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Duffy S, Avery VM. Naturally Acquired Kelch13 Mutations in Plasmodium falciparum Strains Modulate In Vitro Ring-Stage Artemisinin-Based Drug Tolerance and Parasite Survival in Response to Hyperoxia. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0128221. [PMID: 36094220 PMCID: PMC9602862 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.01282-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The ring-stage survival assay was utilized to assess the impact of physiological hyperoxic stress on dihydroartemisinin (DHA) tolerance for a panel of Plasmodium falciparum strains with and without Kelch13 mutations. Strains without naturally acquired Kelch13 mutations or the postulated genetic background associated with delayed parasite clearance time demonstrated reduced proliferation under hyperoxic conditions in the subsequent proliferation cycle. Dihydroartemisinin tolerance in three isolates with naturally acquired Kelch13 mutations but not two genetically manipulated laboratory strains was modulated by in vitro hyperoxic stress exposure of early-ring-stage parasites in the cycle before drug exposure. Reduced parasite tolerance to additional derivatives, including artemisinin, artesunate, and OZ277, was observed within the second proliferation cycle. OZ439 and epoxomicin completely prevented parasite survival under both hyperoxia and normoxic in vitro culture conditions, highlighting the unique relationship between DHA tolerance and Kelch13 mutation-associated genetic background. IMPORTANCE Artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for treating malaria is under intense scrutiny following treatment failures in the Greater Mekong subregion of Asia. This is further compounded by the potential for extensive loss of life if treatment failures extend to the African continent. Although Plasmodium falciparum has become resistant to all antimalarial drugs, artemisinin "resistance" does not present in the same way as resistance to other antimalarial drugs. Instead, a partial resistance or tolerance is demonstrated, associated with the parasite's genetic profile and linked to a molecular marker referred to as K13. It is suggested that parasites may have adapted to drug treatment, as well as the presence of underlying population health issues such as hemoglobinopathies, and/or environmental pressures, resulting in parasite tolerance to ACT. Understanding parasite evolution and control of artemisinin tolerance will provide innovative approaches to mitigate the development of artemisinin tolerance and thereby artemisinin-based drug treatment failure and loss of life globally to malaria infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Duffy
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
| | - Vicky M. Avery
- Discovery Biology, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia
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202
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Carrasquilla M, Drammeh NF, Rawat M, Sanderson T, Zenonos Z, Rayner JC, Lee MCS. Barcoding Genetically Distinct Plasmodium falciparum Strains for Comparative Assessment of Fitness and Antimalarial Drug Resistance. mBio 2022; 13:e0093722. [PMID: 35972144 PMCID: PMC9600763 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00937-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The repeated emergence of antimalarial drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum, including to the current frontline antimalarial artemisinin, is a perennial problem for malaria control. Next-generation sequencing has greatly accelerated the identification of polymorphisms in resistance-associated genes but has also highlighted the need for more sensitive and accurate laboratory tools to profile current and future antimalarials and to quantify the impact of drug resistance acquisition on parasite fitness. The interplay of fitness and drug response is of fundamental importance in understanding why particular genetic backgrounds are better at driving the evolution of drug resistance in natural populations, but the impact of parasite fitness landscapes on the epidemiology of drug resistance has typically been laborious to accurately quantify in the lab, with assays being limited in accuracy and throughput. Here we present a scalable method to profile fitness and drug response of genetically distinct P. falciparum strains with well-described sensitivities to several antimalarials. We leverage CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing and barcode sequencing to track unique barcodes integrated into a nonessential gene (pfrh3). We validate this approach in multiplex competitive growth assays of three strains with distinct geographical origins. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this method can be a powerful approach for tracking artemisinin response as it can identify an artemisinin resistant strain within a mix of multiple parasite lines, suggesting an approach for scaling the laborious ring-stage survival assay across libraries of barcoded parasite lines. Overall, we present a novel high-throughput method for multiplexed competitive growth assays to evaluate parasite fitness and drug response. IMPORTANCE The complex interplay between antimalarial resistance and parasite fitness has important implications for understanding the development and spread of drug resistance alleles and the impact of genetic background on transmission. One limitation with current methodologies to measure parasite fitness is the ability to scale this beyond simple head-to-head competition experiments between a wildtype control line and test line, with a need for a scalable approach that allows tracking of parasite growth in complex mixtures. In our study, we have used CRISPR editing to insert unique DNA barcodes into a safe-harbor genomic locus to tag multiple parasite strains and use next-generation sequencing to read out strain dynamics. We observe inherent fitness differences between the strains, as well as sensitive modulation of responses to challenge with clinically relevant antimalarials, including artemisinin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela Carrasquilla
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ndey F. Drammeh
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Banjul, The Gambia
| | - Mukul Rawat
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
| | - Theo Sanderson
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- The Francis Crick Institute, London, United Kingdom
| | - Zenon Zenonos
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Biologics Engineering, Early Oncology, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Julian C. Rayner
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marcus C. S. Lee
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, United Kingdom
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203
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Decreased susceptibility of Plasmodium falciparum to both dihydroartemisinin and lumefantrine in northern Uganda. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6353. [PMID: 36289202 PMCID: PMC9605985 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33873-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin partial resistance may facilitate selection of Plasmodium falciparum resistant to combination therapy partner drugs. We evaluated 99 P. falciparum isolates collected in 2021 from northern Uganda, where resistance-associated PfK13 C469Y and A675V mutations have emerged, and eastern Uganda, where these mutations are uncommon. With the ex vivo ring survival assay, isolates with the 469Y mutation (median survival 7.3% for mutant, 2.5% mixed, and 1.4% wild type) and/or mutations in Pfcoronin or falcipain-2a, had significantly greater survival; all isolates with survival >5% had mutations in at least one of these proteins. With ex vivo growth inhibition assays, susceptibility to lumefantrine (median IC50 14.6 vs. 6.9 nM, p < 0.0001) and dihydroartemisinin (2.3 vs. 1.5 nM, p = 0.003) was decreased in northern vs. eastern Uganda; 14/49 northern vs. 0/38 eastern isolates had lumefantrine IC50 > 20 nM (p = 0.0002). Targeted sequencing of 819 isolates from 2015-21 identified multiple polymorphisms associated with altered drug susceptibility, notably PfK13 469Y with decreased susceptibility to lumefantrine (p = 6 × 10-8) and PfCRT mutations with chloroquine resistance (p = 1 × 10-20). Our results raise concern regarding activity of artemether-lumefantrine, the first-line antimalarial in Uganda.
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204
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Genome-wide functional screening of drug-resistance genes in Plasmodium falciparum. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6163. [PMID: 36257944 PMCID: PMC9579134 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33804-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The global spread of drug resistance is a major obstacle to the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The identification of drug-resistance genes is an essential step toward solving the problem of drug resistance. Here, we report functional screening as a new approach with which to identify drug-resistance genes in P. falciparum. Specifically, a high-coverage genomic library of a drug-resistant strain is directly generated in a drug-sensitive strain, and the resistance gene is then identified from this library using drug screening. In a pilot experiment using the strain Dd2, the known chloroquine-resistant gene pfcrt is identified using the developed approach, which proves our experimental concept. Furthermore, we identify multidrug-resistant transporter 7 (pfmdr7) as a novel candidate for a mefloquine-resistance gene from a field-isolated parasite; we suggest that its upregulation possibly confers the mefloquine resistance. These results show the usefulness of functional screening as means by which to identify drug-resistance genes.
