3.12.2007
Malaria vaccine safe for babies [Nature Reviews Immunology 7, 918 (December 2007)] — (English)
Research Highlight...
FG to provide cheap malaria drugs [Punch - Nigeria ] — (English)
The Federal Government on Sunday said it would soon flood the market with cheap malaria drugs to tackle the scourge of malaria as well as meet the Millennium Development Goals target on health...
Does the spillage of petroleum products in Anopheles breeding sites have an impact on the pyrethroid resistance ? [Malaria Journal 2007, 6:159 (3 December 2007)] — (English)
This study has revealed the segregational occupation of breeding habitats by pyrethroid resistant and susceptible strains of An. gambiae in south-western Nigeria. Compiled results from field and laboratory research point out clear relationships between oil spillage and pyrethroid resistance in malaria vectors. The identification of this factor of resistance could serve as strong information in the management of insecticide resistance in some West African settings...
Spatial targeted vector control in the highlands of Burundi and its impact on malaria transmission [Malaria Journal 2007, 6:158 (3 December 2007)] — (English)
A targeted and focalized strategy combining IRS and LLTNs to reduce malaria transmission in valleys. This approach would reduce the cost of the programme and enhance sustainability. While the intervention was highly successful in the treated areas, the impact failed to spread to the hilltops...
2.12.2007
The enemy is malaria. The cure is £25 [Guardian Unlimited - UK] — (English)
Children at the clinic in Katine are too sick to cry. The people of this Ugandan village urgently need your donations for vital drugs and mosquito nets...
Sir Richard of Alameda focusing his attention to battle malaria [San Francisco Chronicle - CA, USA] — (English)
Dr. Richard Feachem set off for Geneva from his Alameda home five years ago to build from scratch the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria...
1.12.2007
Genomic study of malaria parasite unearths surprising behaviors [Press Media Wire (Press Release) - Sterling,VA,USA] — (English)
The malaria parasite has been studied for decades, but surprisingly little is known about how it behaves in humans to cause disease. Now an international team including scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has for the first time measured which of the parasite's genes are turned on or off during actual infection in humans, unearthing surprising behaviors and opening a window on the most critical aspects of parasite biology...
New malaria drug introduced in Ghana [modernGhana.com] — (English)
Dr. Onka Asthana, Deputy Director of the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, India, has officially introduced to medical practitioners a new malaria drug, which has proved effective in the treatment of the disease in India...
30.11.2007
The germ of an idea [ The Economist - United Kingdom ] — (English)
At McGill University in Montreal, Canada, Philippe Gros and his colleagues are looking for those genes in mice, by comparing the susceptibility of different types of mouse to one stage of the disease. Malaria is caused by parasites that are transmitted by mosquitoes. Once inside the body, the parasites multiply first within the liver and later within red blood cells. Dr Gros and his colleagues are examining the second part of this process because it is after this stage that infected blood cells can become trapped in small blood vessels in the brain, causing cerebral malaria and, potentially, death. They have found that, at least in mice, an enzyme called pantetheinase confers resistance to the multiplying of the malarial parasite within red blood cells...
Correction: Structure of the Malaria Antigen AMA1 in Complex with a Growth-Inhibitory Antibody [PLoS Pathogens] — (English)
Correction for: Coley AM, Gupta A, Murphy VJ, Bai T, Kim H, et al. (2007) Structure of the malaria antigen AMA1 in complex with a growth-inhibitory antibody. PLoS Pathog 3(9): e138. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.0030138...
Côte d'Ivoire: Pr. Guédé Guina - "Des molécules contre le paludisme et la typhoïde sont dans les tiroirs" [Nord-Sud (Abidjan) via AllAfrica.com] — (Français)
Pr. Guédé Guina est enseignant au département de biochimie et de microbiologie de l'université d'Abidjan. Au coeur de la recherche, le scientifique livre dans cette interview les résultats des nombreux travaux que ses collègues et lui ont produits sur le paludisme notamment. Interview...
29.11.2007
RBM Board endorses proposal to make malaria medicines cheaper and available to all [WB Press Release] — (English)
The Board of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) today gave the go ahead for the further development of an Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm) - a ground breaking initiative to improve access to safe, effective and affordable malaria medicines...
Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria (AMFm) Technical Design [AMFm] — (English)
Publication prepared with guidance from the AMFm Task Force
of the Roll Back Malaria Partnership...
Malaria Community Applauds Clinton's $1 Billion a Year Pledge [Reuters - USA] — (English)
U.S.Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton today pledged to expand the U.S.government commitment to malaria to US$1 billion a year if elected, settingthe goal of ending malaria-related deaths in Africa by the end of her secondterm. The campaign said this funding would be in addition to U.S. governmentsupport of malaria control through the World Bank and the Global Fund to FightAIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which finances the majority of malariacontrol efforts around the world...
WHO chief sees wind of change in war on malaria [Afrique en ligne - Angers,France] — (English)
commitment has raised optimism that malaria, a killer and debilitating disease, can be overcome, according to Marga r et Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO)...
Would Set Goal To End All Malaria Deaths In Africa [Media For Freedom - Nepal,Nepal,Nepal] — (English)
Just days after announcing a comprehensive strategy to fight HIV/AIDS in the U.S. and abroad, the Clinton campaign unveiled an aggressive agenda to combat other infectious diseases and poverty in developing nations. Hillary Clinton will discuss her proposals at the Third Annual Global Summit on AIDS and the church hosted by Pastor Rick and Kay Warren at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, CA...
Deadly detour on journey to help others [Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada] — (English)
Terrified aid worker barely survives disease that kills millions...
Sinobiomed Updates on Clinical Trial Progress for Malaria Vaccine, rBAT Etheophazine and rhK1 [Reuters - USA] — (English)
Sinobiomed completed the most recent testing in its clinical trials of its malaria candidate vaccine in September. This testing, which began in February 2007, took place at Changhai Hospital in Shanghai. It was designed to evaluate whether the safety profile and immunogencity of the PfCP2.9/ISA 720 candidate vaccine could be improved by evaluating the optimized formulation at a maximum dose of 50 micrograms, given at two different immunization schedules. Two different vaccination schedules were tested to see if delaying the second vaccination might improve the magnitude and the durability of the immune response at these lower doses, in addition to enhancing the safety profile...
Multiple host-switching of Haemosporidia parasites in bats [Malaria Journal 2007, 6:157 (29 November 2007)] — (English)
Understanding parasites of bats has a broad significance to the study of a potential emergence of infectious disease in humans; in addition, studies of haemosporida in bats are rare and these are the first molecular data available. The geographical location of the study in Madagascar and Cambodia, two areas of considerable animal biodiversity, is also noteworthy...
Uganda: LC's Approve Use of DDT to Fight Malaria [New Vision (Kampala) via AllAfrica.com] — (English)
District councilors have endorsed the use of DDT in the fight against malaria. The LC5 chairperson, Nicholas Opio-Bunga, at a recent council meeting at Scout Hall said: "We welcome the use of DDT in killing mosquitoes in households."...
Gabon: Atelier de formation des formateurs sur les stratégies de lutte contre le paludisme pendant les grossesses [Gabonews (Libreville) via AllAfrica.com] — (English)
L'atelier de formation des formateurs sur les stratégies de lutte contre le paludisme pendant les grossesses s'est ouvert lundi, dans le centre de santé de la Peyrie, en présence de la directrice du programme de lutte contre le paludisme, Solange Antimi, des représentants du ministère de la santé publique du Gabon, du Programme national de lutte contre le SIDA (PNLS), de l'OMS, et du Fonds mondial...
Gabon: Clôture à Libreville de l'atelier de recyclage des personnels de santé pour la lutte contre le paludisme pendant la grossesse [Gabonews (Libreville) via AllAfrica.com] — (English)
Le directeur général adjoint, chargé des programmes au ministère de la santé publique, Dr Renée Nombo a procédé jeudi, en lieu et place du ministre d'Etat, ministre de la santé publique, empêché, à la clôture des travaux de l'atelier de recyclage des personnels de santé pour la lutte contre le paludisme pendant la grossesse, a constaté GABONEWS...
