Malaria In The News - February 2011
Announcements / Press Releases
Vector Control Working Group plans for 2011 at 6th annual meeting [RBM VCWG] — (English)
At its largest meeting to date, 120 members of the Roll Back Malaria Vector Control Working Group (VCWG) gathered to discuss current and emerging issues on global malaria vector control. Representing a range of regions, national programmes and organizations, participants reviewed progress made to date by the working group's eight workstreams. A work plan for 2011 was also established, to be coordinated with WHO's Global Malaria Programme and partners. View Communique and presentations of the Meeting...
Work begins on new guidance framework for behaviour change communication [RBM] — (English)
Roll Back Malaria partners working in Behavior Change Communication (BCC), vital to improve the uptake of all malaria interventions, met inGeneva
Alliance for Malaria Prevention partners count their success stories, discuss challenges [AMP, RBM] — (English)
At a meeting organized by theAlliance
Jomaa Pharma and MMV to co-develop novel malaria treatment based on fosmidomycin [MMV] — (English)
Jomaa Pharma GmbH, a German biopharmaceutical company engaged in malaria chemotherapy, and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) a not-for-profit research foundation, announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint development of fosmidomycin, as a component of non-artemisinin based combination therapy (NACT), for acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Fosmidomycin is a molecule that possesses antimalarial and antibacterial activity. The stimulus for this co-development project follows reports of the emergence of artemisinin resistance on the Thai-Cambodian border...
Dr Jan Van Erps, conseiller principal de Roll Back Malaria sur la suppression des taxes de douane sur les médicaments antipaludéens [RFI, 22:24] — (French)
Les défenseurs de la lutte contre le paludisme appellent à la suppression des taxes de douane sur ces médicaments d'importance vitale...
Targeting malaria's liver stage [TropIKA] — (English)
Researchers at theUniversity of South Florida
Malaria parasites [Wellcome Trust] — (English)
New research from theUniversity of Edinburgh
Job oppotunities at CRS, MMV, PATH [RBM] — (English)
Job descriptions and links to online application forms...
At its largest meeting to date, 120 members of the Roll Back Malaria Vector Control Working Group (VCWG) gathered to discuss current and emerging issues on global malaria vector control. Representing a range of regions, national programmes and organizations, participants reviewed progress made to date by the working group's eight workstreams. A work plan for 2011 was also established, to be coordinated with WHO's Global Malaria Programme and partners. View Communique and presentations of the Meeting...
Work begins on new guidance framework for behaviour change communication [RBM] — (English)
Roll Back Malaria partners working in Behavior Change Communication (BCC), vital to improve the uptake of all malaria interventions, met in
Alliance for Malaria Prevention partners count their success stories, discuss challenges [AMP, RBM] — (English)
At a meeting organized by the
Jomaa Pharma and MMV to co-develop novel malaria treatment based on fosmidomycin [MMV] — (English)
Jomaa Pharma GmbH, a German biopharmaceutical company engaged in malaria chemotherapy, and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) a not-for-profit research foundation, announced today that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint development of fosmidomycin, as a component of non-artemisinin based combination therapy (NACT), for acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Fosmidomycin is a molecule that possesses antimalarial and antibacterial activity. The stimulus for this co-development project follows reports of the emergence of artemisinin resistance on the Thai-Cambodian border...
Dr Jan Van Erps, conseiller principal de Roll Back Malaria sur la suppression des taxes de douane sur les médicaments antipaludéens [RFI, 22:24] — (French)
Les défenseurs de la lutte contre le paludisme appellent à la suppression des taxes de douane sur ces médicaments d'importance vitale...
Targeting malaria's liver stage [TropIKA] — (English)
Researchers at the
Malaria parasites [Wellcome Trust] — (English)
New research from the
Job oppotunities at CRS, MMV, PATH [RBM] — (English)
Job descriptions and links to online application forms...
