwise diagnosed based on behavioural or any other signs of malaria disease. CONCLUSIONS The new method for predicting parasitaemia in the modified Thompson test is simple, precise, objective, and minimizes false positive results that can lead to the premature removal of animals from study. Furthermore, from the animal welfare perspective of replace, reduce, and refine, this new method facilitates early removal of sick animals from study as soon as the study objective has been achieved, in many cases well before the clinical signs of disease are present.
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25
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Toolbox for In Vivo Imaging of Host-Parasite Interactions at Multiple Scales. Trends Parasitol 2019; 35:193-212. [PMID: 30745251 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Animal models have for long been pivotal for parasitology research. Over the last few years, techniques such as intravital, optoacoustic and magnetic resonance imaging, optical projection tomography, and selective plane illumination microscopy developed promising potential for gaining insights into host-pathogen interactions by allowing different visualization forms in vivo and ex vivo. Advances including increased resolution, penetration depth, and acquisition speed, together with more complex image analysis methods, facilitate tackling biological problems previously impossible to study and/or quantify. Here we discuss advances and challenges in the in vivo imaging toolbox, which hold promising potential for the field of parasitology.
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26
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Charnaud SC, Jonsdottir TK, Sanders PR, Bullen HE, Dickerman BK, Kouskousis B, Palmer CS, Pietrzak HM, Laumaea AE, Erazo AB, McHugh E, Tilley L, Crabb BS, Gilson PR. Spatial organization of protein export in malaria parasite blood stages. Traffic 2018; 19:605-623. [DOI: 10.1111/tra.12577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Thorey K. Jonsdottir
- Burnet Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
| | | | | | | | - Betty Kouskousis
- Burnet Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Monash Micro Imaging, Monash University; Melbourne Australia
| | - Catherine S. Palmer
- Burnet Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Monash Micro Imaging, Monash University; Melbourne Australia
| | | | | | | | - Emma McHugh
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
| | - Leann Tilley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
| | - Brendan S. Crabb
- Burnet Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne; Melbourne Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University; Melbourne Australia
| | - Paul R. Gilson
- Burnet Institute; Melbourne Australia
- Department of Microbiology, Monash University; Melbourne Australia
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De Niz M, Meibalan E, Mejia P, Ma S, Brancucci NMB, Agop-Nersesian C, Mandt R, Ngotho P, Hughes KR, Waters AP, Huttenhower C, Mitchell JR, Martinelli R, Frischknecht F, Seydel KB, Taylor T, Milner D, Heussler VT, Marti M. Plasmodium gametocytes display homing and vascular transmigration in the host bone marrow. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaat3775. [PMID: 29806032 PMCID: PMC5966192 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat3775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Transmission of Plasmodium parasites to the mosquito requires the formation and development of gametocytes. Studies in infected humans have shown that only the most mature forms of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are present in circulation, whereas immature forms accumulate in the hematopoietic environment of the bone marrow. We used the rodent model Plasmodium berghei to study gametocyte behavior through time under physiological conditions. Intravital microscopy demonstrated preferential homing of early gametocyte forms across the intact vascular barrier of the bone marrow and the spleen early during infection and subsequent development in the extravascular environment. During the acute phase of infection, we observed vascular leakage resulting in further parasite accumulation in this environment. Mature gametocytes showed high deformability and were found entering and exiting the intact vascular barrier. We suggest that extravascular gametocyte localization and mobility are essential for gametocytogenesis and transmission of Plasmodium to the mosquito.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana De Niz
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA Scotland, UK
| | - Elamaran Meibalan
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Pedro Mejia
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Siyuan Ma
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Nicolas M. B. Brancucci
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA Scotland, UK
| | - Carolina Agop-Nersesian
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Henry M. Goldman School of Dental Medicine, Boston University, Boston, MA 02118, USA
| | - Rebecca Mandt
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Priscilla Ngotho
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA Scotland, UK
| | - Katie R. Hughes
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA Scotland, UK
| | - Andrew P. Waters
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA Scotland, UK
| | - Curtis Huttenhower
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, 415 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
| | - James R. Mitchell
- Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Roberta Martinelli
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, Harvard Medical School, 330 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Friedrich Frischknecht
- Parasitology Centre for Infectious Diseases, University of Heidelberg Medical School, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Karl B. Seydel
- Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre 3, Malawi
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Terrie Taylor
- Blantyre Malaria Project, University of Malawi College of Medicine, Blantyre 3, Malawi
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Danny Milner
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Volker T. Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Baltzerstrasse 4, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland
- Corresponding authors. (M.M.); (V.T.H.)
| | - Matthias Marti
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Molecular Parasitology, Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, G12 8TA Scotland, UK
- Corresponding authors. (M.M.); (V.T.H.)