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205
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Zhao W, Li X, Yang Q, Zhou L, Duan M, Pan M, Qin Y, Li X, Wang X, Zeng W, Zhao H, Sun K, Zhu W, Afrane Y, Amoah LE, Abuaku B, Duah-Quashie NO, Huang Y, Cui L, Yang Z. In vitro susceptibility profile of Plasmodium falciparum clinical isolates from Ghana to antimalarial drugs and polymorphisms in resistance markers. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1015957. [PMID: 36310880 PMCID: PMC9614232 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1015957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum compromises the effectiveness of antimalarial therapy. This study aimed to evaluate the extent of drug resistance in parasites obtained from international travelers returning from Ghana to guide the management of malaria cases. Eighty-two clinical parasite isolates were obtained from patients returning from Ghana in 2016–2018, of which 29 were adapted to continuous in vitro culture. Their geometric mean IC50 values to a panel of 11 antimalarial drugs, assessed using the standard SYBR Green-I drug sensitivity assay, were 2.1, 3.8, 1.0, 2.7, 17.2, 4.6, 8.3, 8.3, 19.6, 55.1, and 11,555 nM for artemether, artesunate, dihydroartemisinin, lumefantrine, mefloquine, piperaquine, naphthoquine, pyronaridine, chloroquine, quinine, and pyrimethamine, respectively. Except for chloroquine and pyrimethamine, the IC50 values for other tested drugs were below the resistance threshold. The mean ring-stage survival assay value was 0.8%, with four isolates exceeding 1%. The mean piperaquine survival assay value was 2.1%, all below 10%. Mutations associated with chloroquine resistance (pfcrt K76T and pfmdr1 N86Y) were scarce, consistent with the discontinuation of chloroquine a decade ago. Instead, the pfmdr1 86N-184F-1246D haplotype was predominant, suggesting selection by the extensive use of artemether-lumefantrine. No mutations in the pfk13 propeller domain were detected. The pfdhfr/pfdhps quadruple mutant IRNGK associated with resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine reached an 82% prevalence. In addition, five isolates had pfgch1 gene amplification but, intriguingly, increased susceptibilities to pyrimethamine. This study showed that parasites originating from Ghana were susceptible to artemisinins and the partner drugs of artemisinin-based combination therapies. Genotyping drug resistance genes identified the signature of selection by artemether-lumefantrine. Parasites showed substantial levels of resistance to the antifolate drugs. Continuous resistance surveillance is necessary to guide timely changes in drug policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xinxin Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Qi Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Longcan Zhou
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanglin County People’s Hospital, Guangxi, China
| | - Mengxi Duan
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Maohua Pan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanglin County People’s Hospital, Guangxi, China
| | - Yucheng Qin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shanglin County People’s Hospital, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiaosong Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xun Wang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Weilin Zeng
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Hui Zhao
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Kemin Sun
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Wenya Zhu
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yaw Afrane
- Department of Medical Microbiology, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Linda Eva Amoah
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Benjamin Abuaku
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Nancy Odurowah Duah-Quashie
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Yaming Huang
- Department of Protozoan Diseases, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Nanning, China
| | - Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Zhaoqing Yang, ; Liwang Cui,
| | - Zhaoqing Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
- *Correspondence: Zhaoqing Yang, ; Liwang Cui,
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206
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Duah-Quashie NO, Opoku-Agyeman P, Bruku S, Adams T, Tandoh KZ, Ennuson NA, Matrevi SA, Abuaku B, Quashie NB, Watters C, Wolfe D, Quijada HM, Sanders T. Genetic deletions and high diversity of Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich proteins 2 and 3 genes in parasite populations in Ghana. FRONTIERS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY 2022; 2:1011938. [PMID: 38455301 PMCID: PMC10911008 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2022.1011938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are used to diagnose malaria in Ghana and other malaria endemic countries. Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (PFHRP2) based RDTs are widely used, however the occurrence of deletions of the pfhrp2 gene in some parasites have resulted in false negative test results. Monoclonal antibodies of PFHRP2 cross reacts with PFHRP3 because they share structural similarities and this complements the detection of the parasites by RDT. These two genes were investigated in Ghanaian P. falciparum parasite population to detect deletions and the polymorphisms in exon 2 of the pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 genes. Parasite isolates (2,540) from children ≤ 12 years with uncomplicated malaria from 2015 to 2020 transmission seasons were used. Both genes were amplified using nested PCR and negative results indicated the presence of the deletion of genes. Amplified genes were sequenced for the detection of the amino acid repeats. Deletions were observed in 30.7% (780/2,540) and 17.2% (438/2,540) of the samples for pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 respectively with increasing trends over the three time periods (χ2 -10.305, p = 0.001). A total of 1,632 amplicons were sequenced for each gene, analysis was done on 1,124 and 1,307 good quality sequences for pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 respectively. Pfhrp2 repeat polymorphisms were dominantly of types 2 (AHHAHHAAD) and 7 (AHHAAD) with large numbers of variants. A novel variant of type 14 (AHHANHATD) was seen for pfhrp2. For the pfhrp3 repeat types, 16 (AHHAAN), 17 (AHHDG) and 18 (AHHDD) were the dominant types observed. Variants of type 16 (AHHAAH) and (AHHASH) were also dominant. Repeat types 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13, 15, 16, and 19 were observed be shared by both genes. The haplotype diversity of both genes ranged between 0.872 and 1 indicating high diversity of the polymorphisms in the isolates. The implication of the findings of the frequencies of the pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletions as well as the variants of the main epitopes of the monoclonal antibodies for the RDT (types 2 and 7) in our isolates is an indication of decreased sensitivity of the RDTs in diagnosing malaria infections in Ghana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Odurowah Duah-Quashie
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Philip Opoku-Agyeman
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Selassie Bruku
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Tryphena Adams
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwesi Zandoh Tandoh
- West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Nana Aba Ennuson
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Sena Adzoa Matrevi
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Benjamin Abuaku
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Neils Ben Quashie
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Chaselynn Watters
- US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Ghana Detachment, Accra, Ghana
| | - David Wolfe
- US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Ghana Detachment, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Terrel Sanders
- US Naval Medical Research Unit No. 3, Ghana Detachment, Accra, Ghana
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207
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Cui L, Sattabongkot J, Aung PL, Brashear A, Cao Y, Kaewkungwal J, Khamsiriwatchara A, Kyaw MP, Lawpoolsri S, Menezes L, Miao J, Nguitragool W, Parker D, Phuanukoonnon S, Roobsoong W, Siddiqui F, Soe MT, Sriwichai P, Yang Z, Zhao Y, Zhong D. Multidisciplinary Investigations of Sustained Malaria Transmission in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 107:138-151. [PMID: 36228909 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
In the course of malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), malaria epidemiology has experienced drastic spatiotemporal changes with residual transmission concentrated along international borders and the rising predominance of Plasmodium vivax. The emergence of Plasmodium falciparum parasites resistant to artemisinin and partner drugs renders artemisinin-based combination therapies less effective while the potential spread of multidrug-resistant parasites elicits concern. Vector behavioral changes and insecticide resistance have reduced the effectiveness of core vector control measures. In recognition of these problems, the Southeast Asian International Center of Excellence for Malaria Research (ICEMR) has been conducting multidisciplinary research to determine how human migration, antimalarial drug resistance, vector behavior, and insecticide resistance sustain malaria transmission at international borders. These efforts allow us to comprehensively understand the ecology of border malaria transmission and develop population genomics tools to identify and track parasite introduction. In addition to employing in vivo, in vitro, and molecular approaches to monitor the emergence and spread of drug-resistant parasites, we also use genomic and genetic methods to reveal novel mechanisms of antimalarial drug resistance of parasites. We also use omics and population genetics approaches to study insecticide resistance in malaria vectors and identify changes in mosquito community structure, vectorial potential, and seasonal dynamics. Collectively, the scientific findings from the ICEMR research activities offer a systematic view of the factors sustaining residual malaria transmission and identify potential solutions to these problems to accelerate malaria elimination in the GMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liwang Cui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | | | | | - Awtum Brashear
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Yaming Cao
- Department of Immunology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Lynette Menezes
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Jun Miao
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Wang Nguitragool
- Mahidol Vivax Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Daniel Parker
- Department of Epidemiology, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
| | | | | | - Faiza Siddiqui
- Department of Internal Medicine, Morsani College of Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida
| | - Myat Thu Soe
- Myanmar Health Network Organization, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Patchara Sriwichai
- Department of Medical Entomology, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Zhaoqing Yang
- Department of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yan Zhao
- Department of Immunology, China Medical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Daibin Zhong
- Program in Public Health, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, California
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208
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Coulibaly A, Diop MF, Kone A, Dara A, Ouattara A, Mulder N, Miotto O, Diakite M, Djimde A, Amambua-Ngwa A. Genome-wide SNP analysis of Plasmodium falciparum shows differentiation at drug-resistance-associated loci among malaria transmission settings in southern Mali. Front Genet 2022; 13:943445. [PMID: 36267403 PMCID: PMC9576839 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.943445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria cases in Africa represent over 90% of the global burden with Mali being amongst the 11 highest burden countries that account for 70% of this annual incidence. The persistence of P. falciparum despite massive global interventions is because of its genetic diversity that drives its ability to adapt to environmental changes, develop resistance to drugs, and evade the host immune system. Knowledge on P. falciparum genetic diversity across populations and intervention landscape is thus critical for the implementation of new strategies to eliminate malaria. This study assessed genetic variation with 12,177 high-quality SNPs from 830 Malian P. falciparum isolates collected between 2007 and 2017 from seven locations. The complexity of infections remained high, varied between sites, and showed a trend toward overall decreasing complexity over the decade. Though there was no significant substructure, allele frequencies varied geographically, partly driven by temporal variance in sampling, particularly for drug resistance and antigen loci. Thirty-two mutations in known drug resistance markers (pfcrt, pfdhps, pfdhfr, pfmdr1, pfmdr2, and pfk13) attained a frequency of at least 2% in the populations. SNPs within and around the major markers of resistance to quinolines (pfmdr1 and pfcrt) and antifolates (pfdhfr and pfdhps) varied temporally and geographically, with strong linkage disequilibrium and signatures of directional selection in the genome. These geo-temporal populations also differentiated at alleles in immune-related loci, including, protein E140, pfsurfin8, pfclag8, and pfceltos, as well as pftrap, which showed signatures of haplotype differentiation between populations. Several regions across the genomes, including five known drug resistance loci, showed signatures of differential positive selection. These results suggest that drugs and immune pressure are dominant selective forces against P. falciparum in Mali, but their effect on the parasite genome varies temporally and spatially. Interventions interacting with these genomic variants need to be routinely evaluated as malaria elimination strategies are implemented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aoua Coulibaly
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Science, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
- Computational Biology Division, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mouhamadou Fadel Diop
- Disease Control and Elimination, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, Banjul, Gambia
| | - Aminatou Kone
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Science, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Antoine Dara
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Science, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Amed Ouattara
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Science, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
- University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Nicola Mulder
- Computational Biology Division, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Olivo Miotto
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mahamadou Diakite
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Science, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Abdoulaye Djimde
- Malaria Research and Training Center, University of Science, Techniques, and Technologies of Bamako, Bamako, Mali
| | - Alfred Amambua-Ngwa
- Disease Control and Elimination, Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at LSHTM, Banjul, Gambia
- *Correspondence: Alfred Amambua-Ngwa,
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209
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Villena FE, Sanchez JF, Nolasco O, Braga G, Ricopa L, Barazorda K, Salas CJ, Lucas C, Lizewski SE, Joya CA, Gamboa D, Delgado-Ratto C, Valdivia HO. Drug resistance and population structure of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax in the Peruvian Amazon. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16474. [PMID: 36182962 PMCID: PMC9526214 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21028-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is a major health problem in Peru despite substantial progress achieved by the ongoing malaria elimination program. This study explored the population genetics of 63 Plasmodium falciparum and 170 P. vivax cases collected in the Peruvian Amazon Basin between 2015 and 2019. Microscopy and PCR were used for malaria detection and positive samples were genotyped at neutral and drug resistance-associated regions. The P. falciparum population exhibited a low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.02) whereas the P. vivax population presented a higher genetic diversity (π = 0.34). All P. falciparum samples (n = 63) carried chloroquine (CQ) resistant mutations on Pfcrt. Most P. falciparum samples (53 out of 54) carried sulfadoxine (SD) resistant mutations on Pfdhfr and Pfdhps. No evidence was found of artemisinin resistance mutations on kelch13. Population structure showed that a single cluster accounted for 93.4% of the P. falciparum samples whereas three clusters were found for P. vivax. Our study shows a low genetic diversity for both species with significant differences in genetic sub-structuring. The high prevalence of CQ-resistance mutations could be a result of indirect selection pressures driven by the P. vivax treatment scheme. These results could be useful for public health authorities to safeguard the progress that Peru has achieved towards malaria elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Juan F Sanchez
- Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Lima, Peru
| | - Oscar Nolasco
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, 31, Peru
| | - Greys Braga
- Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Lima, Peru
| | | | | | - Carola J Salas
- Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Lima, Peru
| | - Carmen Lucas
- Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Lima, Peru
| | - Stephen E Lizewski
- Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Lima, Peru
| | - Christie A Joya
- Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Lima, Peru
| | - Dionicia Gamboa
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, 31, Peru.,Departamento de Ciencias Celulares y Moleculares, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, 31, Peru
| | - Christopher Delgado-Ratto
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander Von Humboldt, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, 31, Peru.,Malaria Research Group (MaRCH), Global Health Institute, University of Antwerp, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Hugo O Valdivia
- Department of Parasitology, U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit No. 6 (NAMRU-6), Lima, Peru.