21.02.2011
Tulane University joins quest to wipe out malaria [Times-Picayune] — (English) he vaccine, which will be administered where malaria is rife, will target the disease-causing parasites mosquitoes carry, said Nirbhay Kumar, chairman of Tulane's Department of Tropical Medicine...... |
20.02.2011
Floating spores kill malaria mosquito larvae [Science Daily] — (English) New research published in BioMed Central's open access journal Parasites and Vectors presents a method of dispersing pathogenic fungi as a means of preventing the spread of malaria...... |
19.02.2011
Sweet Bait Lures Malaria Mosquitoes [Voice of Israeli researchers say they have developed a powerful bait that effectively attracts and kills malaria-infected mosquitoes but is completely harmless to humans and other animals...... | |
Why a spider that likes smelly socks could help fight against malaria [BBC] — (English) Scientists in | |
Alte Socken locken Spinne an [Spiegel] — (German) Eine kenianische Spinne zieht es zu alten Socken. Das haben Forscher in Versuchen mit getragenen und sauberen Baumwollstrümpfen herausgefunden...... | |
Dreckige Socken ziehen afrikanische Springspinnen an [Zeit] — (German) Eine ostafrikanische Spinnenart folgt dem Gestank durchgeschwitzter Socken. Der Geruch des Menschen führt den Achtbeiner zu seiner Beute: Blutsaugende Moskitos...... | |
SLU, Chinese scientists team up to tackle malaria [St. Louis Post-Dispatch] — (English) Researchers at | |
Misleading strides in malaria fight [Mail and Guardian Online] — (English) At the dawn of the new millennium, hospitals and clinics in northern | |
Malaria cases could affect MDGs attainment - Dr Abenyeri [Ghana News Agency] — (English) Dr John Abenyeri, Northern Regional Malaria Coordinator, has warned that failure of the country to reduce the increasing cases of malaria could affect efforts at attaining the Millennium Development Goal...... |
18.02.2011
Reductions in malaria and anaemia case and death burden at hospitals following scale-up of malaria control in Zanzibar, 1999-2008 [Malaria Journal 2011, 10:46 ] — (English) Scaling-up effective malaria interventions in | |
CDRI to lead consortium to develop malaria drug [Indian Express] — (English) The Central Drug Research Institute, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, will lead the Open Source Drug Development (OSDD) for malaria in the country...... | |
The UK to support Ghana with 36 million pound Sterling [Ghana News Agency] — (English) Vice President John Dramani Mahama on Friday announced that the | |
True versus Apparent Malaria Infection Prevalence: The Contribution of a Bayesian Approach [PLOS One] — (English) Malaria sero-prevalence was relatively low in all sites, with ELISA showing the highest estimates. The sensitivity of microscopy and ELISA were statistically lower in | |
Malaria Parasites: Disease Action and Transmission [GIT] — (English) Malarial parasites gather information from their environment to strike a delicate balance between when to conserve energy and survive and when to spend energy reproducing - this was now shown by new research from the |
17.02.2011
Cleaning up [The Economist] — (English) Can the Global Fund to fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria restore its reputation as the best and cleanest in the aid business? ...... | |
High-throughput 454 resequencing for allele discovery and recombination mapping in Plasmodium falciparum [BMC Genomics 2011, 12:116doi:10.1186/1471-2164-12-116] — (English) This study is the first to resequence progeny clones to examine fine structure of COs and NCOs in malaria parasites...... | |
District level external quality assurance (EQA) of malaria microscopy in Pakistan: pilot implementation and feasibility [Malaria Journal 2011, 10:45 ] — (English) This paper reports on the early implementation of a district-level external quality assurance programme for malaria microscopy in four districts in | |
New Malaria drug to be launched soon [Ghana News Agency] — (English) A new drug known as Affordable Medicines Facility for Malaria (AMFm) which cost GH¢1.50p would soon be launched in the country, Mr. James Frimpong, an official of the National Malaria Control Prgramme (NMCP) has said...... | |
Iron tablets, vitamin C affect efficacy of malaria drugs [Nigerian Tribune] — (English) Medical doctors now prescribe the highly effective Artemisinin-based Combination Therapies (ACT) for the treatment of malaria. However, experts warn that taking ACT in combination with multivitamins that contain Iron and vitamin C and E renders the drug ineffective, reports Sade Oguntola...... | |
Malaria outbreak forces Haiti to withdraw [Jamaica Gleaner] — (English) Haiti's participation in the 12-nation CONCACAF under-17 Championship, now on in western Jamaica, was cut short yesterday when the team announced its withdrawal from the tournament after it was confirmed that malaria was the 'mystery illness' that had afflicted three players...... |
16.02.2011
No birth defect risk seen with malaria drug [REuters via MSNBC] — (English) Pregnant women who take the anti-malarial drug Malarone during their first trimester might not be increasing their baby's risk of birth defects, a new study suggests...... | |
