The 3-phosphoinositide-dependent protein kinase 1 is an essential upstream activator of protein kinase A in malaria parasites (Publications)
t protein kinase A (PKA) signalling is essential for the proliferation of Plasmodium falciparum malaria blood stage parasites. The mechanisms regulating the activity of the catalytic subunit PfPKAc, however [...] function has not been investigated in gametocytes, the sexual blood stage forms that are essential for malaria transmission. By studying a conditional PfPKAc knockdown (cKD) mutant, we confirm the essential role
Effect of interventions to reduce malaria incidence among military personnel on active duty: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial... (Publications)
studies assessing the impact on malaria infection. This study will estimate the protective efficacy of treated uniforms and DEET insect repellent on the incidence of malaria infection among military personnel [...] placebo-controlled trial is planned to evaluate the effectiveness of the interventions on preventing malaria infections in soldiers on active duty at Mgambo National Service Camp in Tanga, Tanzania. The arms [...] untreated uniforms with placebo lotion. The primary outcome is the...
Insights from modelling malaria vaccines for policy decisions: the focus on RTS,S (Publications)
ns. This review illustrates the utility of simulation approaches by reviewing the literature on malaria vaccine modelling, with a focus on its link to the development of policy guidance for the first licensed
Characterising co-infections with <em>Plasmodium </em>spp., <em>Mansonella perstans</em> or <em>Loa loa </em>in asymptomatic children, adults and... (Publications)
Equatorial Guinea are lacking. We aimed to demonstrate that blood retained on malaria rapid diagnostic tests, commonly deployed for malaria surveys, could be used as a source of nucleic acids for molecular based [...] with malaria in an asymptomatic population. METHODOLOGY: M. perstans, L. loa and Plasmodium spp. parasites were monitored by qPCR in a cross-sectional study using DNA extracted from a subset malaria rapid [...] rapid diagnostic tests (mRDTs) collected during the annual malaria...
Analysis of nucleic acids extracted from rapid diagnostic tests reveals a significant proportion of false positive test results associated with recent... (Publications)
Surveillance programmes often use malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) to determine the proportion of the population carrying parasites in their peripheral blood to assess the malaria transmission intensity. Despite [...] quality control activities for RDTs deployed in malaria surveillance programmes. Methods: The diagnostic performance of field-deployed RDTs used for malaria surveys was assessed by retrospective molecular [...] P. falciparum histidine rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) antigen...
Transcriptional correlates of malaria in RTS,S/AS01-vaccinated African children: a matched case-control study (Publications)
ted BTM correlations with malaria risk appeared to generalize to healthy, malaria-naive adults. CONCLUSIONS: A prevaccination transcriptomic signature associates with malaria in RTS,S/AS01-vaccinated African [...] we assessed the generalizability of our findings across three controlled human malaria infection studies of healthy, malaria-naive adult RTS,S/AS01 recipients. RESULTS: RTS,S/AS01 vaccination was associated [...] month 3 levels correlated with malaria risk. In contrast, baseline levels...
Infectivity of symptomatic malaria patients to <em>Anopheles farauti</em> colony mosquitoes in Papua New Guinea (Publications)
to mosquitoes is an understudied bottleneck in the transmission of malaria. Direct membrane feeding assays (DMFA) allow detailed malaria transmission studies from humans to mosquitoes. Especially for Plasmodium [...] were performed with venous blood collected from rapid diagnostic test (RDT) positive symptomatic malaria patients and subsequently analysed by light microscopy and quantitative real time polymerase chain
A brief history of selected malaria vaccine and medical interventions pursued by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and partners,... (Publications)
research portfolio as key elements for researching and applying evidence in malaria control and elimination as part of national malaria control programmes. [...] perspective. Its aim is to highlight the above-mentioned transformation by focusing on selected malaria research-cum-action interventions during the crucial period of the 1990s, which were tailored to
Knowledge of antimalarials and health seeking behaviour of households in case of suspected malaria in Democratic Republic of the Congo (Publications)
of the Congo (DRC) is heavily affected by malaria despite availability of effective treatments. Ignorance and unrecommended behaviour toward a suspected malaria case in households may contribute to this [...] urban Health Centres in each of the 11 previous provinces of DRC, all households with a case of malaria in the 15 days prior to the survey were selected. The patient or caregiver (responder) were interviewed [...] predictors of knowledge of recommended antimalarials and adequate behaviour...
Safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of PfSPZ vaccine against malaria in infants in western Kenya: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase... (Publications)
infection in malaria-naive adults. Preclinical studies show that T cell-mediated immunity is required for protection and is readily induced in humans after vaccination. However, previous malaria exposure can [...] and vaccine efficacy (VE) in adults. We hypothesized that infants with less previous exposure to malaria would have improved immunity and protection. We conducted a multi-arm, randomized, double-blind, [...] tolerability, immunogenicity and efficacy of the PfSPZ Vaccine in infants in a...