Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year(sorted descending) Filter | PMID Filter |
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| Synthesis and evaluation of 7-substituted 4-aminoquinoline analogues for antimalarial activity. | We previously reported that substituted 4-aminoquinolines with a phenyl ether substituent at the 7-position of the quinoline ring and the capability of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the protonated amine on the side chain and a hydrogen bond acceptor on the amine's alkyl substituents exhibited potent antimalarial activity against the multidrug resistant strain P. falciparum W2. We employed a parallel synthetic method to generate diaryl ether, biaryl, and alkylaryl 4-aminoquinoline analo ... | 2011 | 21910466 |
| reduced cd36-dependent tissue sequestration of plasmodium-infected erythrocytes is detrimental to malaria parasite growth in vivo. | adherence of parasite-infected red blood cells (irbc) to the vascular endothelium of organs plays a key role in the pathogenesis of plasmodium falciparum malaria. the prevailing hypothesis of why irbc adhere and sequester in tissues is that this acts as a mechanism of avoiding spleen-mediated clearance. irbc of the rodent parasite plasmodium berghei anka sequester in a fashion analogous to p. falciparum by adhering to the host receptor cd36. to experimentally determine the significance of seques ... | 2011 | 22184632 |
| Causes of variation in malaria infection dynamics: insights from theory and data. | Parasite strategies for exploiting host resources are key determinants of disease severity (i.e., virulence) and infectiousness (i.e., transmission between hosts). By iterating the development of theory and empirical tests, we investigated whether variation in parasite traits across two genetically distinct clones of the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi, explains differences in within-host infection dynamics and virulence. First, we experimentally tested key predictions of our earlie ... | 2011 | 22089879 |
| effects of an antimalarial quinazoline derivative on human erythrocytes and on cell membrane molecular models. | plasmodium, the parasite which causes malaria in humans multiplies in the liver and then infects circulating erythrocytes. thus, the role of the erythrocyte cell membrane in antimalarial drug activity and resistance has key importance. the effects of the antiplasmodial n(6)-(4-methoxybenzyl)quinazoline-2,4,6-triamine (m4), and its inclusion complex (m4/hpβcd) with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (hpβcd) on human erythrocytes and on cell membrane molecular models are herein reported. this work evi ... | 2011 | 22155684 |
| Pharmaceutical services for endemic situations in the Brazilian Amazon: organization of services and prescribing practices for Plasmodium vivax and Plasmodium falciparum non-complicated malaria in high-risk municipalities. | ABSTRACT: | 2011 | 22050832 |
| hms-related hemolysis after acute attacks of plasmodium vivax malaria. | among a cohort of 1,213 cases treated for plasmodium vivax malaria from an isolated papua new guinean population, seven adults with severe and sustained hemolytic anemia after clearance of the peripheral parasitemia were prospectively investigated. all the patients fulfilled the criteria for hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly and in 2 of 7 cases an igg warm antibody was identified. hereditary hemolytic anemia was excluded in 5 of 5 patients. all treated cases improved after an initial high dos ... | 2011 | 21976560 |
| multivariate modelling with (1)h nmr of pleural effusion in murine cerebral malaria. | cerebral malaria is a clinical manifestation of plasmodium falciparum infection. although brain damage is the predominant pathophysiological complication of cerebral malaria (cm), respiratory distress, acute lung injury, hydrothorax/pleural effusion are also observed in several cases. immunological parameters have been assessed in pleural fluid in murine models; however there are no reports of characterization of metabolites present in pleural effusion. | 2011 | 22047045 |
| The Molecular Basis of Folate Salvage in Plasmodium falciparum: CHARACTERIZATION OF TWO FOLATE TRANSPORTERS. | Tetrahydrofolates are essential cofactors for DNA synthesis and methionine metabolism. Malaria parasites are capable both of synthesizing tetrahydrofolates and precursors de novo and of salvaging them from the environment. The biosynthetic route has been studied in some detail over decades, whereas the molecular mechanisms that underpin the salvage pathway lag behind. Here we identify two functional folate transporters (named PfFT1 and PfFT2) and delineate unexpected substrate preferences of the ... | 2011 | 21998306 |
| Antiplasmodial Quinones from Pentas longiflora and Pentas lanceolata. | The dichloromethane/methanol (1?:?1) extracts of the roots of PENTAS LONGIFLORA and PENTAS LANCEOLATA showed low micromolar (IC (50)?=?0.9-3?µg/mL) IN VITRO antiplasmodial activity against chloroquine-resistant (W2) and chloroquine-sensitive (D6) strains of PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM. Chromatographic separation of the extract of PENTAS LONGIFLORA led to the isolation of the pyranonaphthoquinones pentalongin ( 1) and psychorubrin ( 2) with IC (50) values below 1?µg/mL and the naphthalene derivati ... | 2011 | 21979929 |
| poor quality vital anti-malarials in africa - an urgent neglected public health priority. | abstract: | 2011 | 22152094 |
| induction of malaria parasite migration by synthetically tunable microenvironments. | interaction of plasmodium sporozoites, the forms of the malaria parasite transmitted by the mosquito, with its microenvironment in form of adhesion and migration is essential for the successful establishment of infection. myosin-based sporozoite migration relies on short and dynamic actin filaments. these are linked to transmembrane receptors, which in turn bind to the matrix microenvironment. in this work, we are able to define the characteristics that determine whether a matrix is favorable or ... | 2011 | 21910423 |
| Laboratory demonstration of a prozone-like effect in HRP2-detecting malaria rapid diagnostic tests: implications for clinical management. | Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are now widely used for prompt on-site diagnosis in remote endemic areas where reliable microscopy is absent. Aberrant results, whereby negative test results occur at high parasite densities, have been variously reported for over a decade and have led to questions regarding the reliability of the tests in clinical use. | 2011 | 21957869 |
| Morbidity in the marshes: Using spatial epidemiology to investigate skeletal evidence for malaria in Anglo-Saxon England (AD 410-1050). | Concerns over climate change and its potential impact on infectious disease prevalence have contributed to a resurging interest in malaria in the past. A wealth of historical evidence indicates that malaria, specifically Plasmodium vivax, was endemic in the wetlands of England from the 16th century onwards. While it is thought that malaria was introduced to Britain during the Roman occupation (AD first to fifth centuries), the lack of written mortality records prior to the post-medieval period m ... | 2011 | 22183814 |
