A historic phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of antimalarial drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy in Africa. Really!

One may cynically ask why is this trial started in Africa and not anywhere else? Are Africans used as guinea pigs? 

Certainly, Africans suffer severely from Malaria, but ???

Is it not enough to give antimalarial drugs to women before pregnancy?

"A historic phase 3 trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of antimalarial drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy—aimed at addressing a longstanding gap in malaria research—enrolled its first patient; the trial is being conducted in Mali, Burkina Faso, and Kenya. ..."

"

• Through the SAFIRE consortium, experts from Africa and Europe are closing a critical treatment gap for women in early pregnancy.
• Each year, over 12 million pregnant women are exposed to malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Findings will inform global malaria treatment guidelines and help expand treatment options for pregnant women.

The Safety of Antimalarials in the FIRst trimEster (SAFIRE) consortium has enrolled its first patient in Mali, marking the official start of the first-ever Phase 3 adaptive platform trial evaluating the efficacy and safety of antimalarial drugs in the first trimester of pregnancy. ... "

"... An Africa-Europe partnership, SAFIRE is addressing long-standing gaps in malaria research and treatment for pregnant women, who have been systematically excluded from drug development programmes, depriving them of newer, better treatments. ..."

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First patient enrolled in historic Phase 3 clinical trial to treat malaria in first-trimester pregnancy "Major milestone in Africa’s first-ever study assessing malaria treatments in early pregnancy"

First patient enrolled in historic Phase 3 clinical trial to treat malaria in first-trimester pregnancy (original news release) "Major milestone in Africa’s first-ever study assessing malaria treatments in early pregnancy"

Hundreds of altered Proteins in the blood can reveal the severity of malaria

Good news! At least 250 plasma proteins are severely affected by acute malaria.

"Karolinska Institutet researchers identified 250+ blood proteins altered by malaria, in a mapping study in Immunity—a discovery that the authors say could predict which patients are most at risk and supports earlier, more targeted malaria treatment."

"... The study, published in the journal Immunity, was conducted on 72 adult travellers diagnosed with malaria at Karolinska University Hospital after returning from tropical regions.

By analysing blood samples from these individuals, who were followed for a year, the researchers were able to identify around 700 proteins that changed during the infection, of which over 250 were strongly affected. ..."

From the highlights and abstract:

"Highlights

• Extensive plasma protein perturbations detected during natural P. falciparum malaria

• Protein profiles stratified patients and revealed a disease-severity signature

• Activated T cells emerge as key targets of innate immune-derived plasma proteins

• A systems-level resource for malaria pathogenesis and biomarker discovery

Summary

Malaria presents with varying degrees of severity. To improve clinical management and prevention, it is crucial to understand the pathogenesis and host response.

We analyzed 1,463 plasma proteins during and after acute Plasmodium falciparum malaria in adult travelers and linked responses to peripheral immune cells by integrating with single-cell RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from a subset of donors.

We identified extensive perturbations in over 250 proteins with diverse origins, including many not previously analyzed in malaria patients, such as hormones, circulating receptors, and intracellular or membrane-bound proteins from affected tissues.

The protein profiles clustered participants according to disease severity, enabling the identification of a compressed 11-protein signature enriched in severe malaria.

Conceptually, this study advances our understanding of malaria by linking systemic proteomic changes to immune cell communication and organ-specific responses. This resource, which includes an interactive platform to explore data, opens new avenues for hypothesis generation, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic target identification."

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Proteins in the blood can reveal the severity of malaria (original news release)

Systems analysis of clinical malaria reveals proteomic perturbation and innate-adaptive crosstalk linked to disease severity (open access)

Graphical abstract

New discovery uncovers the Achilles’ heel of the malaria parasite

Good news!

"A long-standing question in the field of severe malaria has remained for decades: Do people living in regions with continuous malaria transmission develop specialized antibodies against the parasite and its many strains? The answer is yes, as recently discovered through a collaborative effort among researchers ...