Clooney speaks out about malaria [IoL] — (English) George Clooney is used to creating a buzz no matter where he goes. However, on a recent trip to | |
Monitoring of clinical efficacy and in vitro sensitivity of Plasmodium vivax to chloroquine in area along Thai Myanmar border during 2009-2010 [Malaria Journal 2011, 10:44 ] — (English) While in vivo results suggest that the standard regimen of chloroquine was still very effective for the treatment of vivax malaria in the Thai-Myanmar border area, there is some evidence of a reduced in vitro sensitivity, raise the possibility of resistance in the future...... | |
Our global duty to fight malaria [Ohio.com] — (English) For time beyond remembering, the people of | |
Research and Markets: Malaria - Pipeline Review, Q4 2010 [Business Wire] — (English) Research and Markets has announced the addition of Global Markets Direct's new report "Malaria - Pipeline Review, Q4 2010" to their offering...... | |
Turning point: Collins Ouma [Nature News] — (English) Molecular biologist Collins Ouma's efforts to combat paediatric malaria in |
15.02.2011
Malaria-Fighting MSU Prof Subject of Documentary [ABC News] — (English) Documentary on | |
Analysis of Two Novel Midgut-Specific Promoters Driving Transgene Expression in Anopheles stephensi Mosquitoes [PLOS One] — (English) Our studies on two putative blood-meal induced, midgut-specific promoters validate the use of G12 upstream regulatory regions to drive targeted transgene expression coinciding spatially and temporally with pre-sporogonic stages of Plasmodium parasites in the mosquito, offering the possibility of manipulating vector competence or performing functional studies on vector-parasite interactions...... | |
The first Finnish malariologist, Johan Haartman, and the discussion about malaria in 18th century Turku, Finland [Malaria Journal 2011, 10:43 ] — (English) The paper deals with Dr. Haartman, a professor in medicine, appointed in | |
Sequence and gene expression of chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) in the association of in vitro drugs resistance of Plasmodium falciparum [Malaria Journal 2011, 10:42 ] — (English) This article summarizes some interesting new findings on pfcrt sequence variants in 95 Plasmodium falciparum isolates from | |
Evaluating the effectiveness of IPTi on malaria using routine health information from sentinel health centres in southern Tanzania [Malaria Journal 2011, 10:41] — (English) The paper describes the IPTi morbidity monitoring study, in which routine health management and information services data was analysed to investigate the effect of IPTi with SP on malaria, anaemia, and all-cause attendance in children aged 2-11 months in 11 health centres in southern Tanzania...... | |
Immunization with different PfAMA1 alleles in sequence induces clonal imprint humoral responses that are similar to responses induced by the same alleles as a vaccine cocktail in rabbits [Malaria Journal 2011, 10:40] — (English) These findings may have implications for the current understanding of the natural acquisition of clinical immunity to malaria as well as for rational vaccine design...... | |
Malaria rapid diagnostic kits: quality of packaging, design and labelling of boxes and components and readability and accuracy of information inserts [Malaria Journal 2011, 10:39] — (English) Overall, malaria RDTs showed shortcomings in quality of construction, design and labelling of boxes, device packages, devices and buffers. Information inserts were difficult to read and lacked relevant information...... |
Articles requiring subscription
Nations with endemic malaria are urged to scrap taxes and tariffs on drugs and tests [BMJ 2011; 342:d1034] — (English)
Antimalaria advocacy groups have renewed calls for an end to taxes and tariffs on vital products used to fight the disease, including drugs, insecticide treated bed nets, and rapid diagnostic tests. Awa Marie Coll-Seck, executive director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, welcomed all initiatives to make these products affordable and accessible. Eliminating the tariffs—which in some countries add 40% to 50% to the price of antimalarial products, would help slash costs and make them affordable and accessible to poor people, experts say...
Azithromycin for treating uncomplicated malaria [Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD006688. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006688.pub2] — (English)
Currently, there is no evidence for the superiority or equivalence of azithromycin monotherapy or combination therapy for the treatment of P. falciparum or P. vivax compared with other antimalarials or with the current first-line antimalarial combinations. The available evidence suggests that azithromycin is a weak antimalarial with some appealing safety characteristics. Unless the ongoing dose, formulation and product optimisation process results in a universally efficacious product, or a specific niche application is identified that is complementary to the current scala of more efficacious antimalarial combinations, azithromycin's future for the treatment of malaria does not look promising...