| Molecular diagnosis and species identification of imported malaria in returning travellers in Italy. | A new seminested polymerase chain reaction (sn-PCR)-based protocol was developed and used to detect and identify Plasmodium species in 1226 whole-blood samples from patients (872 Italians and 354 foreigners) with at least 1 symptom compatible with clinical malaria. The results were compared with those obtained by microscopy: 187 samples were positive by microscopy for malaria parasites and 196 were positive by sn-PCR. When compared to microscopy, the sn-PCR detected different malaria parasite sp ... | 2011 | 22078908 |
| cell-free synthesis, reconstitution, and characterization of a mitochondrial dicarboxylate-tricarboxylate carrier of plasmodium falciparum. | the malaria parasite, plasmodium falciparum, was recently shown to operate a branched pathway of tricarboxylic acid (tca) metabolism. to identify and characterize membrane transporters required for such tca metabolism in the parasite, we isolated a cdna for a dicarboxylate-tricarboxylate carrier homolog (pfdtc), synthesized the encoded protein with the use of a cell-free translation system, and determined the substrate specificity of its transport activity with a proteoliposome reconstitution sy ... | 2011 | 21986531 |
| isoprenoid biosynthesis in the erythrocytic stages of plasmodium falciparum. | the development of new drugs is one strategy for malaria control. biochemical pathways localised in the apicoplast of the parasite, such as the synthesis of isoprenic precursors, are excellent targets because they are different or absent in the human host. isoprenoids are a large and highly diverse group of natural products with many functions and their synthesis is essential for the parasite's survival. during the last few years, the genes, enzymes, intermediates and mechanisms of this biosynth ... | 2011 | 21881768 |
| adenovirus-5-vectored p. falciparum vaccine expressing csp and ama1. part b: safety, immunogenicity and protective efficacy of the csp component. | a protective malaria vaccine will likely need to elicit both cell-mediated and antibody responses. as adenovirus vaccine vectors induce both these responses in humans, a phase 1/2a clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of an adenovirus serotype 5-vectored malaria vaccine against sporozoite challenge. | 2011 | 22003411 |
| protective immunity provided by a new modified sera protein peptide: its immunogenetic characteristics and correlation with 3d structure. | the serine repeat antigen (sera) protein is a leading candidate molecule for inclusion as a component in a multi-antigen, multi-stage, minimal subunit-based, chemically synthesised anti-malarial vaccine. peptides having high red blood cell binding affinity (known as habps) have been identified in this protein. the 6733 habp was located in the c-terminal portion of the 47-kda fragment while habp 6754 was located in the c-terminal region of the 56-kda fragment. these conserved habps failed to indu ... | 2011 | 21894529 |
| immunogenicity of a virosomally-formulated plasmodium falciparum glurp-msp3 chimeric protein-based malaria vaccine candidate in comparison to adjuvanted formulations. | abstract: | 2011 | 22166048 |
| age-dependent igg subclass responses to plasmodium falciparum eba-175 are differentially associated with incidence of malaria in mozambican children. | plasmodium falciparum blood stage antigens such as the merozoite surface protein (msp)-1, the apical membrane antigen (ama)-1, and the 175 kda erythrocyte binding antigen (eba-175) are considered important targets of naturally acquired immunity to malaria. however, it is not clear whether antibodies to these antigens are effectors in protection against clinical disease or mere markers of exposure. in the context of a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of intermittent preventive treatment in in ... | 2011 | 22169088 |
| drug resistance associated genetic polymorphisms in plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax collected in honduras, central america. | abstract: background: in honduras, chloroquine and primaquine are recommended and still appear to be effective for treatment of plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium vivax malaria. the aim of this study was to determine the proportion of resistance associated genetic polymorphisms in p. falciparum and p. vivax collected in honduras. methods: blood samples were collected from patients seeking medical attention at the hospital escuela in tegucigalpa from 2004 to 2006 as well as three regional hosp ... | 2011 | 22183028 |
| Constitutive activation and accelerated maturation of peripheral blood T cells in healthy adults in burkina faso compared to Germany: the case of malaria? | Objective: It is not exactly known how frequent exposure to Plasmodium falciparum shapes the peripheral blood T-cell population in healthy West Africans. - Methods: The frequency of peripheral blood CD4+ lymphocytes responding to Plasmodium falciparum merozoite surface protein 1 (PfMSP-1) by production of interferon-gamma (IFN-?), interleukin-2 (IL-2) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-a) was determined using a commercially available flow cytometric activation assay (FastImmune) in 17 healthy a ... | 2011 | 22112357 |
| structure-activity relationships of 4-position diamine quinoline methanols as intermittent preventative treatment (ipt) against plasmodium falciparum. | a library of diamine quinoline methanols were designed based on the mefloquine scaffold. the systematic variation of the 4-position amino alcohol side chain led to analogues that maintained potency while reducing accumulation in the central nervous system (cns). although the mechanism of action remains elusive, these data indicate that the 4-position side chain is critical for activity and that potency (as measured by ic(90)) does not correlate with accumulation in the cns. a new lead compound, ... | 2011 | 21854078 |
| Artemisinin: discovery from the Chinese herbal garden. | This year's Lasker DeBakey Clinical Research Award goes to Youyou Tu for the discovery of artemisinin and its use in the treatment of malaria--a medical advance that has saved millions of lives across the globe, especially in the developing world. | 2011 | 21907397 |
| Inhibitory Activity of Ferroquine, versus Chloroquine, against Western Kenya Plasmodium falciparum Field Isolates Determined by a SYBR Green I In Vitro Assay. | Abstract. Ferroquine (FQ), a chloroquine (CQ) analog, is being developed to treat persons with Plasmodium falciparum malaria. In 146 P. falciparum field isolates from western Kenya, we measured 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC(50); nM) of CQ and FQ by a SYBR Green I in vitro assay. Reference clones included W2 (CQ resistant) and D6 (CQ sensitive). Mutation analysis was done for P. falciparum CQ-resistance transporter gene (Pfcrt K76T). Median IC(50) values for FQ were lower than CQ for field is ... | 2011 | 22144431 |
| CNS and antimalarial activity of synthetic meridianin and psammopemmin analogs. | The marine invertebrate-derived meridianin A, the originally proposed structure for psammopemmin A, and several related 3-pyrimidylindole analogs were synthesized and subsequently investigated for central nervous system, antimalarial, and cytotoxic activity. A Suzuki coupling of an indoleborate ester to the pyrimidine electrophile was utilized to form the natural product and derivatives thereof. The 3-pyrimidineindoles were found to prevent radioligand binding to several CNS receptors and transp ... | 2011 | 21907583 |