The researchers found that broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs)—specialized immune molecules—recognize and block a specific site of the PfEMP1 protein, which plays a critical role in the malaria parasite’s red blood cell stage. That specific key site of PfEMP1 represents a critical vulnerability of the parasite, as it cannot be altered without compromising the parasite’s ability to bind onto host cells. PfEMP1 works by attaching to EPCR, a receptor that allows it to adhere to the host cell surface and avoid being detected and cleared by the spleen—a necessary step in the parasite’s survival and development of severe malaria. Therefore, antibodies targeting this site effectively neutralize PfEMP1’s binding to EPCR and reduces the parasite’s virulence. ..."

From the abstract:

"Malaria pathology is driven by the accumulation of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in microvessels. This process is mediated by the polymorphic erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) adhesion proteins of the parasite. A subset of PfEMP1 variants that bind to human endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) through their CIDRα1 domains is responsible for severe malaria pathogenesis. A longstanding question is whether individual antibodies can recognize the large repertoire of circulating PfEMP1 variants. Here we describe two broadly reactive and inhibitory human monoclonal antibodies to CIDRα1. The antibodies isolated from two different individuals exhibited similar and consistent EPCR-binding inhibition of diverse CIDRα1 domains, representing five of the six subclasses of CIDRα1. Both antibodies inhibited EPCR binding of both recombinant full-length and native PfEMP1 proteins, as well as parasite sequestration in bioengineered 3D human brain microvessels under physiologically relevant flow conditions. Structural analyses of the two antibodies in complex with three different CIDRα1 antigen variants reveal similar binding mechanisms that depend on interactions with three highly conserved amino acid residues of the EPCR-binding site in CIDRα1. These broadly reactive antibodies are likely to represent a common mechanism of acquired immunity to severe malaria and offer novel insights for the design of a vaccine or treatment targeting severe malaria."

New discovery uncovers the Achilles’ heel of the malaria parasite - Scripps Research Magazine

Broadly inhibitory antibodies to severe malaria virulence proteins (no public access)

Cryo-EM structures of broadly neutralizing antibodies (pink/tan) targeting the key site (red/orange) of PfEMP1 protein (blue).

A Malaria-Free Egypt

Good news! The pharaohs are smiling!

"Malaria was detected in Egypt as early as 4000 BCE, and ~100 years ago, it had a 40% prevalence rate in the country. But in October, the WHO declared the country malaria-free, following decades of effort. Key interventions included free malaria diagnosis and treatment for all residents, malaria detection training, and ongoing surveillance and vector management. 

“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus."

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Egypt is certified malaria-free by WHO

Good news! Congratulations! What the pharaohs could not accomplish!

"The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Egypt as malaria-free, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with more than 100 million inhabitants. The achievement follows a nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times. ...

Egypt is the third country to be awarded a malaria-free certification in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, and the first since 2010. Globally, a total of 44 countries and 1 territory have reached this milestone. ..."

Egypt is certified malaria-free by WHO

Credits: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Global Health NOW

Djibouti and other countries Unleash Genetically Modified Mosquitoes with Palki Sharma

Very recommendable! Who needs bloodsuckers? Why should they not be eradicated? For decades, most safety concerns about GMOs are hysterical, fearmongering, and overblown! Unfortunately, Palki presented an interview with some sun glass wearing weirdo repeating some of the myth about GMOs.

Achieving a malaria-free Rwanda by 2030 is possible

Good news! Bravo! Drones to the rescue!

"Latest data from Rwanda Biomedical Centre, as reported by The New Times in its April 24 edition, indicates that malaria cases in the country dropped by a staggering 88% in 2023.

Rwanda targets to completely eradicate malaria by 2030, and the trend over the last seven years gives hope that it is possible. About five million cases were recorded in 2016, but just over 600,000 were registered last year. ..."

Achieving a malaria-free Rwanda by 2030 is possible - The New Times

Rwanda was the first African country to integrate drone technology in fighting malaria in 2019. Drones are used to target mosquitoes at their breeding sites. 

World's first mass malaria vaccine campaign for children in Cameroon starts

Good news! This particular vaccine has been developed since 1960s.

"The world’s first mass malaria vaccination campaign began today in Cameroon—marking a “significant turning point” in the decades-long fight against the disease ..."

"Cameroon will be the first country to routinely give children a new malaria vaccine as the shots are rolled out in Africa. ..."

