A pyridyl-furan series developed from the Open Global Health Library block red blood cell invasion and protein trafficking in <em>Plasmodium... (Publications)
stage of the deadliest malarial parasite Plasmodium falciparum, from which eight inhibitors with low micromolar potency were found. Due to its combined potencies against parasite growth and inhibition of red [...] series lead compound (WEHI-518) was improved 250-fold to low nanomolar levels against parasite blood-stage growth. Parasites selected for resistance to a related compound, MMV396797, were also resistant to [...] PfPI4KIIIB blocks multiple stages of the parasite's life cycle and other...
Structural requirements for dihydrobenzoxazepinone anthelmintics: actions against medically important and model parasites: <em>Trichuris muris</em>,... (Publications)
of the benzimidazole drugs, the mainstay of preventative chemotherapy for whipworm, together with parasite drug resistance, mean that current approaches may not be able to eliminate morbidity from trichuriasis [...] (DBQs) with anthelmintic activity. We investigated the activity of these compounds against other parasitic nematodes, identifying DHB compounds with activity against Brugia malayi and Heligmosomoides polygyrus [...] polygyrus. We also demonstrated activity of DHB compounds against...
3D imaging of undissected optically cleared <em>Anopheles stephensi </em>mosquitoes and midguts infected with <em>Plasmodium</em> parasites (Publications)
life-threatening disease, caused by Apicomplexan parasites of the Plasmodium genus. The Anopheles mosquito is necessary for the sexual replication of these parasites and for their transmission to vertebrate hosts [...] hosts, including humans. Imaging of the parasite within the insect vector has been attempted using multiple microscopy methods, most of which are hampered by the presence of the light scattering opaque [...] from OPT imaging show detailed features of the mosquito anatomy and...
Intestinal parasites in segregated minority communities of Slovakia: results from a cross-sectional survey in children (Publications)
revealed a high prevalence of parasitic infections. There is a paucity of recent data, and hence, we designed a study to investigate the current status of intestinal parasitic infections in this population
Identification and profiling of a novel diazaspiro[3.4]octane chemical series active against multiple stages of the human malaria parasite... (Publications)
whole-cell high-throughput screening campaign. Hits displayed activity against multiple stages of the parasite lifecycle, which together with a novel sp(3)-rich scaffold provided an attractive starting point
Investigation of heterochromatin protein 1 function in the malaria parasite <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> using a conditional domain deletion and... (Publications)
decision in malaria parasites.IMPORTANCE Malaria is caused by unicellular Plasmodium species parasites that repeatedly invade and replicate inside red blood cells. Some blood-stage parasites exit the cell cycle [...] and mitotic parasite proliferation. Finally, we discovered that the hinge domain and CSD of HP1 are functionally conserved between P. falciparum and P. berghei, a related malaria parasite infecting rodents [...] mosquito vector. Epigenetic control mechanisms allow the parasites to...
The ApiAP2 factor PfAP2-HC is an integral component of heterochromatin in the malaria parasite <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> (Publications)
Malaria parasites undergo a complex life cycle in the human host and the mosquito vector. The ApiAP2 family of DNA-binding proteins plays a dominant role in parasite development and life cycle progression [...] maintenance. In summary, our findings reveal PfAP2-HC as a core component of heterochromatin in malaria parasites and identify unexpected properties and substantial functional divergence among the members of the
Diagnosis of helminths depends on worm fecundity and the distribution of parasites within hosts (Publications)
Helminth transmission and morbidity are dependent on the number of mature parasites within a host; however, observing adult worms is impossible for many natural infections. An outstanding challenge is [...] fecundity (egg output per worm reduces due to crowding at high burdens) and the skewed distribution of parasites (majority of helminths aggregated in a small fraction of hosts). We address these questions for [...] al surveys (n = 641) where adult flukes were recovered. Using a mechanistic...
Special considerations for studies of extracellular vesicles from parasitic helminths: a community-led roadmap to increase rigour and reproducibility (Publications)
defining how extracellular vesicles (EVs) shape cross-species communication has grown rapidly. Parasitic helminths, worm species found in the phyla Nematoda and Platyhelminthes, are well-recognised ma