28.11.2007
Global malaria community in Ethiopia to plan intensified battle against disease [RBM Press Release] — (English)
Health Ministers, heads of agencies, philanthropists, and many of the world's leading institutions in the global fight against malaria are meeting in Addis this week to endorse approaches to escalate malaria prevention, treatment and care and achieve high level coverage with malaria control over much of the African continent...
Distinct physiological states of Plasmodium falciparum in malaria-infected patients [Nature advance online publication 28 November 2007] — (English)
Infection with the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum leads to widely different clinical conditions in children, ranging from mild flu-like symptoms to coma and death. Despite the immense medical implications, the genetic and molecular basis of this diversity remains largely unknown. Studies of in vitro gene expression have found few transcriptional differences between different parasite strains. Here we present a large study of in vivo expression profiles of parasites derived directly from blood samples from infected patients. The in vivo expression profiles define three distinct transcriptional states. The biological basis of these states can be interpreted by comparison with an extensive compendium of expression data in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The three states in vivo closely resemble, first, active growth based on glycolytic metabolism, second, a starvation response accompanied by metabolism of alternative carbon sources, and third, an environmental stress response. The glycolytic state is highly similar to the known profile of the ring stage in vitro, but the other states have not been observed in vitro. The results reveal a previously unknown physiological diversity in the in vivo biology of the malaria parasite, in particular evidence for a functional mitochondrion in the asexual-stage parasite, and indicate in vivo and in vitro studies to determine how this variation may affect disease manifestations and treatment...
Study Helps Explain Variations in Malaria [Harvard Crimson - Cambridge,MA,USA] — (English)
In vivo testing reveals three malaria groups—one much more severe than others...
Research sheds new light on malaria parasite [SciDev.net - UK] — (English)
Researchers have provided the first evidence that malaria parasite development in the always-changing environment of a human host is strikingly different to how it develops in the more consistent surroundings of a laboratory...
Study of malaria parasites reveals new parasitic states [EurekAlert (press release) - Washington,DC,USA] — (English)
A team led by scientists at MIT and Harvard University and supported in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health, collected blood samples from 43 P. falciparum-infected malaria patients in Senegal who were suffering from a range of malaria symptoms. The scientists isolated the parasites’ genomic information and determined which of the nearly 6,000 P. falciparum genes were switched on or off during infection, revealing distinct groups of parasites with characteristic sets of active and inactive genes. By comparing this information about P. falciparum with gene activation patterns in a similar but better-understood organism—baker’s yeast—the scientists described three biological classes of malaria parasites, each with a different metabolic state. One state is well known from laboratory studies, but the other two have never been observed before. One newly described state appears to reflect starving parasites, while the other suggests parasites under extreme environmental stress. Remarkably, say the scientists, the latter group correlated with specific patient symptoms, including high fevers and elevated levels of inflammatory markers in their blood...
Malaria: Parasite yields clue about disease variability [AFP] — (English)
Researchers in the United States believe they have gained an important insight as to why malaria causes only mild, flu-like symptoms in some individuals but in others causes coma and death...
Genomic study of malaria parasite unearths surprising behaviors [MIT News - United States] — (English)
The malaria parasite has been studied for decades, but surprisingly little is known about how it behaves in humans to cause disease. Now an international team including scientists at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has for the first time measured which of the parasite's genes are turned on or off during actual infection in humans, unearthing surprising behaviors and opening a window on the most critical aspects of parasite biology. The work is reported in the Nov. 28 advance online edition of Nature...
Study of Malaria Parasites Reveals
New Parasitic States [National Institute of Allergy and
Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Press Release] — (English)
Although malaria parasites have undergone extensive laboratory study, relatively little is known about how they behave in humans to cause disease. Newly published data from a study of malaria-infected human blood reveal two biological states of the parasite Plasmodium falciparum not observed under laboratory conditions. This information may help scientists develop new strategies for treating malaria. A team led by scientists at MIT and Harvard University and supported in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a component of the National Institutes of Health, collected blood samples from 43 P. falciparum-infected malaria patients in Senegal who were suffering from a range of malaria symptoms...