"RTS,S/AS01 (trade name Mosquirix) is a recombinant protein-based malaria vaccine. It is one of two malaria vaccines approved (the other is R21/Matrix-M). As of April 2022, the vaccine has been given to 1 million children living in areas with moderate-to-high malaria transmission, with millions more doses to be provided as the vaccine's production expands.[3][4] 18 million doses have been allocated for 2023-2025." (Wikipedia)

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Cameroon kicks off world’s first malaria vaccine program for children

Mothers with their children listen to a nurse giving advice at a hospital in Soa, Cameroon

Ugandan scientists develop genetically modified mosquitoes to help reduce spread of malaria

Good news! Is there actually any good reason why humans should not attempt to eradicate bloodsuckers like mosquitoes from planet earth?

Microbe stops mosquitoes from harboring malaria parasite

Good news! That has the potential to reduce blood suckers to a nuisance. 

But why not eradicate these bloodsuckers once and for all unless there are very good reasons not to do it. I am pro extinction as far as these bloodsuckers are concerned!

"Malaria kills more than half a million people every year, most of them children under age 5. ... Now, researchers ... found ... a naturally occurring bacterium that, when fed to mosquitoes, halts the development of the malaria parasite in the insects’ guts.

The findings offer a complement to existing malaria prevention methods ... The approach “has great potential to be implemented” in areas where malaria is endemic ...

The bacterium in the new study ... inhibits the malaria parasite without any genetic tinkering by humans.  ..."

From the editor's note and the abstract:
"Editor’s summary

Malaria mosquitoes can act as hosts to several microorganisms, including commensal bacterial species. Huang et al. noticed that some laboratory colonies of anopheline mosquitoes were incapable of transmitting malaria parasites. These insects also harbored a few cells of a bacterium called Delftia tsuruhatensis TC1, which produces a toxic alkaloid called harmane. Bacteria-produced harmane inhibited the development of female Plasmodium parasite gametes in the mosquito gut. Harmane was found to be a contact poison that could also cross the mosquito cuticle to kill developing malaria parasites. Contained field trials in Burkina Faso, coupled with modeling studies, showed that the bacterium has the potential to be deployed in mosquito breeding sites as a component of malaria control. ...

Abstract

Malaria control demands the development of a wide range of complementary strategies. We describe the properties of a naturally occurring, non–genetically modified symbiotic bacterium, Delftia tsuruhatensis TC1, which was isolated from mosquitoes incapable of sustaining the development of Plasmodium falciparum parasites. D. tsuruhatensis TC1 inhibits early stages of Plasmodium development and subsequent transmission by the Anopheles mosquito through secretion of a small-molecule inhibitor. We have identified this inhibitor to be the hydrophobic molecule harmane. We also found that, on mosquito contact, harmane penetrates the cuticle, inhibiting Plasmodium development. D. tsuruhatensis TC1 stably populates the mosquito gut, does not impose a fitness cost on the mosquito, and inhibits Plasmodium development for the mosquito’s life. Contained field studies in Burkina Faso and modeling showed that D. tsuruhatensis TC1 has the potential to complement mosquito-targeted malaria transmission control."

Microbe stops mosquitoes from harboring malaria parasite | Science | AAAS

Delftia tsuruhatensis TC1 symbiont suppresses malaria transmission by anopheline mosquitoes (no public access)

18 million doses of first-ever malaria vaccine allocated to 12 African countries for 2023–2025

Good news!

"Twelve countries across different regions in Africa are set to receive 18 million doses of the first-ever malaria vaccine over the next two years. The roll out is  a critical step forward in the fight against one of the leading causes of death in the continent. ...
n addition to Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, the initial 18 million dose allocation will enable nine more countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Niger, Sierra Leone and Uganda, to introduce the vaccine into their routine immunisation programmes for the first time.  ..."

18 million doses of first-ever malaria vaccine allocated to 12 African countries for 2023–2025: Gavi, WHO and UNICEF

Study finds AI-based approach cuts mosquito population 75% by managing breeding habitats in urban areas

Good news! Can we eradicate bloodsuckers like mosquitos?

There seems to be also a shift in approach: From indoor treatment to larval source management.

This app should definitely help to better manage the many breeding habitats by e.g. recording and keeping track of all activities. 

"... Malaria kills 400,000 people yearly, most of whom are children under the age of five. ...