Use of an HRP2-based rapid diagnostic test to guide treatment of children admitted to hospital in a malaria-endemic area of north-east Tanzania [Tropical Medicine & International Health, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02737.x] — (English)
The study compares the performance of the Paracheck™ rapid diagnostic test (RDT) with microscopy for diagnosing malaria in hospitalised children. ...
Plasmodium vivax Vaccine Research: Insights from Colombian Studies [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 1-3 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0781] — (English)
In recent years, heightened awareness of the heavy public health, economic, and social burdens attributable to malaria, has led to increased interest and support by both public and private sectors for malaria-related research and control...
Consistent Safety and Infectivity in Sporozoite Challenge Model of Plasmodium vivax in Malaria-Naive Human Volunteers [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 4-11 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0498] — (English)
The bite of as low as two P. vivax-infected mosquitoes provides safe and reliable infections in malaria-naive volunteers, suitable for assessing antimalarial and vaccine efficacy trials...
Phase I Safety and Immunogenicity Trial of Plasmodium vivax CS Derived Long Synthetic Peptides Adjuvanted with Montanide ISA 720 or Montanide ISA 51 [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 12-20 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0516] — (English)
We assessed the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a mixture of three synthetic peptides derived from the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein formulated in Montanide ISA 720 or Montanide ISA 51...
Preclinical Vaccine Study of Plasmodium vivax Circumsporozoite Protein Derived-Synthetic Polypeptides Formulated in Montanide ISA 720 and Montanide ISA 51 Adjuvants [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 21-27 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0110] — (English)
Here, combinations of three synthetic polypeptides corresponding to amino (N), central repeat (R), and carboxyl (C) regions of the CS protein formulated in Montanide ISA 720 or Montanide ISA 51 adjuvants were assessed for immunogenicity in rodents and primates. BALB/c mice and Aotus monkeys were divided into test and control groups and were immunized three times with doses of 50 and 100 µg of vaccine or placebo...
Plasmodium vivax Sporozoite Production in Anopheles albimanus Mosquitoes for Vaccine Clinical Trials [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 28-34 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0499] — (English)
Vaccine development for Plasmodium vivax malaria is underway. A model to assess the protective efficacy of vaccine candidates in humans is urgently needed. Given the lack of continuous P. vivax cultures, we developed a system to infect Anopheles albimanus mosquitoes using blood from P. vivax-infected patients and determined parameters for challenge of malaria-naive volunteers by mosquito bite...
Antibody-Mediated and Cellular Immune Responses Induced in Naive Volunteers by Vaccination with Long Synthetic Peptides Derived from the Plasmodium vivax Circumsporozoite Protein [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 35-42 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0507] — (English)
We describe the characterization of specific immune responses induced in 21 malaria-naive volunteers vaccinated with long synthetic peptides derived from the CS protein formulated in Montanide ISA 720...
Immune Responses and Protection of Aotus Monkeys Immunized with Irradiated Plasmodium vivax Sporozoites [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 43-50 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0759] — (English)
These findings suggest that the Aotus monkey model may be able to play a role in preclinical development of P. vivax pre-erythrocytic stage vaccines...
Antigenic Diversity of the Plasmodium vivax Circumsporozoite Protein in Parasite Isolates of Western Colombia [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 51-57 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0785] — (English)
This study confirms the high polymorphism of the repeat domain and the highly conserved nature of the flanking regions...
Evaluation of the Naturally Acquired Antibody Immune Response to the Pv200L N-terminal Fragment of Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein-1 in Four Areas of the Amazon Region of Brazil [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 58-63 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0044] — (English)
Results of this study provide evidence that Pv200L is a naturally immunogenic fragment of the PvMSP-1 and is associated with the degree of exposure to parasites. The fine specificity of antibodies to Pv200L is currently being assessed...
Polymorphism of the Pv200L Fragment of Merozoite Surface Protein-1 of Plasmodium vivax in Clinical Isolates from the Pacific Coast of Colombia [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 64-70 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0517] — (English)
We found two new alleles and several previously unidentified dimorphic substitutions and significant size polymorphism. The presence of highly conserved blocks in this fragment has important implications for the development of Pv200L as a subunit vaccine candidate...
Characterization of Plasmodium vivax Transmission-Blocking Activity in Low to Moderate Malaria Transmission Settings of the Colombian Pacific Coast [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 71-77 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0085] — (English)
Studies here provide preliminary data on factors of great importance for further work on the development of TB vaccines...