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Kaiser G, De Niz M, Burda PC, Niklaus L, Stanway RL, Heussler V. Generation of transgenic rodent malaria parasites by transfection of cell culture-derived merozoites. Malar J 2017; 16:305. [PMID: 28764716 PMCID: PMC5540294 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-017-1949-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Accepted: 07/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malaria research is greatly dependent on and has drastically advanced with the possibility of genetically modifying Plasmodium parasites. The commonly used transfection protocol by Janse and colleagues utilizes blood stage-derived Plasmodium berghei schizonts that have been purified from a blood culture by density gradient centrifugation. Naturally, this transfection protocol depends on the availability of suitably infected mice, constituting a time-based variable. In this study, the potential of transfecting liver stage-derived merozoites was explored. In cell culture, upon merozoite development, infected cells detach from the neighbouring cells and can be easily harvested from the cell culture supernatant. This protocol offers robust experimental timing and temporal flexibility. METHODS HeLa cells are infected with P. berghei sporozoites to obtain liver stage-derived merozoites, which are harvested from the cell culture supernatant and are transfected using the Amaxa Nucleofector® electroporation technology. RESULTS Using this protocol, wild type P. berghei ANKA strain and marker-free PbmCherryHsp70-expressing P. berghei parasites were successfully transfected with DNA constructs designed for integration via single- or double-crossover homologous recombination. CONCLUSION An alternative protocol for Plasmodium transfection is hereby provided, which uses liver stage-derived P. berghei merozoites for transfection. This protocol has the potential to substantially reduce the number of mice used per transfection, as well as to increase the temporal flexibility and robustness of performing transfections, if mosquitoes are routinely present in the laboratory. Transfection of liver stage-derived P. berghei parasites should enable generation of transgenic parasites within 8-18 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gesine Kaiser
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Mariana De Niz
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Wellcome Centre for Molecular Parasitology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Paul-Christian Burda
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Livia Niklaus
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Graduate School for Cellular and Biomedical Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Volker Heussler
- Institute of Cell Biology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Bioluminescence Method for In Vitro Screening of Plasmodium Transmission-Blocking Compounds. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2017; 61:AAC.02699-16. [PMID: 28348156 PMCID: PMC5444155 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02699-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The sporogonic stage of the life cycle of Plasmodium spp., the causative agents of malaria, occurs inside the parasite's mosquito vector, where a process of fertilization, meiosis, and mitotic divisions culminates in the generation of large numbers of mammalian-infective sporozoites. Efforts to cultivate Plasmodium mosquito stages in vitro have proved challenging and yielded only moderate success. Here, we describe a methodology that simplifies the in vitro screening of much-needed transmission-blocking (TB) compounds employing a bioluminescence-based method to monitor the in vitro development of sporogonic stages of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei. Our proof-of-principle assessment of the in vitro TB activity of several commonly used antimalarial compounds identified cycloheximide, thiostrepton, and atovaquone as the most active compounds against the parasite's sporogonic stages. The TB activity of these compounds was further confirmed by in vivo studies that validated our newly developed in vitro approach to TB compound screening.
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A replication-competent foot-and-mouth disease virus expressing a luciferase reporter. J Virol Methods 2017; 247:38-44. [PMID: 28532601 PMCID: PMC5490781 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2017.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We have generated a replication-competent foot-and-mouth disease virus expressing Nanoluciferase, designated as Nano-FMDV. Nano-FMDV is genetically stable. The replication of Nano-FMDV can be monitored by bioluminescent methods. This reporter virus has potential applications in real-time monitoring of FMDV infection in vitro and in vivo, and in screening of antivirals and antibodies.
Bioluminescence is a powerful tool in the study of viral infection both in vivo and in vitro. Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) has a small RNA genome with a limited tolerance to foreign RNA entities. There has been no success in making a reporter FMDV expressing a luciferase in infected cell culture supernatants. We report here for the first time a replication-competent FMDV encoding Nanoluciferase, named as Nano-FMDV. Nano-FMDV is genetically stable during serial passages in cells and exhibits growth kinetics and plaque morphology similar to its parental virus. There are applications for the use of Nano-FMDV such as real-time monitoring of FMDV replication in vitro and in vivo.
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Tavares J, Costa DM, Teixeira AR, Cordeiro-da-Silva A, Amino R. In vivo imaging of pathogen homing to the host tissues. Methods 2017; 127:37-44. [PMID: 28522323 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2017.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Revised: 04/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Hematogenous dissemination followed by tissue tropism is a characteristic of the infectious process of many pathogens including those transmitted by blood-feeding vectors. After entering into the blood circulation, these pathogens must arrest in the target organ before they infect a specific tissue. Here, we describe a non-invasive method to visualize and quantify the homing of pathogens to the host tissues. By using in vivo bioluminescence imaging we quantify the accumulation of luciferase-expressing parasites in the host organs during the first minutes following their intravascular inoculation in mice. Using this technique we show that in the malarial infection, once in the blood circulation, most of bioluminescent Plasmodium berghei sporozoites, the parasite stage transmitted to the host skin by a mosquito bite, rapidly home to the liver where they invade and develop inside hepatocytes. This homing is specific to this developmental stage since blood stage parasites do not accumulate in the liver, as well as extracellular Trypanosoma brucei bloodstream forms and liver-infecting Leishmania infantum amastigotes. Finally, this method can be used to study the dynamics of tissue tropism of parasites, dissect the molecular and cellular basis of their increased arrest in organs and to evaluate immune interventions designed to block this targeted interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joana Tavares
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal.
| | - David Mendes Costa
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Ana Rafaela Teixeira
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - Anabela Cordeiro-da-Silva
- i3S - Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; IBMC - Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade do Porto, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Portugal
| | - Rogerio Amino
- Unit of Malaria Infection and Immunity, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.
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Exploiting NanoLuc luciferase for smartphone-based bioluminescence cell biosensor for (anti)-inflammatory activity and toxicity. Anal Bioanal Chem 2016; 408:8859-8868. [DOI: 10.1007/s00216-016-0062-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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