The pilot, in cooperation with São Tomé and Príncipe’s Health Ministry, was conducted in three of the country’s six districts. Using Zzapp’s technology, 50 field workers located almost 13,000 water bodies that served as mosquito breeding grounds.

The field workers then treated the identified areas to kill mosquito larvae (larvicide) ...

Managing mosquito larvae at the source was once a mainstay of malaria elimination strategy but was abandoned in Africa in favor of insecticidal nets and indoor residual spraying.

However, the study’s authors write, development of new technologies and mosquitoes’ growing resistance to insecticides has renewed interest in larval source management. ...
Zzapp’s technology has already been deployed in Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Mozambique, and now São Tomé and Príncipe ..."

From the abstract:

"Background

Once a mainstay of malaria elimination operations, larval source management (LSM)—namely, the treatment of mosquito breeding habitats–has been marginalized in Africa in favour of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) and indoor residual spraying (IRS). However, the development of new technologies, and mosquitoes' growing resistance to insecticides used in LLINs and IRS raise renewed interest in LSM.

Methods

A digitally managed larviciding (DML) operation in three of the seven districts of São Tomé and Príncipe (STP) was launched by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and ZzappMalaria LTD. The operation was guided by the Zzapp system, consisting of a designated GPS-based mobile application and an online dashboard, which facilitates the detection, sampling and treatment of mosquito breeding sites. During the operation, quality assurance (QA) procedures and field management methods were developed and implemented.

Results

12,788 water bodies were located and treated a total of 128,864 times. The reduction impact on mosquito population and on malaria incidence was 74.90% and 52.5%, respectively. The overall cost per person protected (PPP) was US$ 0.86. The cost varied between areas: US$ 0.44 PPP in the urban area, and US$ 1.41 PPP in the rural area. The main cost drivers were labour, transportation and larvicide material.

Conclusion

DML can yield highly cost-effective results, especially in urban areas. Digital tools facilitate standardization of operations, implementation of QA procedures and monitoring of fieldworkers’ performance. Digitally generated spatial data also have the potential to assist integrated vector management (IVM) operations. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a larger sample is needed to further substantiate findings."

Study finds AI-based approach cuts mosquito population 75% - ISRAEL21c Pilot project in Africa used Zzapp artificial intelligence to identify and help manage mosquito breeding habitats.

Digitally managed larviciding as a cost-effective intervention for urban malaria: operational lessons from a pilot in São Tomé and Príncipe guided by the Zzapp system (open access)

Screenshots from the Zzapp mobile application. Left: Map view during mapping activity showing areas previously visited by the fieldworker highlighted in yellow. The blue circle indicates the current location of the fieldworker, and blue droplet icons indicate water bodies previously reported.

Ghana first country in the world to approve 'world-changer' malaria vaccine R21 developed by University of Oxford

Good news!

"The vaccine - called R21 - appears to be hugely effective, in stark contrast to previous ventures in the same field.

Ghana's drug regulators have assessed the final trial data on the vaccine's safety and effectiveness, which is not yet public, and have decided to use it.

The World Health Organization is also considering approving the vaccine. ..."

"... The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is a low-dose vaccine that can be manufactured at mass scale and modest cost, enabling as many as hundreds of millions of doses to be supplied to African countries which are suffering a significant malaria burden. ..."

Ghana first to approve 'world-changer' malaria vaccine - BBC News Ghana is the first country to approve a new malaria vaccine that has been described as a "world-changer" by the scientists who developed it.

R21/Matrix-M™ malaria vaccine developed by University of Oxford receives regulatory clearance for use in Ghana The University of Oxford-developed and Serum Institute of India PvT Ltd (SIIPL)- manufactured and scaled up R21/Matrix-MTM malaria vaccine, leveraging Novavax’s adjuvant technology, has been licensed for use in Ghana by the country’s Food and Drugs Authority.

Rwanda will use more drones to fight mosquitoes

 Good news!

"To combat malaria Rwanda is scaling up its use of drones to map mosquito breeding sites and spray larvicides; the Rwanda Biomedical Center reported a 90% reduction in malaria cases in the Jabana Sector after 8 months of drone usage." (Source)

Promising malaria vaccine candidate proves its worth in a Phase II trial with over 80% efficacy

Good news!