Resistance to Malaria Drugs [JAMA] — (English)
Warning that action is needed to prevent malarial parasites from developing resistance to artemisinin-based drugs that are critical to battling the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Malaria Programme and the Roll Back Malaria partnership last month released a plan to tackle this problem...
Herbal Medicines and Infectious Diseases: Characterization by LC-SPE-NMR of Some Medicinal Plant Extracts Used against Malaria [Planta Med : DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1270719] — (English)
The extracts of two medicinal plants used in traditional medicine against malaria were characterized by means of an LC-SPE-NMR and LC-MS platform...
Patent Literature on Mosquito Repellent Inventions which Contain Plant Essential Oils - A Review [Planta Med : DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1270723] — (English)
Scientific literature sources provide evidence for the mosquito repellency of many of the EOs and individual chemical components found in EOs used in patented repellent inventions...
Toxoplasma gondii sequesters centromeres to a specific nuclear region throughout the cell cycle [PNAS +] — (English)
We demonstrate that centromere attachment to the centrocone persists throughout the parasite cell cycle and that centromeres localize to a single apical region within the nucleus. Centromere sequestration provides a mechanism for the organization of the Toxoplasma nucleus and the maintenance of genome integrity...
The pharmacokinetic evaluation of artemisinin drugs for the treatment of malaria in paediatric populations [Informa, doi:10.1517/17425255.2011.557064] — (English)
The construction of a systems-based model of this subject should be a priority area in order to identify gaps in current knowledge to ensure their continued effective and safe use...
Gene profiling analysis reveals the contribution of CD24 and P2Y6R to the susceptibility of young rats to Plasmodium berghei infection [Cellular Microbiology, DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2011.01574.x] — (English)
This study contributes to the discovery of novel biomarkers in young susceptible rats and suggests that the decrease in their expression could be among the reasons for the development of severe pathology in malaria...
Olfaction-based anthropophily in a mosquito-specialist predator [Biol. Lett. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.1233] — (English)
Evarcha culicivora is an unusual salticid spider because it feeds indirectly on vertebrate blood by choosing blood-carrying mosquitoes as preferred prey. Its preferred mosquitoes are Anopheles, the genus to which all human malaria vectors belong. Here, we show that human odour, which is known to be salient to malaria vectors, is also salient to the adults and juveniles of E. culicivora. Test spiders spent more time in the vicinity of a source of human odour (previously worn socks) when the alternative was unworn socks...
Acute febrile hepato-renal dysfunction in the tropics: co-infection of malaria and leptospirosis [Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy, 16 February 2011] — (English)
We report two cases of malaria fromIndia
Our impasse in developing a malaria vaccine [Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences DOI: 10.1007/s00018-011-0634-5] — (English)
A conclusion is that a vaccine must identify novel antigens or epitopes that are not normally immunogenic and which are therefore not under immune pressure and most likely to be conserved between different strains...
Cytochrome P450 6m2 From The Malaria Vector Anopheles Gambiae Metabolizes Pyrethroids: Sequential Metabolism Of Deltamethrin Revealed [Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, doi:10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.02.003] — (English)
Our data indicates that CYP6M2 plays an important role in metabolic resistance to pyrethroids and thus an important target for the design of new tools to combat malaria...
Energy metabolism affects susceptibility of A. gambiae mosquitoes to Plasmodium infection [Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology doi:10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.02.001] — (English)
Our studies revealed that R females have reduced longevity, faster utilization of lipid reserves, impaired mitochondrial State-3 respiration, increased rate of mitochondrial electron leak and higher expression levels of several glycolytic enzyme genes...
Antimalaria advocacy groups have renewed calls for an end to taxes and tariffs on vital products used to fight the disease, including drugs, insecticide treated bed nets, and rapid diagnostic tests. Awa Marie Coll-Seck, executive director of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, welcomed all initiatives to make these products affordable and accessible. Eliminating the tariffs—which in some countries add 40% to 50% to the price of antimalarial products, would help slash costs and make them affordable and accessible to poor people, experts say...