| Antimalarial activity of 6-(1,2,6,7-tetraoxaspiro[7.11]nonadec-4-yl)hexan-1-ol (N-251) and its carboxylic acid derivatives. | Malaria is one of the world's deadliest diseases and is becoming an increasingly serious problem as malaria parasites develop resistance to most of the antimalarial drugs used today. We previously reported the in vitro and in vivo antimalarial potencies of 1,2,6,7-tetraoxaspiro[7.11]nonadecane (N-89) and 6-(1,2,6,7-tetraoxaspiro[7.11]nonadec-4-yl)hexan-1-ol (N-251) against Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium berghei parasites. To improve water-solubility for synthetic peroxides, a variety of cy ... | 2011 | 21924377 |
| global host metabolic response to plasmodium vivax infection: a 1h nmr based urinary metabonomic study. | abstract: background: plasmodium vivax is responsible for the majority of malarial infection in the indian subcontinent. this species of the parasite is generally believed to cause a relatively benign form of the disease. however, recent reports from different parts of the world indicate that vivax malaria can also have severe manifestation. host response to the parasite invasion is thought to be an important factor in determining the severity of manifestation. in this paper, attempt was made t ... | 2011 | 22196439 |
| quantitation of brain edema and localisation of aquaporin 4 expression in relation to susceptibility to experimental cerebral malaria. | the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the occurrence of cerebral malaria (cm) are still incompletely understood but, clearly, cerebral complications may result from concomitant microvessel obstruction and inflammation. the extent to which brain edema contributes to pathology has not been investigated. using the model of p. berghei anka infection, we compared brain microvessel morphology of cm-susceptible and cm-resistant mice. by quantitative planimetry, we provide evidence that cm is characteriz ... | 2011 | 21904632 |
| surface-expressed enolases of plasmodium and other pathogens. | enolase is the eighth enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, a reaction that generates atp from phosphoenol pyruvate in cytosolic compartments. enolase is essential, especially for organisms devoid of the krebs cycle that depend solely on glycolysis for energy. interestingly, enolase appears to serve a separate function in some organisms, in that it is also exported to the cell surface via a poorly understood mechanism. in these organisms, surface enolase assists in the invasion of their host cells b ... | 2011 | 21881761 |
| administration of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist to mares at different times during the luteal phase of the estrous cycle. | the gnrh antagonist cetrorelix was given during the early (days 1-5), mid (days 6-10 or 5-12) or for the entire (days 1-16) luteal phase of mares to inhibit the secretion of fsh and lh (day 0=ovulation). frequent blood sampling from day 6 to day 14 was used to determine the precise time-course of the suppression (cetrorelix given days 6-10). cetrorelix treatment caused a decrease in fsh and lh concentrations by 8 and 16 h, respectively, and an obliteration of the response to exogenous gnrh given ... | 2011 | 21889856 |
| synthesis and evaluation of phosphoramidate and phosphorothioamidate analogues of amiprophos methyl as potential antimalarial agents. | a series of phosphoramidate and phosphorothioamidate compounds based on the lead antitubulin herbicidal agents amiprophos methyl (apm) and butamifos were synthesised and evaluated for antimalarial activity. of these compounds, phosphorothioamidates were more active than their oxo congeners and the nature of both aryl and amido substituents influenced the desired activity. the most active compound was 46, o-ethyl-o-(2-methyl-4-nitrophenyl)-n-cyclopentyl phosphorothioamidate, which was more effect ... | 2011 | 21889338 |
| the crystal structure of odorant binding protein 7 from anopheles gambiae exhibits an outstanding adaptability of its binding site. | anopheles gambiae (agam) targets human and animals by using its olfactory system, leading to the spread of plasmodium falciparum, the malaria vector. odorant binding proteins (obps) participate to the first event in odorant recognition and constitute an interesting target for insect control. obps interact with olfactory receptors to which they deliver the odorant molecule. we have undertaken a large-scale study of proteins belonging to the olfactory system of agam with in mind of designing stron ... | 2011 | 22019737 |
| b and t lymphocyte attenuator restricts the protective immune response against experimental malaria. | the immune response against the blood stage of malaria has to be tightly regulated to allow for vigorous antiplasmodial activity while restraining potentially lethal immunopathologic damage to the host like cerebral malaria. coinhibitory cell surface receptors are important modulators of immune activation. b and t lymphocyte attenuator (btla) (cd272) is a coinhibitory receptor expressed by most leukocytes, with the highest expression levels on t and b cells, and is involved in the maintenance of ... | 2011 | 21998455 |
| target highlights in casp9: experimental target structures for the critical assessment of techniques for protein structure prediction. | one goal of the casp community wide experiment on the critical assessment of techniques for protein structure prediction is to identify the current state of the art in protein structure prediction and modeling. a fundamental principle of casp is blind prediction on a set of relevant protein targets, that is, the participating computational methods are tested on a common set of experimental target proteins, for which the experimental structures are not known at the time of modeling. therefore, th ... | 2011 | 22020785 |
| proinflammatory and regulatory cytokines and chemokines in infants with uncomplicated and severe plasmodium falciparum malaria. | cytokine and chemokine levels were studied in infants (<5 years) with uncomplicated (mm) and severe malaria tropica (sm), and in plasmodium falciparum infection-free controls (neg). cytokine plasma levels of interleukin (il)-10, il-13, il-31 and il-33 were strongly elevated in mm and sm compared to neg (p<0·0001). inversely, plasma concentrations of il-27 were highest in neg infants, lower in mm cases and lowest in those with sm (p<0·0001, neg compared to mm and sm). the levels of the chemokines ... | 2011 | 21985368 |
| A New Real-Time PCR Assay for Improved Detection of the Parasite Babesia microti. | Babesiosis is an emerging zoonosis with important public health implications, as the incidence of the disease has risen dramatically over the past decade. Because the current gold standard for detection of Babesia is microscopic examination of blood smears, accurate identification requires trained personnel. Species in the genus cannot be distinguished microscopically, and Babesia can also be confused with the early trophozoite stage (ring forms) of Plasmodium parasites. To allow more accurate d ... | 2011 | 22170915 |
| Identification of the Schistosoma mansoni molecular target for the antimalarial drug artemether. | Plasmodium falciparum and Schistosoma mansonii are the parasites responsible for most of the malaria and schistosomiasis cases in the world. Notwithstanding their many differences, the two agents have striking similarities in that they both are blood feeders and are targets of an overlapping set of drugs, including the well-known artemether molecule. Here we explore the possibility of using the known information about the mode of action of artemether in Plasmodium to identify the molecular targe ... | 2011 | 21995318 |