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210
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Jiang X. An overview of the Plasmodium falciparum hexose transporter and its therapeutic interventions. Proteins 2022; 90:1766-1778. [PMID: 35445447 PMCID: PMC9790349 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite intense elimination efforts, human malaria, caused by the infection of five Plasmodium species, remains the deadliest parasitic disease in the world. Even worse, with the emergence and spreading of the first-line drug-resistant Plasmodium parasites, therapeutic interventions based on novel plasmodial drug targets are more necessary than ever. Given that the blood-stage parasites primarily rely on glycolysis for their energy supply, blocking glucose uptake, the rate-limiting step of ATP generation, was considered a promising approach to kill these parasites. To achieve this goal, characterization of the plasmodial hexose transporter and development of selective inhibitors have been pursued for decades. Here, we review the identification and characterization of the Plasmodium falciparum hexose transporter (PfHT1) and summarize current advances in its inhibitor development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Jiang
- School of Biotechnology and Biomolecular Sciencesthe University of New South WalesSydneyNew South Wales
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211
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Hanboonkunupakarn B, Tarning J, Pukrittayakamee S, Chotivanich K. Artemisinin resistance and malaria elimination: Where are we now? Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:876282. [PMID: 36210819 PMCID: PMC9538393 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.876282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of artemisinin resistance is a major obstacle to the global malaria eradication/elimination programs. Artemisinin is a very fast-acting antimalarial drug and is the most important drug in the treatment of severe and uncomplicated malaria. For the treatment of acute uncomplicated falciparum malaria, artemisinin derivatives are combined with long half-life partner drugs and widely used as artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs). Some ACTs have shown decreased efficacy in the Southeast Asian region. Fortunately, artemisinin has an excellent safety profile and resistant infections can still be treated successfully by modifying the ACT. This review describes the pharmacological properties of ACTs, mechanisms of artemisinin resistance and the potential changes needed in the treatment regimens to overcome resistance. The suggested ACT modifications are extension of the duration of the ACT course, alternating use of different ACT regimens, and addition of another antimalarial drug to the standard ACTs (Triple-ACT). Furthermore, a malaria vaccine (e.g., RTS,S vaccine) could be added to mass drug administration (MDA) campaigns to enhance the treatment efficacy and to prevent further artemisinin resistance development. This review concludes that artemisinin remains the most important antimalarial drug, despite the development of drug-resistant falciparum malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Borimas Hanboonkunupakarn
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Joel Tarning
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Sasithon Pukrittayakamee
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- The Royal Society of Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Kesinee Chotivanich
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- The Royal Society of Thailand, Bangkok, Thailand
- *Correspondence: Kesinee Chotivanich,
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212
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Kanatani S, Elahi R, Kanchanabhogin S, Vartak N, Tripathi AK, Prigge ST, Sinnis P. Screening the Pathogen Box for Inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum Sporozoite Motility Reveals a Critical Role for Kinases in Transmission Stages. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0041822. [PMID: 35943271 PMCID: PMC9487509 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00418-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
As the malaria parasite becomes resistant to every drug that we develop, the identification and development of novel drug candidates are essential. Many studies have screened compounds designed to target the clinically important blood stages. However, if we are to shrink the malaria map, new drugs that block the transmission of the parasite are needed. Sporozoites are the infective stage of the malaria parasite, transmitted to the mammalian host as mosquitoes probe for blood. Sporozoite motility is critical to their ability to exit the inoculation site and establish infection, and drug-like compounds targeting motility are effective at blocking infection in the rodent malaria model. In this study, we established a moderate-throughput motility assay for sporozoites of the human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum, enabling us to screen the 400 drug-like compounds from the pathogen box provided by the Medicines for Malaria Venture for their activity. Compounds exhibiting inhibitory effects on P. falciparum sporozoite motility were further assessed for transmission-blocking activity and asexual-stage growth. Five compounds had a significant inhibitory effect on P. falciparum sporozoite motility in the nanomolar range. Using membrane feeding assays, we demonstrate that four of these compounds had inhibitory activity against the transmission of P. falciparum to the mosquito. Interestingly, of the four compounds with inhibitory activity against both transmission stages, three are known kinase inhibitors. Together with a previous study that found that several of these compounds could inhibit asexual blood-stage parasite growth, our findings provide new antimalarial drug candidates that have multistage activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sachie Kanatani
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Rubayet Elahi
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sukanat Kanchanabhogin
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Natasha Vartak
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Abhai K. Tripathi
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Sean T. Prigge
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Photini Sinnis
- W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
- Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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213
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Lek D, Rachmat A, Harrison D, Chin G, Chaoratanakawee S, Saunders D, Menard D, Rogers WO. Efficacy of three anti-malarial regimens for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Cambodia, 2009-2011: a randomized controlled trial and brief review. Malar J 2022; 21:259. [PMID: 36071520 PMCID: PMC9450427 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04279-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anti-malarial resistance remains an important public health challenge in Cambodia. The effectiveness of three therapies for uncomplicated falciparum malaria was evaluated in Oddar Meanchey province in Northern Cambodia from 2009 to 2011. METHODS In this randomized, open-label, parallel group-controlled trial, 211 subjects at least 5 years old with uncomplicated falciparum malaria were treated with 3 days of directly observed therapy: 63 received artesunate-mefloquine (AS/MQ), 77 received dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA/PPQ), and 71 received atovaquone-proguanil (ATQ/PG). The subjects were followed for 42 days or until recurrent parasitaemia. Genotyping of msp1, msp2, and glurp among individual parasite isolates distinguished recrudescence from reinfection. Pfmdr1 copy number was measured by real-time PCR and half-maximal parasite inhibitory concentrations (IC50) were measured in vitro by 48-h isotopic hypoxanthine incorporation assay. RESULTS The per-protocol PCR-adjusted efficacy (95% confidence interval) at 42 days was 80.6% (70.8-90.5%) for AS/MQ, 97.2% (93.3-100%) for DHA/PPQ, and 92.9% (86.1-99.6%) for ATQ/PG. On day 3, 57.9% remained parasitaemic in the AS/MQ and DHA/PPQ arms. At baseline, 46.9% had microscopic Plasmodium falciparum gametocytaemia. Both recurrences in the DHA/PPQ arm lost Pfmdr1 copy number amplification at recrudescence. All four recurrences in the ATQ/PG arm were wild-type for cytochrome bc1. One subject withdrew from the ATQ/PG arm due to drug allergy. CONCLUSIONS This study was conducted at the epicentre of substantial multi-drug resistance that emerged soon thereafter. Occurring early in the national transition from AS/MQ to DHA/PPQ, both DHA/PPQ and ATQ/PG had acceptable efficacy against uncomplicated falciparum malaria. However, efficacy of AS/MQ was only 80% with apparent mefloquine resistance based on elevated Pfmdr1 copy number and IC50. By 2009, there was already significant evidence of artemisinin resistance not previously reported at the Northern Cambodia-Thai border. This study suggests the basis for early development of significant DHA/PPQ failures within 3 years of introduction. Artemisinin resistance likely occurred on the Northern border concurrently with that reported along the Western border in Pailin. Trial registration This legacy trial was conducted prior to International Committee of Medical Journal Editors' requirements for preregistration on ClinicalTrials.gov. The full protocol has been provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dysoley Lek
- National Centre for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
| | - Agus Rachmat
- U.S. Naval Medical Research Unit 2, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
| | | | - Geoffrey Chin
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - David Saunders
- Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Mace KE, Lucchi NW, Tan KR. Malaria Surveillance — United States, 2018. MMWR. SURVEILLANCE SUMMARIES 2022; 71:1-35. [PMID: 36048717 PMCID: PMC9470224 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.ss7108a1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Problem/Condition Malaria in humans is caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa of the genus Plasmodium. These parasites are transmitted by the bite of an infective female Anopheles species mosquito. Most malaria infections in the United States and its territories occur among persons who have traveled to regions with ongoing malaria transmission. However, among persons who have not traveled out of the country, malaria is occasionally acquired through exposure to infected blood or tissues, congenital transmission, nosocomial exposure, or local mosquitoborne transmission. Malaria surveillance in the United States and its territories provides information on its occurrence (e.g., temporal, geographic, and demographic), guides prevention and treatment recommendations for travelers and patients, and facilitates rapid transmission control measures if locally acquired cases are identified. Period Covered This report summarizes confirmed malaria cases in persons with onset of illness in 2018 and trends in previous years. Description of System Malaria cases diagnosed by blood smear microscopy, polymerase chain reaction, or rapid diagnostic tests are reported to local and state health departments through electronic laboratory reports or by health care providers or laboratory staff members directly reporting to CDC or health departments. Case investigations are conducted by local and state health departments, and reports are transmitted to CDC through the National Malaria Surveillance System (NMSS), the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS), or direct CDC clinical consultations. CDC reference laboratories provide diagnostic assistance and conduct antimalarial drug resistance marker testing on blood specimens submitted by health care providers or local or state health departments. This report summarizes data from the integration of all cases from NMSS and NNDSS, CDC clinical consultations, and CDC reference laboratory reports. Results CDC received reports of 1,823 confirmed malaria cases with onset of symptoms in 2018, including one cryptic case and one case acquired through a bone marrow transplant. The number of cases reported in 2018 is 15.6% fewer than in 2017. The number of cases diagnosed in the United States and its territories has been increasing since the mid-1970s; the number of cases reported in 2017 was the highest since 1972. Of the cases in 2018, a total of 1,519 (85.0%) were imported cases that originated from Africa; 1,061 (69.9%) of the cases from Africa were from West Africa, a similar proportion to what was observed in 2017. Among all cases, P. falciparum accounted for most infections (1,273 [69.8%]), followed by P. vivax (173 [9.5%]), P. ovale (95 [5.2%]), and P. malariae (48 [2.6%]). For the first time since 2008, an imported case of P. knowlesi was identified in the United States and its territories. Infections by two or more species accounted for 17 cases (<1.0%). The infecting species was not reported or was undetermined in 216 cases (11.9%). Most patients (92.6%) had symptom onset <90 days after returning to the United States or its territories from a country with malaria transmission. Of the U.S. civilian patients who reported reason for travel, 77.0% were visiting friends and relatives. Chemoprophylaxis with antimalarial medications are recommended for U.S. residents to prevent malaria while traveling in countries where it is endemic. Fewer U.S. residents with imported malaria reported taking any malaria chemoprophylaxis in 2018 (24.5%) than in 2017 (28.4%), and adherence was poor among those who took chemoprophylaxis. Among the 864 U.S. residents with malaria for whom information on chemoprophylaxis use and travel region were known, 95.0% did not adhere to or did not take a CDC-recommended chemoprophylaxis regimen. Among 683 women with malaria, 19 reported being pregnant. Of these, 11 pregnant women were U.S. residents, and one of whom reported taking chemoprophylaxis to prevent malaria but her adherence to chemoprophylaxis was not reported. Thirty-eight (2.1%) malaria cases occurred among U.S. military personnel in 2018, more than in 2017 (26 [1.2%]). Among all reported malaria cases in 2018, a total of 251 (13.8%) were classified as severe malaria illness, and seven persons died from malaria. In 2018, CDC analyzed 106 P. falciparum-positive and four P. falciparum mixed species specimens for antimalarial resistance markers (although certain loci were untestable in some specimens); identification of genetic polymorphisms associated with resistance to pyrimethamine were found in 99 (98.0%), to sulfadoxine in 49 (49.6%), to chloroquine in 50 (45.5%), and to mefloquine in two (2.0%); no specimens tested contained a marker for atovaquone or artemisinin resistance. Interpretation The importation of malaria reflects the overall trends in global travel to and from areas where malaria is endemic, and 15.6% fewer cases were imported in 2018 compared with 2017. Of imported cases, 59.3% were among persons who had traveled from West Africa. Among U.S. civilians, visiting friends and relatives was the most common reason for travel (77.1%). Public Health Actions The best way for U.S. residents to prevent malaria is to take chemoprophylaxis medication before, during, and after travel to a country where malaria is endemic. Adherence to recommended malaria prevention strategies among U.S. travelers would reduce the number of imported cases. Reported reasons for nonadherence include prematurely stopping after leaving the area where malaria was endemic, forgetting to take the medication, and experiencing a side effect. Health care providers can make travelers aware of the risks posed by malaria and incorporate education to motivate them to be adherent to chemoprophylaxis. Malaria infections can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated promptly with antimalarial medications appropriate for the patient’s age, pregnancy status, medical history, the likely country of malaria acquisition, and previous use of antimalarial chemoprophylaxis. Antimalarial use for chemoprophylaxis and treatment should be determined by the CDC guidelines, which are frequently updated. In April 2019, intravenous (IV) artesunate became the first-line medication for treatment of severe malaria in the United States and its territories. Artesunate was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2020 and is commercially available (Artesunate for Injection) from major U.S. drug distributors (https://amivas.com). Stocking IV artesunate locally allows for immediate treatment of severe malaria once diagnosed and provides patients with the best chance of a complete recovery and no sequelae. With commercial IV artesunate now available, CDC will discontinue distribution of non–FDA-approved IV artesunate under an investigational new drug protocol on September 30, 2022. Detailed recommendations for preventing malaria are online at https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/travelers/drugs.html. Malaria diagnosis and treatment recommendations are also available online at https://www.cdc.gov/malaria/diagnosis_treatment. Health care providers who have sought urgent infectious disease consultation and require additional assistance on diagnosis and treatment of malaria can call the Malaria Hotline 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday–Friday, at 770-488-7788 or 855-856-4713 or after hours for urgent inquiries at 770-488-7100. Persons submitting malaria case reports (care providers, laboratories, and state and local public health officials) should provide complete information because incomplete reporting compromises case investigations and public health efforts to prevent future infections and examine trends in malaria cases. Molecular surveillance of antimalarial drug resistance markers enables CDC to track, guide treatment, and manage drug resistance in malaria parasites both domestically and globally. A greater proportion of specimens from domestic malaria cases are needed to improve the completeness of antimalarial drug resistance analysis; therefore, CDC requests that blood specimens be submitted for any case of malaria diagnosed in the United States and its territories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly E. Mace
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | - Naomi W. Lucchi
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, CDC
| | - Kathrine R. Tan
- Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Center for Global Health, CDC
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Watson OJ, Gao B, Nguyen TD, Tran TNA, Penny MA, Smith DL, Okell L, Aguas R, Boni MF. Pre-existing partner-drug resistance to artemisinin combination therapies facilitates the emergence and spread of artemisinin resistance: a consensus modelling study. THE LANCET MICROBE 2022; 3:e701-e710. [PMID: 35931099 PMCID: PMC9436785 DOI: 10.1016/s2666-5247(22)00155-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Artemisinin-resistant genotypes of Plasmodium falciparum have now emerged a minimum of six times on three continents despite recommendations that all artemisinins be deployed as artemisinin combination therapies (ACTs). Widespread resistance to the non-artemisinin partner drugs in ACTs has the potential to limit the clinical and resistance benefits provided by combination therapy. We aimed to model and evaluate the long-term effects of high levels of partner-drug resistance on the early emergence of artemisinin-resistant genotypes. METHODS Using a consensus modelling approach, we used three individual-based mathematical models of Plasmodium falciparum transmission to evaluate the effects of pre-existing partner-drug resistance and ACT deployment on the evolution of artemisinin resistance. Each model simulates 100 000 individuals in a particular transmission setting (malaria prevalence of 1%, 5%, 10%, or 20%) with a daily time step that updates individuals' infection status, treatment status, immunity, genotype-specific parasite densities, and clinical state. We modelled varying access to antimalarial drugs if febrile (coverage of 20%, 40%, or 60%) with one primary ACT used as first-line therapy: dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine (DHA-PPQ), artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ), or artemether-lumefantrine (AL). The primary outcome was time until 0·25 580Y allele frequency for artemisinin resistance (the establishment time). FINDINGS Higher frequencies of pre-existing partner-drug resistant genotypes lead to earlier establishment of artemisinin resistance. Across all models, a 10-fold increase in the frequency of partner-drug resistance genotypes on average corresponded to loss of artemisinin efficacy 2-12 years earlier. Most reductions in time to artemisinin resistance establishment were observed after an increase in frequency of the partner-drug resistance genotype from 0·0 to 0·10. INTERPRETATION Partner-drug resistance in ACTs facilitates the early emergence of artemisinin resistance and is a major public health concern. Higher-grade partner-drug resistance has the largest effect, with piperaquine resistance accelerating the early emergence of artemisinin-resistant alleles the most. Continued investment in molecular surveillance of partner-drug resistant genotypes to guide choice of first-line ACT is paramount. FUNDING Schmidt Science Fellowship in partnership with the Rhodes Trust; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Wellcome Trust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver J Watson