Azithromycin for treating uncomplicated malaria [Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD006688. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD006688.pub2] — (English)
Currently, there is no evidence for the superiority or equivalence of azithromycin monotherapy or combination therapy for the treatment of P. falciparum or P. vivax compared with other antimalarials or with the current first-line antimalarial combinations. The available evidence suggests that azithromycin is a weak antimalarial with some appealing safety characteristics. Unless the ongoing dose, formulation and product optimisation process results in a universally efficacious product, or a specific niche application is identified that is complementary to the current scala of more efficacious antimalarial combinations, azithromycin's future for the treatment of malaria does not look promising...
Use of an HRP2-based rapid diagnostic test to guide treatment of children admitted to hospital in a malaria-endemic area of north-east Tanzania [Tropical Medicine & International Health, DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3156.2011.02737.x] — (English)
The study compares the performance of the Paracheck™ rapid diagnostic test (RDT) with microscopy for diagnosing malaria in hospitalised children. ...
Plasmodium vivax Vaccine Research: Insights from Colombian Studies [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 1-3 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0781] — (English)
In recent years, heightened awareness of the heavy public health, economic, and social burdens attributable to malaria, has led to increased interest and support by both public and private sectors for malaria-related research and control...
Consistent Safety and Infectivity in Sporozoite Challenge Model of Plasmodium vivax in Malaria-Naive Human Volunteers [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 4-11 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0498] — (English)
The bite of as low as two P. vivax-infected mosquitoes provides safe and reliable infections in malaria-naive volunteers, suitable for assessing antimalarial and vaccine efficacy trials...
Phase I Safety and Immunogenicity Trial of Plasmodium vivax CS Derived Long Synthetic Peptides Adjuvanted with Montanide ISA 720 or Montanide ISA 51 [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 12-20 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0516] — (English)
We assessed the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of a mixture of three synthetic peptides derived from the Plasmodium vivax circumsporozoite protein formulated in Montanide ISA 720 or Montanide ISA 51...
Preclinical Vaccine Study of Plasmodium vivax Circumsporozoite Protein Derived-Synthetic Polypeptides Formulated in Montanide ISA 720 and Montanide ISA 51 Adjuvants [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 21-27 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0110] — (English)
Here, combinations of three synthetic polypeptides corresponding to amino (N), central repeat (R), and carboxyl (C) regions of the CS protein formulated in Montanide ISA 720 or Montanide ISA 51 adjuvants were assessed for immunogenicity in rodents and primates. BALB/c mice and Aotus monkeys were divided into test and control groups and were immunized three times with doses of 50 and 100 µg of vaccine or placebo...
Plasmodium vivax Sporozoite Production in Anopheles albimanus Mosquitoes for Vaccine Clinical Trials [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 28-34 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0499] — (English)
Vaccine development for Plasmodium vivax malaria is underway. A model to assess the protective efficacy of vaccine candidates in humans is urgently needed. Given the lack of continuous P. vivax cultures, we developed a system to infect Anopheles albimanus mosquitoes using blood from P. vivax-infected patients and determined parameters for challenge of malaria-naive volunteers by mosquito bite...
Antibody-Mediated and Cellular Immune Responses Induced in Naive Volunteers by Vaccination with Long Synthetic Peptides Derived from the Plasmodium vivax Circumsporozoite Protein [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 35-42 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0507] — (English)
We describe the characterization of specific immune responses induced in 21 malaria-naive volunteers vaccinated with long synthetic peptides derived from the CS protein formulated in Montanide ISA 720...
Immune Responses and Protection of Aotus Monkeys Immunized with Irradiated Plasmodium vivax Sporozoites [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 43-50 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0759] — (English)
These findings suggest that the Aotus monkey model may be able to play a role in preclinical development of P. vivax pre-erythrocytic stage vaccines...
Antigenic Diversity of the Plasmodium vivax Circumsporozoite Protein in Parasite Isolates of Western Colombia [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 51-57 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0785] — (English)
This study confirms the high polymorphism of the repeat domain and the highly conserved nature of the flanking regions...
Evaluation of the Naturally Acquired Antibody Immune Response to the Pv200L N-terminal Fragment of Plasmodium vivax Merozoite Surface Protein-1 in Four Areas of the Amazon Region of Brazil [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 58-63 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0044] — (English)
Results of this study provide evidence that Pv200L is a naturally immunogenic fragment of the PvMSP-1 and is associated with the degree of exposure to parasites. The fine specificity of antibodies to Pv200L is currently being assessed...