| Individual Pvmsp1 variants within polyclonal Plasmodium vivax infections display different propensities for relapse. | Using a newly developed P. vivax merozoite surface protein 1 heteroduplex tracking assay, we genotyped 107 vivax infections from Cambodia, 45 of which developed recurrent parasitemia within 42 days. The majority of isolates were polyclonal, but recurrent parasitemias displayed fewer variants compared to initial parasitemias. Two Pvmsp1 variants occurred more frequently in the initial genotypes of those who developed recurrent parasitemia, representing the first time vivax variants associated wit ... | 2011 | 22205791 |
| high-throughput multi-parameter flow-cytometric analysis from micro-quantities of plasmodium-infected blood. | despite significant technological and conceptual advances over the last century, evaluation of the efficacy of anti-malarial vaccines or drugs continues to rely principally on direct microscopic visualisation of parasites on thick and/or thin giemsa-stained blood smears. this requires technical expertise of the microscopist, is highly subjective and error-prone, and does not account for aberrations such as anaemia. many published methods have shown that flow cytometric analysis of blood is a hig ... | 2011 | 21907206 |
| plasmodium falciparum sir2a preferentially hydrolyzes medium and long chain fatty acyl lysine. | plasmodium falciparum sir2a (pfsir2a), a member of the sirtuin family of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-dependent deacetylases, has been shown to regulate the expression of surface antigens to evade the detection by host immune surveillance. it is thought that pfsir2a achieves this by deacetylating histones. however, the deacetylase activity of pfsir2a is weak. here we present enzymology and structural evidence supporting that pfsir2a catalyzes the hydrolysis of medium and long chain fatty ac ... | 2011 | 21992006 |
| experimental cerebral malaria develops independently of card9 signalling. | the outcome of infection depends on multiple layers of immune regulation with innate immunity playing a decisive role in shaping protection or pathogenic sequelae of acquired immunity. the contribution of pattern recognition receptors and adaptor molecules in immunity to malaria remains poorly understood. here we interrogate the role of the caspase recruitment domain-containing protein 9 (card9) signalling pathway in the development of experimental cerebral malaria (ecm) using the murine plasmod ... | 2011 | 22158744 |
| frequency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in malaria patients from six african countries enrolled in two randomized anti-malarial clinical trials. | glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (g6pd) deficiency is common in populations living in malaria endemic areas. g6pd genotype and phenotype were determined for malaria patients enrolled in the chlorproguanil-dapsone-artesunate (cda) phase iii clinical trial programme. | 2011 | 21849081 |
| Mosquito species composition and Plasmodium vivax infection rates on Baengnyeong-do (island), Republic of Korea. | Vivax malaria is a significant military and civilian health threat in the north of the Republic of Korea (ROK). The island of Baengnyeong-do is the westernmost point of the ROK and is located close to the southwestern coast of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). Mosquitoes were collected using a black light trap on Baengnyeong-do, and Anopheles spp. were assayed by PCR, to identify the species, and screened for sporozoites of Plasmodium vivax. Of a subsample of 257 mosquitoes, Anop ... | 2011 | 22072836 |
| Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells as a new host cell in latent leishmaniasis. | Some protozoan infections such as Toxoplasma, Cryptosporidium, and Plasmodium can be transmitted through stem cell transplantations. To our knowledge, so far, there is no study about transmission of Leishmania parasites in stem cell transplantation and interactions between parasites and stem cells in vitro. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the interaction between different species of Leishmania parasites and adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ADMSCs). ADMSCs have b ... | 2011 | 21896818 |
| efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine in the treatment of acute, uncomplicated plasmodium falciparum malaria: a pooled analysis. | randomized trials have confirmed the efficacy and safety of artemether-lumefantrine (al) for treatment of uncomplicated plasmodium falciparum malaria. data from seven studies supported by novartis (1996-2007), including 647 adults (> 16 years of age, 83.3% completed the study) and 1,332 children (≤ 16 years of age, 89.3% completed the study) with microscopically confirmed uncomplicated p. falciparum malaria and treated with the recommended regimen of al, were pooled. the 28-day polymerase chain ... | 2011 | 22049029 |
| Incidence of malaria in the interior division of sabah, malaysian borneo, based on nested PCR. | Introduction. Malaria is currently one of the most prevalent parasite-transmitted diseases caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium. Misidentification of human malaria parasites especially P. knowlesi based on microscopic examination is very common. The objectives of this paper were to accurately identify the incidence of human malaria parasites in the interior division of Sabah, Malaysian Borneo, based on small subunit ribosomal RNA (ssrRNA) and to determine the misidentification rate in hum ... | 2011 | 22013506 |
| Identification of 1,3-diiminoisoindoline carbohydrazides as potential antimalarial candidates. | A series of inhibitors of plant enzymes of the non-mevalonate pathway from herbicide research efforts at BASF were screened for antimalarial activity in a cell-based assay. A 1,3-diiminoisoindoline carbohydrazide was found to inhibit the growth of Plasmodium falciparum with an IC(50) value <100 nM. Synthesis of a variety of derivatives allowed an improvement of the initial antimalarial activity down to IC(50) =18 nM for the most potent compound, the establishment of a structure-activity relatio ... | 2011 | 22095896 |
| antiparasitic bromotyrosine derivatives from the marine sponge verongula rigida. | nine bromotyrosine-derived compounds were isolated from the caribbean marine sponge verongula rigida. two of them, aeroplysinin-1 (1) and dihydroxyaerothionin (2), are known compounds for this species, and the other seven are unknown compounds for this species, namely: 3,5-dibromo-n,n,n-trimethyltyraminium (3), 3,5-dibromo-n,n,n, o-tetramethyltyraminium (4), purealidin r (5), 19-deoxyfistularin 3 (6), purealidin b (7), 11-hydroxyaerothionin (8) and fistularin-3 (9). structural determination of t ... | 2011 | 22073002 |
| habitat suitability of anopheles vector species and association with human malaria in the atlantic forest in south-eastern brazil. | every year, autochthonous cases of plasmodium vivax malaria occur in low-endemicity areas of vale do ribeira in the south-eastern part of the atlantic forest, state of são paulo, where anopheles cruzii and anopheles bellator are considered the primary vectors. however, other species in the subgenus nyssorhynchus of anopheles (e.g., anopheles marajoara) are abundant and may participate in the dynamics of malarial transmission in that region. the objectives of the present study were to assess the ... | 2011 | 21881779 |