When will we permanently eradicate blood suckers like mosquitos?

"... A malaria vaccine candidate that had previously shown great promise in human trials has just successfully passed a new trial stage with over 75% efficacy ..."

From the abstract:

"Background

... We previously reported the efficacy of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, which reached the WHO-specified goal of 75% or greater efficacy over 12 months in the target population of African children. Here, we report the safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy results at 12 months following administration of a booster vaccination.

Methods

This double-blind phase 1/2b randomised controlled trial was done in children aged 5–17 months in Nanoro, Burkina Faso. ... Vaccine safety, efficacy, and a potential correlate of efficacy with immunogenicity, measured as anti-NANP antibody titres, were evaluated over 1 year following the first booster vaccination. .... This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03896724), and is continuing for a further 2 years to assess both the potential value of additional booster vaccine doses and longer-term safety.

Findings

Between June 2, and July 2, 2020, 409 children returned to receive a booster vaccine. Each child received the same vaccination for the booster as they received in the primary series of vaccinations; 132 participants received 5 μg R21 adjuvanted with 25 μg Matrix-M, 137 received 5 μg R21 adjuvanted with 50 μg Matrix-M, and 140 received the control vaccine. R21/Matrix-M had a favourable safety profile and was well tolerated. Vaccine efficacy remained high in the high adjuvant dose (50 μg) group, similar to previous findings at 1 year after the primary series of vaccinations. ... Vaccine efficacy was 71% (95% CI 60 to 78) in the low-dose adjuvant group and 80% (72 to 85) in the high-dose adjuvant group. In the high-dose adjuvant group, vaccine efficacy against multiple episodes of malaria was 78% (95% CI 71 to 83), and 2285 (95% CI 1911 to 2568) cases of malaria were averted per 1000 child-years at risk among vaccinated children in the second year of follow-up. ...

A booster dose of R21/Matrix-M at 1 year following the primary three-dose regimen maintained high efficacy against first and multiple episodes of clinical malaria. Furthermore, the booster vaccine induced antibody concentrations that correlated with vaccine efficacy. The trial is ongoing to assess long-term follow-up of these participants and the value of further booster vaccinations."

Promising malaria vaccine candidate proves its worth in a Phase II trial with over 80% efficacy We are well on our way towards ending malaria.

Efficacy and immunogenicity of R21/Matrix-M vaccine against clinical malaria after 2 years' follow-up in children in Burkina Faso: a phase 1/2b randomised controlled trial (open access)

Affordable ‘World-changing’ malaria vaccine developed and tested

Good news! Mass production is already planned with a manufacturer in India.

New malaria vaccine could be world-changing

Good news! It is cheap too!

"The team expect it to be rolled out next year after trials showed up to 80% protection against the deadly disease.

Crucially, say the scientists, their vaccine is cheap and they already have a deal to manufacture more than 100 million doses a year. ...

Last year, the World Health Organization gave the historic go-ahead for the first vaccine - developed by pharmaceutical giant GSK - to be used in Africa.

However, the Oxford team claim their approach is more effective and can be manufactured on a far greater scale. ..."

From the abstract:

"... A booster dose of R21/Matrix-M at 1 year following the primary three-dose regimen maintained high efficacy against first and multiple episodes of clinical malaria. Furthermore, the booster vaccine induced antibody concentrations that correlated with vaccine efficacy. The trial is ongoing to assess long-term follow-up of these participants and the value of further booster vaccinations. ..."

New malaria vaccine is world-changing, say scientists - BBC News A malaria vaccine with "world-changing" potential has been developed by scientists at the University of Oxford.

Efficacy and immunogenicity of R21/Matrix-M vaccine against clinical malaria after 2 years' follow-up in children in Burkina Faso: a phase 1/2b randomised controlled trial (open access)

Credits: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Global Health NOW

After COVID, African countries vow to take the fight to malaria with $4 billion new funding

Good news! Compared to the hallucinated Climate Change alarmism, these are real and severe issues having affected billions of people for decades!

