Sporozoite immunization: innovative translational science to support the fight against malaria (Publications)
especially for Plasmodium falciparum (Pf), the deadliest human malaria parasite. AREAS COVERED: Sporozoites (SPZ), the parasite stage transmitted by Anopheles mosquitoes to humans, are the only vaccine [...] INTRODUCTION: Malaria, a devastating febrile illness caused by protozoan parasites, sickened 247,000,000 people in 2021 and killed 619,000, mostly children and pregnant women in sub-Saharan Africa. A highly
Multistage antiplasmodium activity of astemizole analogues and inhibition of hemozoin formation as a contributor to their mode of action (Publications)
The multistage activity potential against Plasmodium parasite's life cycle of the subsequent analogues was examined by evaluating against the parasite asexual blood, liver and gametocyte stages. In addition [...] their antiplasmodium IC50s. Analyses of intracellular inhibition of hemozoin formation within the parasite further yielded signatures attributable to a possible perturbation of the heme detoxification machinery
Molecular epidemiology of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> infections among asymptomatic inhabitans of a holoendemic malarious area in northern Ghana (Publications)
prevalence of Plasmodium falciparum by microscopy was 70%, with the maximum among 5-9 year olds. Parasite density was highest (geometric mean 1922/microl blood) in 1-2 year olds. Eighty-two per cent of [...] > or= 37.5 degrees C) and 2.3% had fever associated with parasitaemia. The correlation between parasite density and msp2 multiplicity was 0.42; highest among infants, and decreased with age to a minimum [...] Contrasting with results from Tanzania, this correlation increased with age in...
Comparative genomics reveals multiple genetic backgrounds of human pathogenicity in the <em>Trypanosoma brucei</em> complex (Publications)
represent 2.33% of the nuclear genome. We show that human pathogenicity occurs across a wide range of parasite genotypes, and taxonomic designation does not reflect genetic variation across the group, as previous [...] chromosome size. In addition to insights into the life history of a diverse group of eukaryotic parasites, the documentation of genomic variation across the T. brucei complex and its association with specific [...] by 2020, and on a shorter term, for monitoring the feared merger...
Controlled human malaria infection leads to long-lasting changes in innate and innate-like lymphocyte populations (Publications)
response and subsequent parasite control following Plasmodium infection. IFN-gamma production by these lymphocytes likely plays a key role in the early control of the parasite and disease severity. Analyzing [...] human innate-like lymphocyte compartment. We discuss the consequences of these changes for recurrent parasite infection and infection-associated pathologies and highlight the importance of considering host
The <em>Plasmodium </em>lactate/H+ transporter PfFNT is essential and druggable <em>in vivo</em> (Publications)
Malaria parasites in the blood stage express a single transmembrane transport protein for the release of the glycolytic end product l-lactate/H(+) from the cell. This transporter is a member of the strictly [...] Small, drug-like FNT inhibitors potently block lactate transport and kill Plasmodium falciparum parasites in culture. The protein structure of Plasmodium falciparum FNT (PfFNT) in complex with the inhibitor [...] models. We found that, besides a previously identified PfFNT G107S...
How to train your myeloid cells: a way forward for helminth vaccines? (Publications)
trigger strong humoral immunity, with the goal of generating neutralizing antibodies against key parasite molecules. Notably, this approach aims to reduce the pathology of infection, not worm burden, with [...] vaccine responses in endemic countries, probably due to the strong immunomodulation caused by these parasites, and (2) the target population displays pre-existing type 2 immune responses to helminth products [...] cells, specifically the myeloid compartment, in controlling helminth...
Identification of the asymptomatic <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> and <em>Plasmodium vivax</em> gametocyte reservoir under different transmission... (Publications)
vivax. Blood-stage parasite density was the most important predictor of the probability to detect gametocytes. In moderate transmission settings (prevalence by qPCR> 5%), parasite density decreased with [...] human-to-mosquito transmission. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax parasites and gametocytes were quantified by qPCR and RT-qPCR assays using the same methodologies in 5 cr
Genetic diversity of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> among school-aged children from the Man region, western Côte d'Ivoire (Publications)
Plasmodium falciparum allows the molecular discrimination of otherwise microscopically identical parasites and the identification of individual clones in multiple infections. The study reported here investigated [...] under a microscope for P. falciparum prevalence and parasitaemia. MOI and genetic diversity of the parasite populations were investigated using msp2 typing by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment [...] that, in this setting, MOI is not a good proxy for transmission. The...
The surface coat of procyclic <em>Trypanosoma brucei</em>: programmed expression and proteolytic cleavage of procyclin in the tsetse fly (Publications)
Trypanosoma brucei, the protozoan parasite causing sleeping sickness, is transmitted by a tsetse fly vector. When the tsetse takes a blood meal from an infected human, it ingests bloodstream form trypanosomes [...] that quickly differentiate into procyclic forms within the fly's midgut. During this process, the parasite loses the 10(7) molecules of variant surface glycoprotein that formed its surface coat, and it develops [...] of the protease-resistant C-terminal domain, containing the...