| The First Plasmodium vivax Relapses of Life Are Usually Genetically Homologous. | In a prospective infant cohort, 21 infants developed Plasmodium vivax malaria during their first year. Twelve of their mothers also had vivax malaria in the corresponding pregnancies or postpartum period. The genotypes of the maternal and infant infections were all different. Eight of the 12 mothers and 9 of the 21 infants had recurrent infections. Relapse parasite genotypes were different to the initial infection in 13 of 20 (65%) mothers compared with 5 of 24 (21%) infants (P = .02). The first ... | 2011 | 22194628 |
| Reply to Sharp et al.: Host species sampling bias and Plasmodium falciparum origin paradigm shifts. | 2011 | 22141155 | |
| Critical Role for Heat Shock Protein 20 (HSP20) in Migration of Malarial Sporozoites. | Plasmodium sporozoites, single cell eukaryotic pathogens, employ their own actin/myosin-based motor machinery for life cycle progression, which includes forward locomotion, penetration of cellular barriers, and invasion of target cells. To display fast gliding motility the parasite employs a high turnover of actin polymerization and adhesion sites. Paradoxically, only few classic actin regulatory proteins appear to be encoded in the Plasmodium genome. Small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) have been ... | 2011 | 22139844 |
| Loop-mediated isothermal amplification: rapid detection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in Pomacea canaliculata. | Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a zoonotic parasite that causes eosinophilic meningitis in humans. The most common source of infection with A. cantonensis is the consumption of raw or undercooked mollusks (e.g., snails and slugs) harbouring infectious third-stage larvae (L3). However, the parasite is difficult to identify in snails. The purpose of this study was to develop a quick, simple molecular method to survey for A. cantonensis in intermediate host snails. | 2011 | 22023992 |
| The blood-stage malaria antigen PfRH5 is susceptible to vaccine-inducible cross-strain neutralizing antibody. | Current vaccine strategies against the asexual blood stage of Plasmodium falciparum are mostly focused on well-studied merozoite antigens that induce immune responses after natural exposure, but have yet to induce robust protection in any clinical trial. Here we compare human-compatible viral-vectored vaccines targeting ten different blood-stage antigens. We show that the full-length P. falciparum reticulocyte-binding protein homologue 5 (PfRH5) is highly susceptible to cross-strain neutralizing ... | 2011 | 22186897 |
| characterisation of the plasmodium falciparum hsp70-hsp90 organising protein (pfhop). | malaria is caused by plasmodium species, whose transmission to vertebrate hosts is facilitated by mosquito vectors. the transition from the cold blooded mosquito vector to the host represents physiological stress to the parasite, and additionally malaria blood stage infection is characterised by intense fever periods. in recent years, it has become clear that heat shock proteins play an essential role during the parasite's life cycle. plasmodium falciparum expresses two prominent heat shock prot ... | 2011 | 22005844 |
| The heat shock protein 40 family of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. | Few diseases have had such a profound influence on human evolution and history as malaria. Despite intense efforts malaria infection continues to be a major killer. The causative agent of malaria, the unicellular eukaryote Plasmodium, displays a fascinating biology in which ubiquitous cellular concepts are modified to serve the particular needs of the malaria parasite. In this review, we explore how Plasmodium utilizes the heat shock protein 40 system, a chaperone system that ensures correct pro ... | 2011 | 22184089 |
| FLP/FRT-mediated conditional mutagenesis in pre-erythrocytic stages of Plasmodium berghei. | We describe here a highly efficient procedure for conditional mutagenesis in Plasmodium. The procedure uses the site-specific recombination FLP-FRT system of yeast and targets the pre-erythrocytic stages of the rodent Plasmodium parasite P. berghei, including the sporozoite stage and the subsequent liver stage. The technique consists of replacing the gene under study by an FRTed copy (i.e., flanked by FRT sites) in the erythrocytic stages of a parasite clone that expresses the flip (FLP) recombi ... | 2011 | 21886105 |
| Evidence for filamentous actin in ookinetes of a malarial parasite. | Extracellular stages of apicomplexan parasites utilize their own actin myosin motor machinery for gliding locomotion, penetration of cell barriers, and host cell invasion. Thus far, filamentous actin could not be visualized by standard microscopic techniques in vivo. Here, we describe the generation of a novel peptide antibody against the divergent amino-terminal portion of the major Plasmodium isoform, actin I. We show that our antiserum, termed Ab-actinI-I, is conformation-specific. In motile ... | 2011 | 22101204 |
| A carbamate-based approach to primaquine prodrugs: Antimalarial activity, chemical stability and enzymatic activation. | O-Alkyl and O-aryl carbamate derivatives of the antimalarial drug primaquine were synthesised as potential prodrugs that prevent oxidative deamination to the inactive metabolite carboxyprimaquine. Both O-alkyl and O-aryl carbamates undergo hydrolysis in alkaline and pH 7.4 phosphate buffers to the parent drug, with O-aryl carbamates being ca. 10(6)-10(10) more reactive than their O-alkyl counterparts. In human plasma O-alkyl carbamates were stable, whereas in contrast their O-aryl counterparts r ... | 2011 | 22189276 |
| lanostane and hopane triterpenes from the entomopathogenic fungus hypocrella sp. bcc 14524. | seven new lanostane-type triterpenes, hypocrellols a-g (1-7), and six new hopane-type triterpenes, 7β,15α-dihydroxy-22(29)-hopene (8), 3β,7β-dihydroxy-22(29)-hopene (9), 3β-acetoxy-15α-hydroxy-22(29)-hopene (10), 3β,7β,15α,22-tetrahydroxyhopane (11), 3β-acetoxy-7β,15α,22-trihydroxyhopane (12), and 7β,15α,22-trihydroxyhopane (13), were isolated from the scale insect pathogenic fungus hypocrella sp. bcc 14524. the structures of the new compounds were elucidated by analyses of the nmr spectroscopic ... | 2011 | 21995505 |
| analysis of the genetic variability of pvmsp-3α among plasmodium vivax in brazilian field isolates. | reliable molecular markers are essential for a better understanding of the molecular epidemiology of plasmodium vivax, which is a neglected human malaria parasite. the aim of this study was to analyze the genetic diversity of p. vivax isolates from the brazilian amazon using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (pcr-rflp) analysis of the highly polymorphic merozoite surface protein-3alpha (pvmsp-3α) gene. to accomplish this, 60 isolates of p. vivax from different en ... | 2011 | 21881754 |
| Ex vivo susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum isolates from Dakar, Senegal, to seven standard anti-malarial drugs. | As a result of widespread chloroquine and sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine resistance, artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) (which includes artemether-lumefantrine and artesunate-amodiaquine) has been recommended as a first-line anti-malarial regimen in Senegal since 2006. Since then, there have been very few reports on the ex vivo susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to anti-malarial drugs. To examine whether parasite susceptibility has been affected by the widespread use of ACT, the ex viv ... | 2011 | 22014157 |