Mononeme: A new secretory organelle in Plasmodium falciparum merozoites identified by localization of rhomboid-1 protease [Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 10.1073/pnas.0709999104] — (English)
Compartmentalization of proteins into subcellular organelles in eukaryotic cells is a fundamental mechanism of regulating complex cellular functions. Many proteins of Plasmodium falciparum merozoites involved in invasion are compartmentalized into apical organelles. We have identified a new merozoite organelle that contains P. falciparum rhomboid-1 (PfROM1), a protease that cleaves the transmembrane regions of proteins involved in invasion. By immunoconfocal microscopy, PfROM1 was localized to a single, thread-like structure on one side of the merozoites that appears to be in close proximity to the subpellicular microtubules. PfROM1 was not found associated with micronemes, rhoptries, or dense granules, the three identified secretory organelles of invasion. Release of merozoites from schizonts resulted in the movement of PfROM1 from the lateral asymmetric localization to the merozoite apical pole and the posterior pole. We have named this single thread-like organelle in merozoites, the mononeme...
Ghana Miss Malaika in anti-malaria efforts [AfricaNews - Netherlands] — (English)
During a three-day summit of Health Development Partners recently held in Accra, Ghana's Minister of Health, Major Courage Quashigah estimated that it would cost US$772.4 million per annum to completely wipe out malaria from Ghana...
27.11.2007
SOON, NEARLY EVERY FAMILY WITH CHILDREN IN AFRICA COULD HAVE A BED NET TO PROTECT AGAINST MALARIA [The Global Fund Press Release] — (English)
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the world's largest international financier of the fight against malaria, today announced that programs it supports have so far delivered 46 million bed nets to families at risk of contracting malaria, a 155 percent increase over last year's result of 18 million...
For Treating Malaria, Less Drugs May Be Best Drugs [Science Daily (press release) - USA] — (English)
The current dosage of drugs used in treating malaria may be helping the parasites become resistant to the drugs faster, without improving the long-term outcome in patients. According to evolutionary biologists, studies using mice suggest that the optimal use of the drugs might slow the spread of drug resistance while making the patient just as healthy...
Anti-malaria drug dosages are questioned [UPI] — (English)
A U.S. study suggests lower dosages of anti-malarial drugs might be safer, preventing parasites from becoming drug-resistant. Penn State University researchers found the current dosage of drugs used in treating malaria might be helping parasites become drug resistant faster, without improving the long-term outcome in patients...
Geometric least squares means ratios for the analysis of Plasmodium falciparum in vitro susceptibility to antimalarial drugs [Malaria Journal 2007, 6:156 (26 November 2007)] — (English)
A new method of calculation for comparing in vitro antimalarial drugs IC50s and monitor changes in drug susceptibility...
'Malaria No More' Produces Holiday Cards to Fight Greatest Killer [Associated Content - Denver,CO,USA] — (English)
On Monday, the activist organization Malaria No More announced that it has produced its first-ever series of holiday cards...
Global Warming Increases Malaria, Dengue Fever Threat, UN Says [Bloomberg - USA] — (English)
Global warming will put millions more people at risk of malaria and dengue fever, according to a United Nations report that calls for an urgent review of the health dangers posed by climate change...
Global Fund Says Insecticide-Treated Bed Nets Reduce Malaria in Africa [Voice of America - USA] — (English)
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria reports nearly every family with children in Africa soon could have a bed net to protect against malaria. The Geneva-based Global Fund says it has delivered 46 million insecticide-treated bed nets to families in malaria zones, a 155 percent increase over last year's result of 18 million. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA...
Brock campaign fights deadly malaria in Africa [St. Catharines Standard - St. Catharines,Ontario,Canada] — (English)
A group of students and faculty hope to lure the CBC comedy show host, famous for testing Yankee knowledge of Canada in his Talking to Americans sketch, to do a three-minute segment here. All they have to do is be the campus to raise the most money for UNICEF’s Spread the Net campaign to combat malaria in Africa...
