-
Chapter
Roles of Surface Antigens on Malaria-Infected Red Blood Cells in Evasion of Immunity
The life cycle of malaria parasites is extremely complex, involving multiple stages in the invertebrate vector and vertebrate host. However, the clinical manifestations of this disease in humans, and its morta...
-
Article
A new escape and evasion tactic
Mosquito-bornePlasmodium parasites that cause malaria have developed a variety of strategies to escape the defences put up by their hosts. A new one has been discovered in a Plasmodiumspecies that affects rodents...
-
Article
A Plasmodium vivax Vaccine Candidate Displays Limited Allele Polymorphism, Which Does Not Restrict Recognition by Antibodies
The 19 kDa C-terminal region of the merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP119) has been suggested as candidate for part of a subunit vaccine against malaria. A major concern in vaccine development is the polymorphism o...
-
Article
Ensuring quality and access for malaria diagnosis: how can it be achieved?
Increasing use of higher cost antimalarial drugs necessitates a move to parasite-based diagnosis for malaria. This offers further benefits to management of non...
-
Article
Ensuring quality and access for malaria diagnosis: how can it be achieved?
The replacement of conventional antimalarial drugs with high-cost, artemisinin-based alternatives has created a gap in the successful management of malaria. This gap reflects an increased need for accurate dis...
-
Article
Open AccessWorld Antimalarial Resistance Network (WARN) III: Molecular markers for drug resistant malaria
Molecular markers for drug resistant malaria represent public health tools of great but mostly unrealized potential value. A key reason for the failure of molecular resistance markers to live up to their poten...
-
Article
Open AccessComparative genomics of the neglected human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax
The human malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax is responsible for 25–40% of the ∼515 million annual cases of malaria worldwide. Although seldom fatal, the parasite elicits severe and incapacitating clinical symptoms...
-
Article
Open AccessPlasmodium vivax: who cares?
More attention is being focused on malaria today than any time since the world's last efforts to achieve eradication over 40 years ago. The global community is now discussing strategies aimed at dramatically r...
-
Article
Open AccessAnti-folate drug resistance in Africa: meta-analysis of reported dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) mutant genotype frequencies in African Plasmodium falciparum parasite populations
Mutations in the dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (dhps) genes of Plasmodium falciparum are associated with resistance to anti-folate drugs, most notably sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP)...
-
Article
Open AccessTwo functional reticulocyte binding-like (RBL) invasion ligands of zoonotic Plasmodium knowlesi exhibit differential adhesion to monkey and human erythrocytes
Plasmodium knowlesi is a monkey malaria species that is becoming a serious public health concern infecting hundreds and perhaps thousands of humans in Southeast Asia. Invasion of erythrocytes by merozoites entail...
-
Article
Open AccessDried Plasmodium falciparum-infected samples as positive controls for malaria rapid diagnostic tests
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are central to fulfilling the WHO’s recommendation for parasitologic confirmation of all suspected cases of malaria. RDT performance may be compromised when exposed to the high te...
-
Article
The malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax exhibits greater genetic diversity than Plasmodium falciparum
Jane Carlton and colleagues report the genome sequencing, de novo assembly and annotation of four Plasmodium vivax reference strains from diverse geographic locations. Their cross-species comparisons show that P....
-
Article
Open AccessPlasmodium cynomolgi genome sequences provide insight into Plasmodium vivax and the monkey malaria clade
Jane Carlton, Kazuyuki Tanabe and colleagues report the draft genome sequences of three Plasmodium cynomolgi strains isolated from infected monkeys. Their comparative genomic analysis with P. vivax and P. knowles...
-
Article
Open AccessMultiple genetic origins of histidine-rich protein 2 gene deletion in Plasmodium falciparum parasites from Peru
The majority of malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) detect Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2), encoded by the pfhrp2 gene. Recently, P. falciparum isolates from Peru were found to lack pfhr...
-
Article
Malarial liver parasites awaken in culture
The cure and elimination of malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax is hindered by the threat of relapse infections from undetectable dormant forms of the parasite in the liver. In a new breakthrough, using a related ...
-
Article
Open AccessPET-PCR method for the molecular detection of malaria parasites in a national malaria surveillance study in Haiti, 2011
Recently, a real-time PCR assay known as photo-induced electron transfer (PET)-PCR which relies on self-quenching primers for the detection of Plasmodium spp. and Plasmodium falciparum was described. PET-PCR assa...
-
Article
Open AccessPrevalence of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions in Puerto Lempira, Honduras
Recent studies have demonstrated the deletion of the histidine-rich protein 2 (PfHRP2) gene (pfhrp2) in field isolates of Plasmodium falciparum, which could result in false negative test results when PfHRP2-based...
-
Article
Open AccessPan-Plasmodium band sensitivity for Plasmodium falciparum detection in combination malaria rapid diagnostic tests and implications for clinical management
Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are appropriate for case management, but persistent antigenaemia is a concern for HRP2-detecting RDTs in endemic areas. It has been suggested that pan-pLDH test bands on c...
-
Article
Open AccessMultiple comparisons analysis of serological data from an area of low Plasmodium falciparum transmission
As a nation reduces the burden of falciparum malaria, identifying areas of transmission becomes increasingly difficult. Over the past decade, the field of utilizing malaria serological assays to measure exposu...
-
Article
Open AccessImmunogenicity of a chimeric Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein vaccine in Aotus monkeys
The production of properly folded, recombinant sub-unit Plasmodium falciparum malaria vaccine candidates in sufficient quantities is often a challenge. Success in vaccine immunogenicity studies in small animal mo...