"More than US$4 billion of new funding has been pledged by African countries, international donors and pharmaceutical companies at an international summit held in Rwanda to end malaria and neglected tropical diseases. ...
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of 20 diseases including dengue, leprosy, yaws and trypanosomiasis, which affect mostly the poorest people, including women and children. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), at least 1.7 billion people worldwide are infected with at least one NTD each year. Until now, these diseases have received relatively little attention from funders. ...
Malaria, tuberculosis, HIV and NTDs have been on the rise in the past few years, largely because of disruptions in diagnosis and treatment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
At the same time, there was some encouraging news. “Even during the COVID pandemic, Bhutan and Sri Lanka remained malaria-free and several countries in southeast Asia remained on track towards malaria elimination" ...
Since 2015, the WHO has certified 9 countries as malaria-free, bringing the total to 40. ..."

After COVID, African countries vow to take the fight to malaria Donors pledge more than US$4 billion in renewed bid to cut new malaria cases by 90%.

Airobotics has teamed with Zzap Malaria on a 12-month project to eradicate Malaria in São Tomé and Príncipe

Good news! Let the private sector do the eradication of this age old scourge! Can we finally get rid of Malaria and perhaps mosquitos!

"Israeli drones maker Airobotics has signed an agreement with Zzap Malaria, a developer of AI-based software for locating standing water, with the aim of working towards eradication of of malaria on the African continent.

Zzap Malaria's system maps the territory concerned and devises strategies for dealing with stagnant water. Airobotics will supply Zzap Malaria with a system for a first commercial project due to start in 2022 and to last twelve months in São Tomé and Príncipe in Central Africa. ..."

Airobotics in malaria eradication project in Africa

Einziehen und renovieren: Wie sich Malariaparasiten in unseren Zellen einnisten

Good news! Malaria is history!

"... Zu diesem Zweck schleust [der Parasit] über 400 Proteine in die roten Blutkörperchen ein, wo sie die Eigenschaften der menschlichen Zellen verändern. Die Funktion vieler dieser Proteine ist noch unbekannt, aber eine Forschungsgruppe der JLU hat in Zusammenarbeit mit Forscherinnen und Forschern der Universität Heidelberg nun einen Durchbruch im Verständnis dieses Prozesses erzielt. „Durch die genetische Veränderung des Parasiten ist es uns gelungen, ein Protein zu identifizieren, das eine Schlüsselrolle in diesem Veränderungsprozess spielt“ ... „Wenn das Schlüsselproteins inaktiviert ist, wird die Fähigkeit des Parasiten, die Wirtszelle zu verändern, gehemmt.“ ... untersuchen dieses Protein bereits seit über zehn Jahren. Dass sie jetzt die entscheidenden Daten gewinnen konnten, liegt an methodischen Fortschritten. „Bislang war es kaum möglich, das Genom des Malaria-Parasiten zu manipulieren“, ... „In den vergangenen Jahren haben [Forscher] weltweit große Fortschritte bei der Entwicklung der Technologie gemacht, die uns diese Entdeckung ermöglicht hat.“ ..."

From the abstract:

"... Here we inactivate the function of one of these exported proteins, PFA66, a member of the J-domain protein family. Although parasites lacking this protein were still able to grow in cell culture, we observed severe defects in normal host cell modification, including aberrant morphology of surface knobs, disrupted presentation of the cytoadherence molecule PfEMP1, and a total lack of cytoadherence, despite the presence of the knob associated protein KAHRP. Complementation assays demonstrate that an intact J-domain is required for recovery to a wild-type phenotype and suggest that PFA66 functions in concert with a HSP70 to carry out host cell modification. Strikingly, this HSP70 is likely to be of host origin. ATPase assays on recombinant protein verify a functional interaction between PFA66 and residual host cell HSP70. Taken together, our data reveal a role for PFA66 in host cell modification, strongly implicate human HSP70s as being essential in this process and uncover a new KAHRP-independent molecular factor required for correct knob biogenesis."

Einziehen und renovieren: Wie sich Malariaparasiten in unseren Zellen einnisten — Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen Forschungsteam der Universitäten Gießen und Heidelberg identifiziert Schlüsselprotein als potenzielle Achillesferse des Parasiten – Neuer Ansatz für die Entwicklung von Anti-Malaria-Therapien

Co-chaperone involvement in knob biogenesis implicates host-derived chaperones in malaria virulence (open access)