Drive to Increase DDT Use in Malaria War Has Stalled [American Enterprise Institute - Washington,DC,USA] — (English)
It is one drug that has raised hue and cry just as much as it has saved lives. DDT, which is the short form of Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane has been used continually in public health programmes over the past 60 years. It has saved millions of lives from diseases such as malaria, typhus and yellow fever. Despite a public backlash in the 1960s, mainstream scientific and public health communities continued to recognise its utility and safety...
Intermittent preventive treatment against malaria during pregnancy in HIV-positive women: what is the best dosing frequency? [Aidsmap - UK] — (English)
Monthly intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy (IPTp) with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is comparable to the standard two-dose SP IPTp in protection against malaria in HIV-positive Zambian women, according to the findings of a study published in the December 1st edition of the Journal of Infectious Diseases...
Malaria, snakebites threaten border forces in Tripura [Sify - Chennai,Tamil Nadu,India] — (English)
Malaria and snakebites pose a bigger threat than insurgents and smugglers to the Border Security Force (BSF) troopers posted along Tripura's border with Bangladesh...
Nigeria: Fighting the Malaria Scourge [This Day (Lagos) via AllAfrica.com] — (English)
Again, a fresh alarm has been raised that malaria remains the Number One killer disease in Nigeria . At the first Health Summit organized for the governors of 19 Northern States recently in Kaduna , the Federal government revealed that 80 percent of the populace was exposed to the ravaging effects of malaria and that it would cost the country N80 billion to treat about 110 million Nigerians presently afflicted by the disease...
Malaria Impairs T Cell Clustering and Immune Priming despite Normal Signal 1 from Dendritic Cells [PLoS Pathogens] — (English)
Malaria is a major infectious disease, affecting 500 million people and causing 2.7 million deaths each year. The severity of malaria is, in part, due to the failure of the host immune system to effectively clear an infection and generate protective immunity. Dendritic cells (DCs) are central to the immune system; by presenting components of pathogens to circulating T cells, they are able to initiate a highly specific immune response to clear an infection. Importantly, the quality of the interaction between T cell and DCs can affect the functional outcome of the immune response. However, previous work has demonstrated that DCs are modified by malaria parasites, resulting in inefficient priming of the adaptive immune system. Here, we have visualised the interactions between DCs and T cells in the context of malaria and demonstrate that infection is able to prevent priming of immune responses by antagonising these cell–cell contacts. Importantly, the failure to form long-lasting interactions is not due to reduced presentation of antigens by the DC, suggesting that other mechanisms may be involved. These studies provide a visual insight into the mechanism by which parasites may suppress immunity and highlight the importance of early cellular interactions in the immune response...
Impact of a Plasmodium falciparum AMA1 Vaccine on Antibody Responses in Adult Malians [PLoS ONE] — (English)
Although the AMA1-C1 vaccine candidate was well-tolerated and induced antibody responses to both vaccine and non-vaccine alleles, the antibody response after a third dose given at one year was lower than the response to the initial vaccinations. Additionally, post-vaccination increases in anti-AMA1 antibody levels were not associated with significant changes in in vitro growth inhibition of P. falciparum...
Articles requiring subscription
Conflicting priorities in the battle to eliminate malaria [The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Volume 7, Issue 12, December 2007, Page 768 ] — (English)
A 5-year research report released by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute (JHMRI, Baltimore, MD, USA) highlights that broad-based, basic science research into malaria is now producing some major advances in malaria treatment and diagnostics. According to Diane Griffin (JHMRI) these include "a new artemisinin-derivative treatment, a promising, easy-to-use diagnostic test, advances in a transmission-blocking vaccine, and the development of transgenic mosquitoes," and there is considerable optimism about our abilities to effectively tackle malaria in the future...
A network to monitor antimalarial drug resistance: a plan for moving forward [Trends in Parasitology, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 26 November 2007] — (English)
The spread of resistance to antimalarial drugs has required changes in the recommended first-line treatment for falciparum malaria in almost all regions. Most drugs recommended currently are combinations of a long-acting antimalarial and an artemisinin derivative. This article presents the rationale for establishing a web-based, open-access database of antimalarial drug resistance and efficacy: the World Antimalarial Resistance Network (WARN). The goal of this network is to assemble the tools and information that will enable the malaria community to collate, analyze and share contemporary information on antimalarial-drug efficacy in all endemic regions so that decisions on antimalarial-drug use are based on solid evidence...