- Medical Research Council Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Bo Gao
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tran Dang Nguyen
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Thu Nguyen-Anh Tran
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - David L Smith
- Department of Health Metrics Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lucy Okell
- Medical Research Council Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Ricardo Aguas
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Maciej F Boni
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics, Department of Biology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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Portugaliza HP, Natama HM, Guetens P, Rovira-Vallbona E, Somé AM, Millogo A, Ouédraogo DF, Valéa I, Sorgho H, Tinto H, van Hong N, Sitoe A, Varo R, Bassat Q, Cortés A, Rosanas-Urgell A. Plasmodium falciparum sexual conversion rates can be affected by artemisinin-based treatment in naturally infected malaria patients. EBioMedicine 2022; 83:104198. [PMID: 35961203 PMCID: PMC9385555 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
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Nana RRD, Bayengue SSB, Mogtomo MLK, Ngane ARN, Singh V. Anti-folate quintuple mutations in Plasmodium falciparum asymptomatic infections in Yaoundé, Cameroon. Parasitol Int 2022; 92:102657. [PMID: 36038059 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A major challenge in the fight to effectively control malaria is the emergence of resistant parasite to drugs used in therapy as well as for chemoprevention. In this study, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with Plasmodium falciparum resistance to sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP), one of the partner drugs in artemisinin-based therapies (ACTs) were studied in asymptomatic P. falciparum isolates from Cameroon. Dried Blood spots were collected from children with asymptomatic malaria enrolled during a household survey. The P. falciparum dihydrofolate reductase (Pfdhfr), dihydropteroate synthase (Pfdhps) and Kelch 13 genes were amplified and point mutations in these gene sequences were analyzed by sequencing. Among a total of 234 samples collected, 51 showed parasitaemia after microscopic examination of which 47 were P. falciparum mono-infections. Molecular analysis revealed 97.3% of mutant alleles at codons 51I, 59R and 108 N in Pfdhfr gene. In Pfdhps gene the most common mutation was 437G (83.3%); followed by 436A (47.6%) and 436F (28.6%). The association of mutations in the two genes (dhfr + dhps) showed 11 different haplotypes including three sextuple mutants (IRNI + AGKGA, IRNI + AAKGS, IRNI + AGKAS) and one septuple mutant (IRNI + AGKGS). For K13 gene no SNPs were seen in the studied asymptomatic malaria samples. The findings revealed presence of SP-resistant alleles in asymptomatic infected individuals with presence of sextuples and septuple SNPs. This emphasizes that regular profiling of antimalarial drugs resistance markers in such population is essential for malaria control and elimination programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigue Roman Dongang Nana
- Institute of Medical Research and Medicinal Plants studies, PO Box 13033, Yaoundé, Cameroon; ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, Sector 8, New Delhi 110077, India
| | | | | | - Anne Rosalie Ngono Ngane
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Douala, PO Box 24157, Douala, Cameroon
| | - Vineeta Singh
- ICMR-National Institute of Malaria Research, Dwarka, Sector 8, New Delhi 110077, India.
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Tandoh KZ, Hagan OC, Wilson MD, Quashie NB, Duah-Quashie NO. Transcriptome-module phenotype association study implicates extracellular vesicles biogenesis in Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:886728. [PMID: 36061874 PMCID: PMC9437462 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.886728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria is still an important disease in sub-Saharan Africa (sSA). Great strides have been made in its control spear-headed by artemisinin (ART)-based combination therapies (ACTs). However, concerns about the imminent spread of ART-resistant (ARTr) malaria parasites to sSA threaten gains already made. Attempts to mitigate this risk have highlighted the need to discover novel P. falciparum drug targets. Therefore, studies to deepen our understanding of the biology of P. falciparum are needed. The role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the biology of malaria parasites is not fully understood. Recently, the ART resistance-associated transcriptional profile has been reported to involve several biological processes connected to vesicular trafficking, proteotoxic stress, erythrocyte remodelling, and mitochondrial metabolism. We explored a role for EVs in developing the P. falciparum ARTr phenotype using bulk RNA sequencing of unsynchronized parasite cultures under untreated, 0.1% dimethyl sulfoxide and 700nM dihydroartemisinin treated conditions for six hours. As pathway and gene ontology analysis is limited in its curated knowledge repertoire on EVs biogenesis in P. falciparum, we used a modular (gene set) analysis approach to explore whether an EVs biogenesis module is associated with the ARTr phenotype in P. falciparum. We first generated well-defined EVs modules of interest and used statistical tools to determine differences in their expression among the parasite and treatment conditions. Then we used gene set enrichment analysis to determine the strength of the association between each EVs module of interest and the ARTr phenotype. This transcriptome-module phenotype association study (TMPAS) represents a well-powered approach to making meaningful discoveries out of bulk gene expression data. We identified four EVs module of interest and report that one module representing gene sets with correlated expression to PF3D7_1441800 – involved with EVs biogenesis in P. falciparum - is associated with the ARTr phenotype (R539T_DHA_treated versus R539T_untreated: normalized enrichment score (NES) = 1.1830174, FDR q-value < 0.25; C580R_DHA_treated versus C580R_untreated: NES = 1.2457103, FDR q-value < 0.25). PF3D7_1441800 has been reported to reduce EVs production when knocked out in P. falciparum. Altogether, our findings suggest a role for EVs in developing ART resistance and warrant further studies interrogating this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwesi Z. Tandoh
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- *Correspondence: Nancy O. Duah-Quashie, ; Kwesi Z. Tandoh,
| | - Oheneba C. Hagan
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Michael D. Wilson
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Neils B. Quashie
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, School of Medicine and Dentistry, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Nancy O. Duah-Quashie
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
- *Correspondence: Nancy O. Duah-Quashie, ; Kwesi Z. Tandoh,
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Han KT, Han ZY, Zainabadi K. Developing Molecular Surveillance Capacity for Asymptomatic and Drug-Resistant Malaria in a Resource-Limited Setting-Experiences and Lessons Learned. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 107:222-230. [PMID: 35895423 PMCID: PMC9393433 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-0543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the important role molecular surveillance plays in public health. Such capacity however is either weak or nonexistent in many low-income countries. This article outlines a 2-year effort to establish two high-throughput molecular surveillance laboratories in Myanmar for tracking asymptomatic and drug resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The lessons learned from this endeavor may prove useful for others seeking to establish similar molecular surveillance capacity in other resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay Thwe Han
- Department of Medical Research, Ministry of Health and Sports, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Zay Yar Han
- Department of Medical Research, Ministry of Health and Sports, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Kayvan Zainabadi
- Center for Global Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York
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220
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Messi AN, Bonnet SL, Owona BA, Wilhelm A, Kamto ELD, Ndongo JT, Siwe-Noundou X, Poka M, Demana PH, Krause RWM, Ngo Mbing J, Pegnyemb DE, Bochet CG. In Vitro and In Silico Potential Inhibitory Effects of New Biflavonoids from Ochna rhizomatosa on HIV-1 Integrase and Plasmodium falciparum. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14081701. [PMID: 36015326 PMCID: PMC9414862 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14081701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to identify bioactive secondary metabolites from Ochna rhizomatosa with potential inhibitory effects against HIV and Plasmodium falciparum. A phytochemical study of O. rhizomatosa root barks resulted in the identification of three new biflavonoids (1–3), along with four known ones (4–7). Compound 7 (Gerontoisoflavone A) was a single flavonoid present in the rootbark of the plant and was used as a reference. Compound 1 (IC50 = 0.047 µM) was the only one with a noteworthy inhibitory effect against HIV-1 integrase in vitro. Chicoric acid (IC50 = 0.006 µM), a pure competitive inhibitor of HIV-1 integrase, was used as control. Compound 2 exhibited the highest antiplasmodial activity (IC50 = 4.60 µM) against the chloroquine-sensitive strain of Plasmodium falciparum NF54. Computational molecular docking revealed that compounds 1 and 2 had the highest binding score (−121.8 and −131.88 Kcal/mol, respectively) in comparison to chicoric acid and Dolutegravir (−116 and −100 Kcal/mol, respectively), towards integrase receptor (PDB:3LPT). As far as Plasmodium-6 cysteine s48/45 domain inhibition is concerned, compounds 1 and 2 showed the highest binding scores in comparison to chloroquine, urging the analysis of these compounds in vivo for disease treatment. These results confirm the potential inhibitory effect of compounds 1 and 2 for HIV and malaria treatment. Therefore, our future investigation to find inhibitors of these receptors in vivo could be an effective strategy for developing new drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélique Nicolas Messi
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Avenue, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (A.N.M.); (X.S.-N.); Tel.: +237-679-12-46-58 (A.N.M.); +27-12-521-5647 (X.S.-N.)
