2,3-Diphosphoglycerate and the Protective Effect of Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency against Malaria Infection-Exploring the Role of the Red Blood Cell Membrane

Nanotechnology meets medicine: applications of atomic force microscopy in disease

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a scanning imaging technique able to work at the nanoscale. It uses a cantilever with a tip to move across samples' surface and a laser to measure the cantilever bending, enabling the assessment of interaction forces between tip and sample and creating a three-dimensional visual representation of its surface. AFM has been gaining notoriety in the biomedical field due to its high-resolution images, as well as due to its ability to measure the inter- and intramolecular interaction forces involved in the pathophysiology of many diseases. Here, we highlight some of the current applications of AFM in the biomedical field. First, a brief overview of the AFM technique is presented. This theoretical framework is then used to link AFM to its novel translational applications, handling broad clinical questions in different areas, such as infectious diseases, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. Morphological and nanomechanical characteristics such as cell height, volume, stiffness, and adhesion forces may serve as novel parameters used to tailor patient care through nanodiagnostics, individualized risk stratification, and therapeutic monitoring. Despite an increasing development of AFM biomedical research with patient cells, showing its unique capabilities in terms of resolution, speed, and accuracy, there is a notable need for applied AFM research in clinical settings. More translational research with AFM may provide new grounds for the valuable collaboration between biomedical researchers and healthcare professionals.

Differential Gene Expression of Malaria Parasite in Response to Red Blood Cell-Specific Glycolytic Intermediate 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG)

Innovative strategies to control malaria are urgently needed. Exploring the interplay between Plasmodium sp. parasites and host red blood cells (RBCs) offers opportunities for novel antimalarial interventions. Pyruvate kinase deficiency (PKD), characterized by heightened 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) concentration, has been associated with protection against malaria. Elevated levels of 2,3-DPG, a specific mammalian metabolite, may hinder glycolysis, prompting us to hypothesize its potential contribution to PKD-mediated protection. We investigated the impact of the extracellular supplementation of 2,3-DPG on the Plasmodium falciparum intraerythrocytic developmental cycle in vitro. The results showed an inhibition of parasite growth, resulting from significantly fewer progeny from 2,3-DPG-treated parasites. We analyzed differential gene expression and the transcriptomic profile of P. falciparum trophozoites, from in vitro cultures subjected or not subjected to the action of 2,3-DPG, using Nanopore Sequencing Technology. The presence of 2,3-DPG in the culture medium was associated with the significant differential expression of 71 genes, mostly associated with the GO terms nucleic acid binding, transcription or monoatomic anion channel. Further, several genes related to cell cycle control were downregulated in treated parasites. These findings suggest that the presence of this RBC-specific glycolytic metabolite impacts the expression of genes transcribed during the parasite trophozoite stage and the number of merozoites released from individual schizonts, which supports the potential role of 2,3-DPG in the mechanism of protection against malaria by PKD.

Advances in Human Pathogen Control-A 21st Century Challenge

The emergence of new pathogens, coupled with the reemergence of old pathogens and the steep worldwide increase in multiple resistances to available antimicrobials, poses major challenges to human health at the global scale [...].