Phage display: a useful tool for malaria research? [Trends in Parasitology, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 26 November 2007] — (English)
Defining the molecular intricacies of malaria pathogenesis is a vital area of medical and scientific research. Sophisticated methods have been developed to identify and characterise host–parasite interactions that are important in infection. Phage display involves the combinatorial display of proteins or peptides on the surface of bacteriophage. The technology provides an invaluable tool for screening diverse libraries for polypeptides that have a high affinity for a given target. Phage display in malaria research has proven successful, not only in mapping the protein–protein interactions that are important in Plasmodium biology, but also in the identification of molecules that might be exploited in the design of therapeutic agents or vaccines...
Prolonged and Perplexing Fevers in Antiquity: Malaria and Typhoid Fever [Infectious Disease Clinics of North America, Volume 21, Issue 4, December 2007, Pages 857-866 ] — (English)
Fever of unknown origin is a topic that has enduring interest to physicians. Prolonged fevers of infectious etiology were of particular concern to the ancient physician. This overview of prolonged fevers in antiquity focuses on malaria and typhoid fever as the primary infectious causes. By studying texts from Mesopotamian, Greek, and Roman physicians and observers of disease, it is possible to determine the likely etiology of many of these ancient plagues. The historical import of these diseases should not be overlooked, and it is for this reason that the prolonged fevers of antiquity have profound significance and enduring interest...
Potential antimalarial activity of indole alkaloids [Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 26 November 2007 ] — (English)
New antimalarial treatments are now urgently required, following the emergence of resistance to the most used drugs. Natural products contribute greatly to the therapeutic arsenal in this area, including artemisinin and quinine (and atovaquone, semi-synthetic). Among the natural products, indole alkaloids represent an interesting class of compounds. Screening carried out to date has revealed several substances active in vitro under the micromolar range and with a good selectivity index. This review covers the indole alkaloids with high antiplasmodial activity (in vitro and in vivo) isolated from natural sources, and is organized according to the different chemical structures of the alkaloids...
Assessment of three new parasite lactate dehydrogenase (pan-pLDH) tests for diagnosis of uncomplicated malaria [Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, In Press, Corrected Proof, Available online 26 November 2007] — (English)
All tests had similar ease of use. In conclusion, two pLDH tests performed well in diagnosing P. falciparum malaria, and all pLDH tests became negative after treatment more quickly than the HRP2. Therefore the rapid test of choice for use with artemisinin-combination therapies in this area would be one of these new pLDH tests...
Safety of the RTS,S/AS02A malaria vaccine in Mozambican children during a Phase IIb trial [Vaccine, In Press, Uncorrected Proof, Available online 26 November 2007] — (English)
RTS,S/AS02A is a pre-erythrocytic vaccine candidate based on the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite surface antigen and is currently the most advanced malaria vaccine candidate in development. A proof of concept phase IIb trial of the RTS,S/AS02A in Mozambican children aged 1–4 years determined a vaccine efficacy against risk of clinical malaria of 35.3% (95% CI 21.6–46.6; p < 0.0001) and against severe malaria of 48.6% (95% CI 12.3–71.0; p = 0.02). We evaluated the safety of the RTS,S/AS02A vaccine...
Le point sur la résurgence en Europe du paludisme autochtone dû à Plasmodium vivax [Revue Francophone des Laboratoires, Volume 2007, Issue 396, November 2007, Pages 49-50] — (Fran¸ais)
L'augmentation des cas de paludisme d'importation liée au développement du transport aérien et à la banalisation des voyages vers les régions tropicales est une réalité bien connue. En revanche, I'observation de cas de transmission autochtone de Plasmodium vivax en Europe est un phénomene nouveau à prendre en considération. Cette résurgence est liée à la conjonction de plusieurs facteurs parmi lesquels peuvent être incriminés les changements climatiques et les flux migratoires. La réémergence du paludisme en Europe est une réalité nouvelle qui invite à la plus grande vigilance...