| | - Susan Lucia Bonnet
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Avenue, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
| | - Brice Ayissi Owona
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
| | - Anke Wilhelm
- Department of Chemistry, University of the Free State, 205 Nelson Mandela Avenue, Bloemfontein 9301, South Africa
| | - Eutrophe Le Doux Kamto
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
| | - Joseph Thierry Ndongo
- Department of Chemistry, Higher Teacher Training College, University of Yaounde 1, Yaounde P.O. Box 47, Cameroon
| | - Xavier Siwe-Noundou
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa
- Correspondence: (A.N.M.); (X.S.-N.); Tel.: +237-679-12-46-58 (A.N.M.); +27-12-521-5647 (X.S.-N.)
| | - Madan Poka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa
| | - Patrick H. Demana
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, Pretoria 0204, South Africa
| | - Rui W. M. Krause
- Nanomaterials and Medicinal Organic Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Rhodes University, Grahamstown 6140, South Africa
| | - Joséphine Ngo Mbing
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
| | - Dieudonné Emmanuel Pegnyemb
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde P.O. Box 812, Cameroon
| | - Christian G. Bochet
- Department of Chemistry, University of Fribourg, Chemin du Musée 9, CH-1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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Babesia, Theileria, Plasmodium and Hemoglobin. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10081651. [PMID: 36014069 PMCID: PMC9414693 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The Propagation of Plasmodium spp. and Babesia/Theileria spp. vertebrate blood stages relies on the mediated acquisition of nutrients available within the host’s red blood cell (RBC). The cellular processes of uptake, trafficking and metabolic processing of host RBC proteins are thus crucial for the intraerythrocytic development of these parasites. In contrast to malarial Plasmodia, the molecular mechanisms of uptake and processing of the major RBC cytoplasmic protein hemoglobin remain widely unexplored in intraerythrocytic Babesia/Theileria species. In the paper, we thus provide an updated comparison of the intraerythrocytic stage feeding mechanisms of these two distantly related groups of parasitic Apicomplexa. As the associated metabolic pathways including proteolytic degradation and networks facilitating heme homeostasis represent attractive targets for diverse antimalarials, and alterations in these pathways underpin several mechanisms of malaria drug resistance, our ambition is to highlight some fundamental differences resulting in different implications for parasite management with the potential for novel interventions against Babesia/Theileria infections.
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The Plasmodium falciparum Nuclear Protein Phosphatase NIF4 Is Required for Efficient Merozoite Invasion and Regulates Artemisinin Sensitivity. mBio 2022; 13:e0189722. [PMID: 35938722 PMCID: PMC9426563 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01897-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin resistance in Plasmodium falciparum has been associated with a mutation in the NLI-interacting factor-like phosphatase PfNIF4, in addition to the mutations in the Kelch13 protein as the major determinant. We found that PfNIF4 was predominantly expressed at the schizont stage and localized in the nuclei of the parasite. To elucidate the functions of PfNIF4 in P. falciparum, we performed PfNIF4 knockdown (KD) using the inducible ribozyme system. PfNIF4 KD attenuated merozoite invasion and affected gametocytogenesis. PfNIF4 KD parasites also showed significantly increased in vitro susceptibility to artemisinins. Transcriptomic and proteomic analysis revealed that PfNIF4 KD led to the downregulation of gene categories involved in invasion and artemisinin resistance (e.g., mitochondrial function, membrane, and Kelch13 interactome) at the trophozoite and/or schizont stage. Consistent with PfNIF4 being a protein phosphatase, PfNIF4 KD resulted in an overall upregulation of the phosphoproteome of infected erythrocytes. Quantitative phosphoproteomic profiling identified a set of PfNIF4-regulated phosphoproteins with functional similarity to FCP1 substrates, particularly proteins involved in chromatin organization and transcriptional regulation. Specifically, we observed increased phosphorylation of Ser2/5 of the tandem repeats in the C-terminal domain (CTD) of RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) upon PfNIF4 KD. Furthermore, using the TurboID-based proteomic approach, we identified that PfNIF4 interacted with the RNAPII components, AP2-domain transcription factors, and chromatin-modifiers and binders. These findings suggest that PfNIF4 may act as the RNAPII CTD phosphatase, regulating the expression of general and parasite-specific cellular pathways during the blood-stage development.
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LaVerriere E, Schwabl P, Carrasquilla M, Taylor AR, Johnson ZM, Shieh M, Panchal R, Straub TJ, Kuzma R, Watson S, Buckee CO, Andrade CM, Portugal S, Crompton PD, Traore B, Rayner JC, Corredor V, James K, Cox H, Early AM, MacInnis BL, Neafsey DE. Design and implementation of multiplexed amplicon sequencing panels to serve genomic epidemiology of infectious disease: A malaria case study. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2285-2303. [PMID: 35437908 PMCID: PMC9288814 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 03/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Multiplexed PCR amplicon sequencing (AmpSeq) is an increasingly popular application for cost-effective monitoring of threatened species and managed wildlife populations, and shows strong potential for the genomic epidemiology of infectious disease. AmpSeq data from infectious microbes can inform disease control in multiple ways, such as by measuring drug resistance marker prevalence, distinguishing imported from local cases, and determining the effectiveness of therapeutics. We describe the design and comparative evaluation of two new AmpSeq assays for Plasmodium falciparum malaria parasites: a four-locus panel ("4CAST") composed of highly diverse antigens, and a 129-locus panel ("AMPLseq") composed of drug resistance markers, highly diverse loci for inferring relatedness, and a locus to detect Plasmodium vivax co-infection. We explore the performance of each panel in various public health use cases with in silico simulations as well as empirical experiments. The 4CAST panel appears highly suitable for evaluating the number of distinct parasite strains within samples (complexity of infection), showing strong performance across a wide range of parasitaemia levels without a DNA pre-amplification step. For relatedness inference, the larger AMPLseq panel performs similarly to two existing panels of comparable size, despite differences in the data and approach used for designing each panel. Finally, we describe an R package (paneljudge) that facilitates the design and comparative evaluation of genetic panels for relatedness estimation, and we provide general guidance on the design and implementation of AmpSeq panels for the genomic epidemiology of infectious disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily LaVerriere
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Philipp Schwabl
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Manuela Carrasquilla
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
| | - Aimee R. Taylor
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zachary M. Johnson
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Meg Shieh
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ruchit Panchal
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Timothy J. Straub
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Rebecca Kuzma
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sean Watson
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caroline O. Buckee
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carolina M. Andrade
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Silvia Portugal
- Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Centre of Infectious Diseases, Parasitology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Peter D. Crompton
- Malaria Infection Biology and Immunity Section, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Boubacar Traore
- Mali International Center of Excellence in Research, University of Sciences, Technique and Technology of Bamako, BP 1805, Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Julian C. Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0XY, United Kingdom
| | - Vladimir Corredor
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Kashana James
- Guyana National Malaria Control Program, Ministry of Health, 0592 Georgetown, Guyana
| | - Horace Cox
- Guyana Vector Control Services, Ministry of Health, 0592 Georgetown, Guyana
| | - Angela M. Early
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bronwyn L. MacInnis
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel E. Neafsey
- Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Goel N, Dhiman K, Kalidas N, Mukhopadhyay A, Ashish F, Bhattacharjee S. Plasmodium falciparum
Kelch13 and its artemisinin‐resistant mutants assemble as hexamers in solution: a SAXS data‐driven modelling study. FEBS J 2022; 289:4935-4962. [DOI: 10.1111/febs.16378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nainy Goel
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India
| | - Kanika Dhiman
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh India
| | - Nidhi Kalidas
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh India
| | - Anwesha Mukhopadhyay
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India
| | - Fnu Ashish
- Council of Scientific and Industrial Research‐Institute of Microbial Technology Chandigarh India
| | - Souvik Bhattacharjee
- Special Centre for Molecular Medicine Jawaharlal Nehru University New Delhi India
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Mayor A, da Silva C, Rovira-Vallbona E, Roca-Feltrer A, Bonnington C, Wharton-Smith A, Greenhouse B, Bever C, Chidimatembue A, Guinovart C, Proctor JL, Rodrigues M, Canana N, Arnaldo P, Boene S, Aide P, Enosse S, Saute F, Candrinho B. Prospective surveillance study to detect antimalarial drug resistance, gene deletions of diagnostic relevance and genetic diversity of Plasmodium falciparum in Mozambique: protocol. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e063456. [PMID: 35820756 PMCID: PMC9274532 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-063456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Genomic data constitute a valuable adjunct to routine surveillance that can guide programmatic decisions to reduce the burden of infectious diseases. However, genomic capacities remain low in Africa. This study aims to operationalise a functional malaria molecular surveillance system in Mozambique for guiding malaria control and elimination. METHODS AND ANALYSES This prospective surveillance study seeks to generate Plasmodium falciparum genetic data to (1) monitor molecular markers of drug resistance and deletions in rapid diagnostic test targets; (2) characterise transmission sources in low transmission settings and (3) quantify transmission levels and the effectiveness of antimalarial interventions. The study will take place across 19 districts in nine provinces (Maputo city, Maputo, Gaza, Inhambane, Niassa, Manica, Nampula, Zambézia and Sofala) which span a range of transmission strata, geographies and malaria intervention types. Dried blood spot samples and rapid diagnostic tests will be collected across the study districts in 2022 and 2023 through a combination of dense (all malaria clinical cases) and targeted (a selection of malaria clinical cases) sampling. Pregnant women attending their first antenatal care visit will also be included to assess their value for molecular surveillance. We will use a multiplex amplicon-based next-generation sequencing approach targeting informative single nucleotide polymorphisms, gene deletions and microhaplotypes. Genetic data will be incorporated into epidemiological and transmission models to identify the most informative relationship between genetic features, sources of malaria transmission and programmatic effectiveness of new malaria interventions. Strategic genomic information will be ultimately integrated into the national malaria information and surveillance system to improve the use of the genetic information for programmatic decision-making. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The protocol was reviewed and approved by the institutional (CISM) and national ethics committees of Mozambique (Comité Nacional de Bioética para Saúde) and Spain (Hospital Clinic of Barcelona). Project results will be presented to all stakeholders and published in open-access journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05306067.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfredo Mayor
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Physiologic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Clemente da Silva
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Eduard Rovira-Vallbona
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Bryan Greenhouse