Polymorphism of the Pv200L Fragment of Merozoite Surface Protein-1 of Plasmodium vivax in Clinical Isolates from the Pacific Coast of Colombia [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 64-70 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.09-0517] — (English)
We found two new alleles and several previously unidentified dimorphic substitutions and significant size polymorphism. The presence of highly conserved blocks in this fragment has important implications for the development of Pv200L as a subunit vaccine candidate...
Characterization of Plasmodium vivax Transmission-Blocking Activity in Low to Moderate Malaria Transmission Settings of the Colombian Pacific Coast [Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 84(2_Suppl), 2011, pp. 71-77 doi:10.4269/ajtmh.2011.10-0085] — (English)
Studies here provide preliminary data on factors of great importance for further work on the development of TB vaccines...
Resistance to Malaria Drugs [JAMA] — (English)
Warning that action is needed to prevent malarial parasites from developing resistance to artemisinin-based drugs that are critical to battling the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Malaria Programme and the Roll Back Malaria partnership last month released a plan to tackle this problem...
Herbal Medicines and Infectious Diseases: Characterization by LC-SPE-NMR of Some Medicinal Plant Extracts Used against Malaria [Planta Med : DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1270719] — (English)
The extracts of two medicinal plants used in traditional medicine against malaria were characterized by means of an LC-SPE-NMR and LC-MS platform...
Patent Literature on Mosquito Repellent Inventions which Contain Plant Essential Oils - A Review [Planta Med : DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1270723] — (English)
Scientific literature sources provide evidence for the mosquito repellency of many of the EOs and individual chemical components found in EOs used in patented repellent inventions...
Toxoplasma gondii sequesters centromeres to a specific nuclear region throughout the cell cycle [PNAS +] — (English)
We demonstrate that centromere attachment to the centrocone persists throughout the parasite cell cycle and that centromeres localize to a single apical region within the nucleus. Centromere sequestration provides a mechanism for the organization of the Toxoplasma nucleus and the maintenance of genome integrity...
The pharmacokinetic evaluation of artemisinin drugs for the treatment of malaria in paediatric populations [Informa, doi:10.1517/17425255.2011.557064] — (English)
The construction of a systems-based model of this subject should be a priority area in order to identify gaps in current knowledge to ensure their continued effective and safe use...
Gene profiling analysis reveals the contribution of CD24 and P2Y6R to the susceptibility of young rats to Plasmodium berghei infection [Cellular Microbiology, DOI: 10.1111/j.1462-5822.2011.01574.x] — (English)
This study contributes to the discovery of novel biomarkers in young susceptible rats and suggests that the decrease in their expression could be among the reasons for the development of severe pathology in malaria...
Olfaction-based anthropophily in a mosquito-specialist predator [Biol. Lett. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.1233] — (English)
Evarcha culicivora is an unusual salticid spider because it feeds indirectly on vertebrate blood by choosing blood-carrying mosquitoes as preferred prey. Its preferred mosquitoes are Anopheles, the genus to which all human malaria vectors belong. Here, we show that human odour, which is known to be salient to malaria vectors, is also salient to the adults and juveniles of E. culicivora. Test spiders spent more time in the vicinity of a source of human odour (previously worn socks) when the alternative was unworn socks...
Acute febrile hepato-renal dysfunction in the tropics: co-infection of malaria and leptospirosis [Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy, 16 February 2011] — (English)
We report two cases of malaria from
Our impasse in developing a malaria vaccine [Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences DOI: 10.1007/s00018-011-0634-5] — (English)
A conclusion is that a vaccine must identify novel antigens or epitopes that are not normally immunogenic and which are therefore not under immune pressure and most likely to be conserved between different strains...
Cytochrome P450 6m2 From The Malaria Vector Anopheles Gambiae Metabolizes Pyrethroids: Sequential Metabolism Of Deltamethrin Revealed [Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, doi:10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.02.003] — (English)
Our data indicates that CYP6M2 plays an important role in metabolic resistance to pyrethroids and thus an important target for the design of new tools to combat malaria...
Energy metabolism affects susceptibility of A. gambiae mosquitoes to Plasmodium infection [Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology doi:10.1016/j.ibmb.2011.02.001] — (English)
Our studies revealed that R females have reduced longevity, faster utilization of lipid reserves, impaired mitochondrial State-3 respiration, increased rate of mitochondrial electron leak and higher expression levels of several glycolytic enzyme genes...
Articles included in 'Malaria in the News' do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership or any of its individual partners.
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