| Prescription practices and availability of artemisinin monotherapy in India: where do we stand? | ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization has urged all member states to deploy artemisinin-based combination therapy and progressively withdraw oral artemisinin monotherapies from the market due to their high recrudescence rates and to reduce the risk of drug resistance. Prescription practices by physicians and the availability of oral artemisinin monotherapies with pharmacists directly affect the pattern of their use. Thus, treatment practices for malaria, with special reference to ... | 2011 | 22166073 |
| Evaluation of the Clearview® Malaria pLDH Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test in a non-endemic setting. | Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) are widely used to diagnose malaria. The present study evaluated a new RDT, the Clearview® Malaria pLDH test targeting the pan-Plasmodium antigen lactate dehydrogenase (pLDH). | 2011 | 21951996 |
| inactivation of a plasmodium apicoplast protein attenuates formation of liver merozoites. | malaria parasites undergo a population expansion inside the host liver before disease onset. developmental arrest inside host hepatocytes elicits protective immune responses. therefore, elucidation of the molecular mechanisms leading to mature hepatic merozoites, which initiate the pathogenic blood phase, also informs anti-malaria vaccine strategies. using targeted gene deletion in the rodent model malaria parasite plasmodium berghei, we show that a plasmodium-specific apicoplast protein plays a ... | 2011 | 21848587 |
| prediction of biological functions of shewanella-like protein phosphatases (shelphs) across different domains of life. | ppp protein phosphatases are an important enzyme family involved in a variety of aspects of cellular signalling and metabolism. ppps are ubiquitous in eukaryotes, and are also present in many bacteria. canonical eukaryotic ppp phosphotases are represented by five major subfamilies (pp1, pp2a, calcineurin, pp5 and ppef/pp7). we previously reported that three "bacterial-like" ppp groups span the prokaryote-eukaryote boundary, including "shewanella-like" phosphatases (shelphs), which are in the foc ... | 2011 | 21960277 |
| Amazonian malaria: Asymptomatic human reservoirs, diagnostic challenges, environmentally driven changes in mosquito vector populations, and the mandate for sustainable control strategies. | Across the Americas and the Caribbean, nearly 561,000 slide-confirmed malaria infections were reported officially in 2008. The nine Amazonian countries accounted for 89% of these infections; Brazil and Peru alone contributed 56% and 7% of them, respectively. Local populations of the relatively neglected parasite Plasmodium vivax, which currently accounts for 77% of the regional malaria burden, are extremely diverse genetically and geographically structured. At a time when malaria elimination is ... | 2011 | 22015425 |
| Bionomics of sympatric chromosomal forms of Anopheles funestus (Diptera: Culicidae). | Anopheles funestus is one of the major vectors of malaria in Africa. Cytogenetic studies conducted on populations from West Africa have shown variable degrees of polymorphism with a genetic structure leading to the description of two chromosomal forms called "Folonzo" and "Kiribina" that exhibit limited gene flow. Because studies on allopatric populations showed bionomical heterogeneities, the present study was undertaken during three consecutive years (2006, 2007, and 2008) in an area of sympat ... | 2011 | 22129405 |
| Investigating the antimalarial action of 1,2,4-trioxolanes with fluorescent chemical probes. | The 1,2,4-trioxolanes are a new class of synthetic peroxidic antimalarials currently in human clinical trials. The well-known reactivity of the 1,2,4-trioxolane ring toward inorganic ferrous iron and ferrous iron heme is proposed to play a role in the antimalarial action of this class of compounds. We have designed structurally relevant fluorescent chemical probes to study the subcellular localization of 1,2,4-trioxolanes in cultured Plasmodium falciparum parasites. Microscopy experiments reve ... | 2011 | 22023506 |
| identification and analysis of the rna degrading complexes and machinery of giardia lamblia using an in silico approach. | abstract: background: rna degradation is critical to the survival of all cells. with increasing evidence for pervasive transcription in cells, rna degradation has gained recognition as a means of regulating gene expression. yet, rna degradation machinery has been studied extensively in only a few eukaryotic organisms, including saccharomyces cerevisiae and humans. giardia lamblia is a parasitic protist with unusual genomic traits: it is binucleated and tetraploid, has a very compact genome, ... | 2011 | 22126454 |
| [epidemiological analysis of malaria situation in jiangsu province in 2009]. | to analyze the prevalent characteristics of malaria in jiangsu province in 2009, so as to provide the reference for making effective measures of malaria control. | 2011 | 22164851 |
| juxtamembrane shedding of plasmodium falciparum ama1 is sequence independent and essential, and helps evade invasion-inhibitory antibodies. | the malarial life cycle involves repeated rounds of intraerythrocytic replication interspersed by host cell rupture which releases merozoites that rapidly invade fresh erythrocytes. apical membrane antigen-1 (ama1) is a merozoite protein that plays a critical role in invasion. antibodies against ama1 prevent invasion and can protect against malaria in vivo, so ama1 is of interest as a malaria vaccine candidate. ama1 is efficiently shed from the invading parasite surface, predominantly through ju ... | 2011 | 22194692 |
| nogo-a expression in the brain of mice with cerebral malaria. | cerebral malaria (cm) is associated with a high rate of transient or persistent neurological sequelae. nogo-a, a protein that is highly expressed in the endoplasmic reticulum (er) of the mammalian central nervous system (cns), is involved in neuronal regeneration and synaptic plasticity in the injured cns. the current study investigates the role of nogo-a in the course of experimental cm. c57bl/6j mice were infected with plasmodium berghei anka blood stages. brain homogenates of mice with differ ... | 2011 | 21980529 |
| a gfp-actin reporter line to explore microfilament dynamics across the malaria parasite lifecycle. | malaria parasite motility relies on an internal parasite actomyosin motor that, when linked to the host cell substrate, propels motile zoites forward. despite their key role in this process, attempts to visualize actin microfilaments (f-actin) during motility and under native microscopy conditions have not to date been successful. towards facilitating their visualization we present here a plasmodium berghei transgenic line in which a green fluorescent protein (gfp)-actin fusion is constitutively ... | 2011 | 22138565 |
| Preliminary vivax malaria vector competence for three members of the Anopheles hyrcanus group in the Republic of Korea. | In a study on the comparative susceptibility of Anopheles kleini, An. lesteri, and An. sinensis to Plasmodium vivax, we examined the feeding of laboratory-reared mosquitoes on blood of a patient carrying gametocytes from the Republic of Korea. Sporozoites in salivary glands from day 14 postfeeding were detected in An. kleini and An. lesteri with numbers high enough to initiate infection, while no sporozoites were detected in the salivary glands of An. sinensis. This result suggests that An. klei ... | 2011 | 22017097 |