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Caitlin Bever
- Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Caterina Guinovart
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Hospital Clínic-Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Simone Boene
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
| | - Pedro Aide
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
- Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Maputo, Mozambique
| | | | - Francisco Saute
- Centro de Investigação em Saúde de Manhiça, Manhiça, Maputo, Mozambique
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226
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Mustière R, Lagardère P, Hutter S, Deraeve C, Schwalen F, Amrane D, Masurier N, Azas N, Lisowski V, Verhaeghe P, Mazier D, Vanelle P, Primas N. Pd-catalyzed C-C and C-N cross-coupling reactions in 2-aminothieno[3,2- d]pyrimidin-4(3 H)-one series for antiplasmodial pharmacomodulation. RSC Adv 2022; 12:20004-20021. [PMID: 35865200 PMCID: PMC9264115 DOI: 10.1039/d2ra01687g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2015, we identified gamhepathiopine (M1), a 2-tert-butylaminothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one antiplasmodial hit targeting all development stages of the human malarial parasite P. falciparum. However, this hit compound suffers from sensitivity to hepatic oxidative metabolism. Herein, we describe the synthesis of 33 new compounds in the 2-aminothieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one series modulated at position 6 of this scaffold. The modulations were performed using three palladium-catalyzed cross coupling reactions, namely Suzuki-Miyaura, Sonogashira, and Buchwald-Hartwig. For the latter, we developed the reaction conditions. Then, we evaluated the synthesized compounds for their antiplasmodial activity on the K1 P. falciparum strain and their cytotoxicity on the human HepG2 cell line. Although we did not obtain a compound better than M1 in terms of the antiplasmodial activity, we identified compound 1g bearing a piperidine at position 6 of the thieno[3,2-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one ring with an improved cytotoxicity and metabolic stability. 1g is an interesting new starting point for further pharmacomodulation studies. This study also provides valuable antiplasmodial SAR data regarding the nature of the ring at position 6, the possible substituent on this ring, and the introduction of a spacer between this ring and the thienopyrimidinone moiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romain Mustière
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, ICR UMR 7273, Equipe Pharmaco-Chimie Radicalaire, Faculté de Pharmacie Marseille France
| | - Prisca Lagardère
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, UMR 5247, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, ENSCM, UFR des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques Montpellier France
| | - Sébastien Hutter
- Aix Marseille Université, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME Marseille France
| | - Céline Deraeve
- LCC-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS UPR 8241, UPS Toulouse France
| | - Florian Schwalen
- LCC-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS UPR 8241, UPS Toulouse France
| | - Dyhia Amrane
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, ICR UMR 7273, Equipe Pharmaco-Chimie Radicalaire, Faculté de Pharmacie Marseille France
| | - Nicolas Masurier
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, UMR 5247, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, ENSCM, UFR des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques Montpellier France
| | - Nadine Azas
- Aix Marseille Université, IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME Marseille France
| | - Vincent Lisowski
- Institut des Biomolécules Max Mousseron, UMR 5247, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, ENSCM, UFR des Sciences Pharmaceutiques et Biologiques Montpellier France
| | - Pierre Verhaeghe
- LCC-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS UPR 8241, UPS Toulouse France.,CHU de Nîmes, service de pharmacie Nimes France
| | - Dominique Mazier
- Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses (CIMI), INSERM, CNRS, Sorbonne Université Paris France
| | - Patrice Vanelle
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, ICR UMR 7273, Equipe Pharmaco-Chimie Radicalaire, Faculté de Pharmacie Marseille France .,Service Central de la Qualité et de l'Information Pharmaceutiques, AP-HM, Hôpital Conception Marseille France
| | - Nicolas Primas
- Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, ICR UMR 7273, Equipe Pharmaco-Chimie Radicalaire, Faculté de Pharmacie Marseille France .,Service Central de la Qualité et de l'Information Pharmaceutiques, AP-HM, Hôpital Conception Marseille France
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227
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Genetic Diversity of Plasmodium falciparum and Distribution of Antimalarial Drug Resistance Mutations in Symptomatic and Asymptomatic Infections. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0018822. [DOI: 10.1128/aac.00188-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria control relies on passive case detection, and this strategy fails detecting asymptomatic infections. In addition, infections in endemic areas harbor multiple parasite genotypes that could affect case management and malaria epidemiology.
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228
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Kubota R, Ishino T, Iwanaga S, Shinzawa N. Evaluation of the Effect of Gene Duplication by Genome Editing on Drug Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:915656. [PMID: 35865822 PMCID: PMC9294729 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.915656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum have compromised antimalarial efficacy and threatened the global malaria elimination campaign using artemisinin combination therapies. The impacts of amino acid substitutions in antimalarial drug resistance-associated genes on drug susceptibility have been investigated; however, the effects of amplification of those genes remain unexplored due to the lack of robust genetic approaches. Here, we generated transgenic P. falciparum parasites with an additional copy of a drug resistance-associated gene using the highly efficient CRISPR/Cas9 system and investigated their drug response. Insertion of a drug resistance-associated gene expression cassette in the genome resulted in a roughly twofold increase of mRNA levels of the target gene mdr1, which encodes multidrug resistance protein 1. The gene duplication event contributed to resistance to mefloquine, lumefantrine, and dihydroartemisinin, while the duplication of a genomic region encoding plasmepsin 2 and plasmepsin 3 did not affect resistance to antimalarial drugs, including piperaquine. We further demonstrated that mdr1 mRNA expression levels are strongly associated with mefloquine resistance in several field-derived P. falciparum lines with various genetic backgrounds. This study provides compelling evidence that mdr1 could serve as a molecular marker for the surveillance of mefloquine-resistant parasites. Long DNA integration into parasite genomes using the CRISPR/Cas9 system provides a useful tool for the evaluation of the effect of copy number variation on drug response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rie Kubota
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Ishino
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shiroh Iwanaga
- Department of Molecular Protozoology, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naoaki Shinzawa
- Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
- *Correspondence: Naoaki Shinzawa,
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229
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Thiam LG, Mangou K, Ba A, Mbengue A, Bei AK. Leveraging genome editing to functionally evaluate Plasmodium diversity. Trends Parasitol 2022; 38:558-571. [PMID: 35469746 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The ambitious goal of malaria elimination requires an in-depth understanding of the parasite's biology to counter the growing threat of antimalarial resistance and immune evasion. Timely assessment of the functional impact of antigenic diversity in the early stages of vaccine development will be critical for achieving the goal of malaria control, elimination, and ultimately eradication. Recent advances in targeted genome editing enabled the functional validation of resistance-associated markers in Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria-causing pathogen and strain-specific immune neutralization. This review explores recent advances made in leveraging genome editing to aid the functional evaluation of Plasmodium diversity and highlights how these techniques can assist in prioritizing both therapeutic and vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laty Gaye Thiam
- G4 - Malaria Experimental Genetic Approaches & Vaccines, Pôle Immunophysiopathologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Khadidiatou Mangou
- G4 - Malaria Experimental Genetic Approaches & Vaccines, Pôle Immunophysiopathologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Aboubacar Ba
- G4 - Malaria Experimental Genetic Approaches & Vaccines, Pôle Immunophysiopathologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Alassane Mbengue
- G4 - Malaria Experimental Genetic Approaches & Vaccines, Pôle Immunophysiopathologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Amy K Bei
- G4 - Malaria Experimental Genetic Approaches & Vaccines, Pôle Immunophysiopathologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut Pasteur de Dakar, Dakar, Senegal; Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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230
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Cheng W, Wu K, Song X, Wang W, Du W, Li J. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms of artemisinin resistance-related pfubp1 and pfap2mu genes in imported Plasmodium falciparum to Wuhan, China. INFECTION, GENETICS AND EVOLUTION : JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR EPIDEMIOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS IN INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022; 101:105286. [PMID: 35470127 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2022.105286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Molecular markers for monitoring resistance could help improve malaria treatment policies. Delayed clearance of Plasmodium falciparum by artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) has been reported in several countries. In addition to PfKelch13 (pfk13), new drug resistance genes, P. falciparum ubiquitin-specific protease 1 (pfubp1) and the eadaptor protein complex 2 mu subunit (pfap2mu), have been identified as being linked to ACTs. This study investigated the prevalence of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in clinical P. falciparum isolates pfubp1 and pfap2mu imported from Africa and Southeast Asia (SEA) to Wuhan, China, to provide baseline data for antimalarial resistance monitoring in this region. METHODS Peripheral venous blood samples were collected in Wuhan, China, from August 2011 to December 2019. The Pfubp1 and pfap2mu SNPs of P. falciparum were determined by nested PCR and Sanger sequencing. RESULTS In total, 296 samples were collected. Subsequently, 92.23% (273/296) were successfully amplified and sequenced for Pfubp1. There were 60.07% (164/273) wild-type strains and 39.93% (109/273) mutant strains. The pfap2mu gene was divided into three fragments for amplification, and 82.77% (245/296), 90.20% (267/296) and 94.59% (280/296) were sequenced successfully. Genotypes reportedly associated with ACTs resistance detected in this study included pfubp1 D1525E as well as E1528D and pfap2mu S160N. The mutation prevalence rates were 10.99% (30/273), 13.19% (36/273) and 11.24% (30/267), respectively. These are all focused on Congo, Nigeria and Angola. Known delayed-clearance parasite mutations have also been found in SEA. CONCLUSIONS The existence of mutation sites of known clearance genes detected in the isolates in this study, including D1525E and E1528D in the pfubp1 gene and S160N in the pfap2mu gene, further proved the risk of ACTs resistance. Constant vigilance is therefore needed to protect the effectiveness of ACTs and to prevent the spread of drug-resistant P. falciparum. Further studies in malaria-endemic countries are needed to further validate potential genetic markers for monitoring parasite populations in Africa and SEA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weijia Cheng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China; Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
| | - Kai Wu
- Department of Schistosomiasis and Endemic Diseases, Wuhan City Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Wuhan 430024, China
| | - Xiaonan Song
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China; Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi, Jiangsu Province 214064, People's Republic of China
| | - Weixing Du
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China
| | - Jian Li
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China; Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China.