Antimicrobial prevention and therapy for travelers’ infection [Future drugs, December 2007, Vol. 5, No. 6, Pages 1031-1048 ] — (English)
International journeys are increasing and more than 70 million people from industrialized countries cross the borders of tropical countries every year. More than 50% of them will suffer from some form of infectious illness, ranging from mild travelers’ diarrhea to severe dengue fever to fatal malaria, with a wide spectrum of microbiological entities. Travel-related respiratory infections, including TB, and sexually transmitted infections are also increasingly reported. Awareness of travel-related risk is not always adequate among international travelers. Specific training on travel medicine-related issues, as well as better diagnostic facilities for imported diseases, is crucial for physicians and nurses in industrialized countries...
The profile of IgG-antibody response against merozoite surface proteins 1 and 2 in severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Eastern Sudan [Parasitology Research, November 24, 2007] — (English)
In this study, antibodies (Ab) directed against three MSP antigens; MSP119, MSP2A, and MSP2B were analyzed in blood samples obtained from 223 Sudanese patients who presented with either severe malaria (SM) or uncomplicated malaria (UM) and from 117 malaria-free donors (MF). The results showed that the prevalence of MSP Abs was associated with the clinical outcome of malaria infection, and the Ab prevalence was age-dependent (P< 0.0005). More importantly, the prevalence of MSP Abs against the test antigens was lower in SM compared to UM (P = 0.001 to 0.020), suggesting a protective role for these Abs against SM. Furthermore, the Ab responses between individual complications of SM were significantly different...
Diagnosis of Plasmoduim falciparum malaria in pregnancy in sub-Saharan Africa: the challenges and public health implications [Parasitology Research, November 24, 2007] — (English)
Plasmodium falciparum malaria in pregnancy is a major public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa and represents enormous diagnostic challenge. The objective of this report was to review scientific data from studies conducted in sub-Saharan Africa on the diagnosis of malaria in pregnancy within the last two decades (1987 to 2007), to highlight the challenges and the public health implications. Using the Medline Entrez-Pubmed search, relevant publications were identified for the review via combinations of key words such as Malaria, Pregnancy, and Sub-Saharan Africa, which yielded 777 entries as of September 2007. The results from the various studies were discordant, due to differences in the techniques of sample collection and analysis, based on the differences in the definition of clinical, peripheral, and placental malaria. Definitions were based on the presence of malaria parasite and/or pigments in blood smear from peripheral/placental blood, on histological placental findings, on the use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Nonspecific clinical presentation of malaria, lack of efficient diagnostic facilities and trained personnel, and absence of regulatory standards for diagnostic tests, are some of the major diagnostic challenges. Increased allocation of resources to development and application of accurate diagnostics will improve malaria diagnosis in pregnancy...
Malarial EBA-175 Region VI Crystallographic Structure Reveals a KIX-Like Binding Interface [J Mol Biol. 2007 Nov 1] — (English)
The malaria parasite proliferates in the bloodstream of its vertebrate host by invading and replicating within erythrocytes. To achieve successful invasion, a number of discrete and essential events need to take place at the parasite–host cell interface. Erythrocyte-binding antigen 175 (EBA-175) is a member of a family of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte-binding proteins involved in the formation of a tight junction, a necessary step in invasion. Here we present the crystal structure of EBA-175 region VI (rVI), a cysteine-rich domain that is highly conserved within the protein family and is essential for EBA-175 trafficking. The structure was solved by selenomethionine single-wavelength anomalous dispersion at 1.8 Å resolution. It reveals a homodimer, containing in each subunit a compact five-α-helix core that is stabilized by four conserved disulfide bridges. rVI adopts a novel fold that is likely conserved across the protein family, indicating a conserved function. It shows no similarity to the Duffy-binding-like domains of EBA-175 involved in erythrocyte binding, indicating a distinct role. Remarkably, rVI possesses structural features related to the KIX-binding domain of the coactivator CREB-binding protein, supporting the binding and trafficking roles that have been ascribed to it and providing a rational basis for further experimental investigation of its function...