| development of a histidine-targeted spectrophotometric sensor using ni(ii)nta-functionalized au and ag nanoparticles. | an antibody-free diagnostic reagent has been developed based on the aggregation-induced colorimetric change of ni(ii)nta-functionalized colloidal gold and silver nanoparticles. this diagnostic strategy utilizes the high binding affinity of histidine-rich proteins with ni(ii)nta to capture and cross-link the histidine-rich protein mimics with the silver and gold nanoparticles. in model studies, the aggregation behavior of the ni(ii)nta nanoparticles was tested against synthetic targets including ... | 2011 | 22026818 |
| antibodies against pfemp1, rifin, msp3 and glurp are acquired during controlled plasmodium falciparum malaria infections in naïve volunteers. | antibodies to polymorphic antigens expressed during the parasites erythrocytic stages are important mediators of protective immunity against p. falciparum malaria. therefore, polymorphic blood stage antigens like msp3, eba-175 and glurp and variant surface antigens pfemp1 and rifin are considered vaccine candidates. however, to what extent these antibodies to blood stage antigens are acquired during naive individuals' first infections has not been studied in depth. using plasma samples collected ... | 2011 | 22174947 |
| intraerythrocytic stages of plasmodium falciparum biosynthesize vitamin e. | the 2-c-methyl-d-erythritol-4-phosphate and shikimate pathways were found to be active in plasmodium falciparum and both can result in vitamin e biosynthesis in plants and algae. this study biochemically confirmed vitamin e biosynthesis in the malaria parasite, which can be inhibited by usnic acid. furthermore, we found evidence pointing to a role of this vitamin in infected erythrocytes. these findings not only contribute to current understanding of p. falciparum biology but also reveal a pathw ... | 2011 | 22085796 |
| construction of a plasmodium falciparum rab-interactome identifies ck1 and pka as rab-effector kinases in malaria parasites. | the pathology causing stages of the human malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum reside within red blood cells that are devoid of any regulated transport system. the parasite, therefore, is entirely responsible for mediating vesicular transport within itself and in the infected erythrocyte cytoplasm, and it does so in part via its family of 11 rab gtpases. putative functions have been ascribed to plasmodium rabs due to their homology with rabs of yeast, particularly with saccharomyces that has a ... | 2011 | 22188458 |
| benzothiophene carboxamide derivatives as novel antimalarials. | bromo-benzothiophene carboxamide derivatives have been shown in the preceding article to inhibit plasmodium falciparum enoyl-acp reductase. here, we report bromo-benzothiophene carboxamide derivatives as potent inhibitors of plasmodium asexual blood-stages in vitro as well as in vivo in the mouse model. these compounds specifically impair the development of metabolically active trophozoite stage of intraerythrocytic cycle and the intravenous administration of 3-bromo-n-(4-fluorobenzyl)-benzo[b]t ... | 2011 | 22038932 |
| malaria prevalence and morbidity among children reporting at health facilities in nouakchott, mauritania. | although malaria has become a serious public health problem in mauritania since the late 1990s, few documented data on its epidemiology exist. the objective of this study was to assess the morbidity of clinical malaria among children in nouakchott. three hundred and one febrile children, consulting at three health facilities of nouakchott, were screened for malaria in 2009 (n=216) and 2010 (n=85). plasmodium species identification and parasite density were determined by microscopic examination o ... | 2011 | 22019287 |
| malaria rapid diagnostic tests in elimination settings--can they find the last parasite? | rapid diagnostic tests (rdts) for malaria have improved the availability of parasite-based diagnosis throughout the malaria-endemic world. accurate malaria diagnosis is essential for malaria case management, surveillance, and elimination. rdts are inexpensive, simple to perform, and provide results in 15-20 min. despite high sensitivity and specificity for plasmodium falciparum infections, rdts have several limitations that may reduce their utility in low-transmission settings: they do not relia ... | 2011 | 21910780 |
| Antimalarial efficacy of piperaquine-based antimalarial combination therapies: facts and uncertainties. | Piperaquine is a bisquinoline antimalarial drug extensively used as monotherapy in China in the 1980s and subsequently included as one of the components of the artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) in the 1990s. Among them, dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PQP) represents a new and extremely promising fixed combination. Several clinical trials have repeatedly shown that DHA-PQP is a safe and highly efficacious therapy against uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum and the asexual stages ... | 2011 | 21914092 |
| Identification and molecular characterization of an Alba-family protein from human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. | We have investigated the DNA-binding nature as well as the function of a putative Alba (Acetylation lowers binding affinity) family protein (PfAlba3) from Plasmodium falciparum. PfAlba3 possesses DNA-binding property like Alba family proteins. PfAlba3 binds to DNA sequence non-specifically at the minor groove and acetylation lowers its DNA-binding affinity. The protein is ubiquitously expressed in all the erythrocytic stages of P. falciparum and it exists predominantly in the acetylated form. Pf ... | 2011 | 22006844 |
| Differential association of Plasmodium falciparum Na+/H+ exchanger polymorphism and quinine responses in field- and culture-adapted isolates of Plasmodium falciparum. | Plasmodium falciparum isolates with decreased susceptibility to quinine are increasingly being found in malaria patients. Mechanisms involved in this resistance are not yet understood. Several studies claim that alongside mutations in the Pfcrt and Pfmdr1 genes, the Pfnhe-1 Na(+)/H(+) exchanger polymorphism plays a role in decreasing susceptibility. However, conflicting results on the link between the Pfnhe-1 gene and quinine resistance arise from field- and culture-adapted isolates. We tested t ... | 2011 | 21947391 |
| production, characterisation and immunogenicity of a plant-made plasmodium antigen-the 19 kda c-terminal fragment of plasmodium yoelii merozoite surface protein 1. | development of a safe, effective and affordable malaria vaccine is central to global disease control efforts. one of the most highly regarded proteins for inclusion in an asexual blood stage subunit vaccine is the 19-kda c-terminal fragment of merozoite surface protein 1 (msp1(19)). as production of vaccine antigens in plants can potentially overcome cost and delivery hurdles, we set out to produce msp1(19) in plants, characterise the protein and test its immunogenicity using a mouse model. plas ... | 2011 | 22170105 |
| global malaria maps and climate change: a focus on east african highlands. | 2011 | 21873114 | |
| antimalarial activity of 9a-n substituted 15-membered azalides with improved in vitro and in vivo activity over azithromycin. | novel classes of antimalarial drugs are needed due to emerging drug resistance. azithromycin, the first macrolide investigated for malaria treatment and prophylaxis, failed as a single agent and thus novel analogues were envisaged as the next generation with improved activity. we synthesized 42 new 9a-n substituted 15-membered azalides with amide and amine functionalities via simple and inexpensive chemical procedures using easily available building blocks. these compounds exhibited marked advan ... | 2011 | 22148880 |
| flow cytometry as a tool for analyzing changes in plasmodium falciparum cell cycle following treatment with indol compounds. | melatonin and its derivatives modulate the plasmodium falciparum and plasmodium chabaudi cell cycle. flow cytometry was employed together with the nucleic acid dye yoyo-1 allowing precise discrimination between mono- and multinucleated forms of p. falciparum-infected red blood cell. the use of yoyo-1 permitted excellent discrimination between uninfected and infected red blood cells as well as between early and late parasite stages. fluorescence intensities of schizont-stage parasites were about ... | 2011 | 22015733 |
| the nts-dbl2x region of var2csa induces cross-reactive antibodies that inhibit adhesion of several plasmodium falciparum isolates to chondroitin sulfate a. | binding to chondroitin sulfate a by var2csa, a parasite protein expressed on infected erythrocytes, allows placental sequestration of plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes. this leads to severe consequences such as maternal anemia, stillbirths, and intrauterine growth retardation. the latter has been clearly associated to increased morbidity and mortality of the infants. acquired anti-var2csa antibodies have been associated with improved pregnancy outcomes, suggesting a vaccine could preve ... | 2011 | 21881129 |
| change in mutation patterns of plasmodium vivax dihydrofolate reductase (pvdhfr) and dihydropteroate synthase (pvdhps) in p. vivax isolates from malaria endemic areas of thailand. | malaria is the most important public health problem in several countries. in thailand, co-infections of plasmodium vivax and plasmodium falciparum are common. we examined the prevalence and patterns of mutations in p. vivax dihydrofolate reductase (pvdhfr) and p. vivax dihydropteroate synthase (pvdhps) in 103 blood samples collected from patients with p. vivax infection who had attended the malaria clinic in mae sot, tak province during 2009 and 2010. using nested polymerase chain reaction-restr ... | 2011 | 21881767 |
| A genome-wide screen identifies yeast genes required for protection against or enhanced cytotoxicity of the antimalarial drug quinine. | Quinine is used in the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum severe malaria. However, both the drug's mode of action and mechanisms of resistance are still poorly understood and subject to debate. In an effort to clarify these questions, we used the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a model for pharmacological studies with quinine. Following on a previous work that examined the yeast genomic expression program in response to quinine, we now explore a genome-wide screen for altered susceptibility to ... | 2011 | 21960436 |
| partitioning regulatory mechanisms of within-host malaria dynamics using the effective propagation number. | immune clearance and resource limitation (via red blood cell depletion) shape the peaks and troughs of malaria parasitemia, which in turn affect disease severity and transmission. quantitatively partitioning the relative roles of these effects through time is challenging. using data from rodent malaria, we estimated the effective propagation number, which reflects the relative importance of contrasting within-host control mechanisms through time and is sensitive to the inoculating parasite dose. ... | 2011 | 21852493 |
| development of elisa-based methods to measure the anti-malarial drug chloroquine in plasma and in pharmaceutical formulations. | in central and south america and eastern and southern africa, plasmodium vivax infections accounts for 71-81% and 5% of malaria cases, respectively. in these areas, chloroquine (cq) remains the treatment of choice for p. vivax malaria. in addition, cq has recently proven to be an effective hiv-1 therapeutic agent. there is a dire need to continue monitoring quality of cq as there is a major influx of substandard and fake formulations into malaria-endemic countries. the use of fake/substandard dr ... | 2011 | 21864375 |
| the bacterial redox signaller pyocyanin as an antiplasmodial agent: comparisons with its thioanalog methylene blue. | the quorum sensor and signalling molecule pyocyanin (pyo) contributes significantly to the pathophysiology of pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. comparison to phenothiazine drugs suggests that the antimalarial compound methylene blue (mb) can be regarded as a sulfur analog of pyo. this working hypothesis would explain why the synthetic drug mb behaves as a compound shaped in biological evolution. here we report on redox-associated biological and biochemical properties of pyo in direct comparison ... | 2011 | 21888766 |
| Characterization of acyl carrier protein and LytB in Babesia bovis apicoplast. | The apicoplast is a highly specialized organelle that mediates required functions in the growth and replication of apicomplexan parasites. Despite structural conservation of the apicoplast among different parasite genera and species, there are also critical differences in the metabolic requirements of different parasites and at different stages of the life cycle. To specifically compare apicoplast pathways between parasites that have both common and unique stages, we characterized the apicoplast ... | 2011 | 22057350 |
| Ookinete-interacting proteins on the microvillar surface are partitioned into detergent resistant membranes of Anopheles gambiae midguts. | Lipid raft microdomains, a component of detergent resistant membranes (DRMs), are routinely exploited by pathogens during host-cell entry. Multiple membrane-surface proteins mediate Plasmodium ookinete invasion of the Anopheles midgut, a critical step in the parasite life cycle that is successfully targeted by transmission-blocking vaccines (TBV). Given that lipid rafts are a common feature of host-pathogen interactions, we hypothesized that they promote the partitioning of midgut surface protei ... | 2011 | 21905706 |
| Platform for Plasmodium vivax vaccine discovery and development. | Plasmodium vivax is the most prevalent malaria parasite on the American continent. It generates a global burden of 80-100 million cases annually and represents a tremendous public health problem, particularly in the American and Asian continents. A malaria vaccine would be considered the most cost-effective measure against this vector-borne disease and it would contribute to a reduction in malaria cases and to eventual eradication. Although significant progress has been achieved in the search fo ... | 2011 | 21881773 |
| [Evaluation of the efficiency of rapid tests to detect malaria patients and parasite carriers in Tajikistan]. | The sensitivity of a rapid test versus microscopy of blood samples was studied while examining 7983 dwellers from the republic's endemic areas. The results of blood testing in the Pyanj and Shurobod districts showed agreement with those of blood microscopy. However, its sensitivity in two other districts was as high as 1.9%. Only one of 53 positive tests was verified by microscopy examination. The findings suggest that it is impossible to use the examined tests (Access Bio Inc. Care Start Malari ... | 2011 | 21932547 |