The immunological challenges of malaria vaccine development [Expert Opin Biol Ther. 2007 Dec;7(12):1841-52] — (English)
Malaria remains an important public health problem throughout the tropical world causing immense human suffering and impeding economic development. Despite extensive research for > 100 years, options for preventing malaria remain limited to vector control and chemoprophylaxis. The complexity of the organism and its life cycle have, thus far, thwarted vaccine development and exacerbated the perennial problems of drug resistance. Nevertheless, development of a vaccine against malaria that reduces morbidity and mortality, and ideally also reduces transmission, has long been seen as an essential component of a sustainable malaria control strategy. In this article the authors review the biological challenges of malaria vaccine development, summarise some of the recent advances and offer some immunological insights which might facilitate further research...
Synthesis and Characterization of Cytidine Derivatives that Inhibit the Kinase IspE of the Non-Mevalonate Pathway for Isoprenoid Biosynthesis [ChemMedChem. 2007 Nov 21] — (English)
The enzymes of the non-mevalonate pathway for isoprenoid biosynthesis are attractive targets for the development of novel drugs against malaria and tuberculosis. This pathway is used exclusively by the corresponding pathogens, but not by humans. A series of water-soluble, cytidine-based inhibitors that were originally designed for the fourth enzyme in the pathway, IspD, were shown to inhibit the subsequent enzyme, the kinase IspE (from Escherichia coli). The binding mode of the inhibitors was verified by co-crystal structure analysis, using Aquifex aeolicus IspE. The crystal structures represent the first reported example of a co-crystal structure of IspE with a synthetic ligand and confirmed that ligand binding affinity originates mainly from the interactions of the nucleobase moiety in the cytidine binding pocket of the enzyme. In contrast, the appended benzimidazole moieties of the ligands adopt various orientations in the active site and establish only poor intermolecular contacts with the protein. Defined binding sites for sulfate ions and glycerol molecules, components in the crystallization buffer, near the well-conserved ATP-binding Gly-rich loop of IspE were observed. The crystal structures of A. aeolicus IspE nicely complement the one from E. coli IspE for use in structure-based design, namely by providing invaluable structural information for the design of inhibitors targeting IspE from Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Plasmodium falciparum. Similar to the enzymes from these pathogens, A. aeolicus IspE directs the OH group of a tyrosine residue into a pocket in the active site. In the E. coli enzyme, on the other hand, this pocket is lined by phenylalanine and has a more pronounced hydrophobic character...
Globale Erwärmung: Wegbereiter für tropische Infektionskrankheiten in Deutschland? [Dtsch Med Wochenschr. 2007 Nov] — (Deutsch)
Seit 1850 ist der CO2-Gehalt der Erdatmosphäre von 280 auf 360 ppm, und die Durchschnittstemperatur von 14,6 auf 15,3 ˚C gestiegen. Im 21. Jahrhundert wird ein weiterer Temperaturanstieg um 1,8 bis 4,0 ˚C erwartet. Dies betrifft am stärksten Zonen mit gemäßigtem und kaltem Klima, aber auch tropische Regionen. Gleichzeitig verstärken sich die weltweiten Klimaeffekte der "El Niño Southern Oscillation". Die Klimaerwärmung begünstigt das Wachstum sowohl von tropischen Krankheitserregern (Malariaplasmodien, Leishmanien, Gelbfieber-, Dengue- und Westnilviren, Vibrio cholerae), als auch von Vektoren (Mücken der Gattungen Anopheles, Phlebotomus, Aedes und Culex, sowie Schildzecken). Die globale Erwärmung kann sowohl zum Auftreten von bisher nicht in Deutschland heimischen Erkrankungen, wie z. B. West-Nil-Fieber, Dengue, oder Leishmaniasen, als auch zur verstärkten Ausbreitung von Borreliose und Frühsommer-Meningoenzephalitis führen. Dagegen ist die Ausbreitung von Malaria und Cholera stärker von sozioökonomischen Faktoren abhängig. Eine verbesserte Surveillance und weitere Untersuchungen über die Zusammenhänge zwischen Klimaveränderungen und Infektionskrankheiten sind erforderlich...
Prepared in cooperation with WHO ANGOLA INFO.
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