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231
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Cutts JC, O'Flaherty K, Zaloumis SG, Ashley EA, Chan JA, Onyamboko MA, Fanello C, Dondorp AM, Day NP, Phyo AP, Dhorda M, Imwong M, Fairhurst RM, Lim P, Amaratunga C, Pukrittayakamee S, Hien TT, Htut Y, Mayxay M, Abdul Faiz M, Takashima E, Tsuboi T, Beeson JG, Nosten F, Simpson JA, White NJ, Fowkes FJI. Comparison of antibody responses and parasite clearance in artemisinin therapeutic efficacy studies in Democratic Republic of Congo and Asia. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:324-331. [PMID: 35703955 PMCID: PMC9400417 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding the effect of immunity on Plasmodium falciparum clearance is essential for interpreting therapeutic efficacy studies designed to monitor emergence of artemisinin drug resistance. In low-transmission areas of Southeast Asia, where resistance has emerged, P. falciparum antibodies confound parasite clearance measures. However, variation in naturally acquired antibodies across Asian and sub-Saharan African epidemiological contexts and their impact on parasite clearance re yet to be quantified. Methods In an artemisinin therapeutic efficacy study, antibodies to 12 pre-erythrocytic and erythrocytic P. falciparum antigens were measured in 118 children with uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and compared with responses in patients from Asian sites, described elsewhere. Results Parasite clearance half-life was shorter in DRC patients (median, 2 hours) compared with most Asian sites (median, 2–7 hours), but P. falciparum antibody levels and seroprevalences were similar. There was no evidence for an association between antibody seropositivity and parasite clearance half-life (mean difference between seronegative and seropositive, −0.14 to +0.40 hour) in DRC patients. Conclusions In DRC, where artemisinin remains highly effective, the substantially shorter parasite clearance time compared with Asia was not explained by differences in the P. falciparum antibody responses studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia C Cutts
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia
| | | | - Sophie G Zaloumis
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Elizabeth A Ashley
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust-Research Unit, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - Jo Anne Chan
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne Australia
| | - Marie A Onyamboko
- Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Caterina Fanello
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Kinshasa School of Public Health, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo
| | - Arjen M Dondorp
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas P Day
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Mehul Dhorda
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Mallika Imwong
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Rick M Fairhurst
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Pharath Lim
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Chanaki Amaratunga
- Worldwide Antimalarial Resistance Network, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tran Tinh Hien
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Ye Htut
- Department of Medical Research, Yangon, Myanmar
| | - Mayfong Mayxay
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Institute of Research and Education Development, University of Health Sciences, Vientiane, Lao PDR.,Lao-Oxford-Mahosot Hospital-Wellcome Trust-Research Unit, Mahosot Hospital, Vientiane, Lao PDR
| | - M Abdul Faiz
- Malaria Research Group & Dev Care Foundation, Chittagong, Bangladesh
| | - Eizo Takashima
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - Takafumi Tsuboi
- Division of Malaria Research, Proteo-Science Center, Ehime University, Matsuyama, Japan
| | - James G Beeson
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.,Department of Immunology, Monash University, Melbourne Australia
| | - Francois Nosten
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.,Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mae Sot, Thailand
| | - Julie A Simpson
- Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicholas J White
- Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand.,Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Freya J I Fowkes
- Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.,Centre for Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Melbourne, School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.,Department of Infectious Diseases and Department of Epidemiology and Preventative Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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232
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Wagner MP, Formaglio P, Gorgette O, Dziekan JM, Huon C, Berneburg I, Rahlfs S, Barale JC, Feinstein SI, Fisher AB, Ménard D, Bozdech Z, Amino R, Touqui L, Chitnis CE. Human peroxiredoxin 6 is essential for malaria parasites and provides a host-based drug target. Cell Rep 2022; 39:110923. [PMID: 35705035 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The uptake and digestion of host hemoglobin by malaria parasites during blood-stage growth leads to significant oxidative damage of membrane lipids. Repair of lipid peroxidation damage is crucial for parasite survival. Here, we demonstrate that Plasmodium falciparum imports a host antioxidant enzyme, peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6), during hemoglobin uptake from the red blood cell cytosol. PRDX6 is a lipid-peroxidation repair enzyme with phospholipase A2 (PLA2) activity. Inhibition of PRDX6 with a PLA2 inhibitor, Darapladib, increases lipid-peroxidation damage in the parasite and disrupts transport of hemoglobin-containing vesicles to the food vacuole, causing parasite death. Furthermore, inhibition of PRDX6 synergistically reduces the survival of artemisinin-resistant parasites following co-treatment of parasite cultures with artemisinin and Darapladib. Thus, PRDX6 is a host-derived drug target for development of antimalarial drugs that could help overcome artemisinin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Paulus Wagner
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Paris, France
| | - Pauline Formaglio
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Malaria Infection and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Olivier Gorgette
- Institut Pasteur, Department of Cell Biology and Infection, Centre for Innovation and Technological Research, Ultrastructural Bioimaging Unit, Paris, France
| | - Jerzy Michal Dziekan
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Christèle Huon
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Paris, France
| | - Isabell Berneburg
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Stefan Rahlfs
- Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Interdisciplinary Research Centre, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jean-Christophe Barale
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, CNRS UMR 3528, Structural Microbiology Unit, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Pasteur International Unit, Pasteur International Network, Malaria Translational Research Unit, Phnom Penh, Cambodia and Paris, France
| | | | - Aron B Fisher
- Peroxitech, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, USA; Institute for Environmental Medicine, Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Didier Ménard
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, INSERM U1201, Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, Paris, France; Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, EA 7292, IPPTS, Strasbourg University, Strasbourg, France
| | - Zbynek Bozdech
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rogerio Amino
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Malaria Infection and Immunity Unit, Paris, France
| | - Lhousseine Touqui
- Cystic Fibrosis, Physiopathology and Phenogenomics, INSERM Unit 938, Saint-Antoine, Paris, France; Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Laboratory of Cystic Fibrosis and Chronic Bronchopathies, Paris, France
| | - Chetan E Chitnis
- Institut Pasteur, Université de Paris, Malaria Parasite Biology and Vaccines Unit, Paris, France.
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233
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Topazian HM, Moser KA, Ngasala B, Oluoch PO, Forconi CS, Mhamilawa LE, Aydemir O, Kharabora O, Deutsch-Feldman M, Read AF, Denton M, Lorenzo A, Mideo N, Ogutu B, Moormann AM, Mårtensson A, Odwar B, Bailey JA, Akala H, Ong'echa JM, Juliano JJ. Low Complexity of Infection Is Associated With Molecular Persistence of Plasmodium falciparum in Kenya and Tanzania. FRONTIERS IN EPIDEMIOLOGY 2022; 2:852237. [PMID: 38455314 PMCID: PMC10910917 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2022.852237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
Background Plasmodium falciparum resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) is a threat to malaria elimination. ACT-resistance in Asia raises concerns for emergence of resistance in Africa. While most data show high efficacy of ACT regimens in Africa, there have been reports describing declining efficacy, as measured by both clinical failure and prolonged parasite clearance times. Methods Three hundred children aged 2-10 years with uncomplicated P. falciparum infection were enrolled in Kenya and Tanzania after receiving treatment with artemether-lumefantrine. Blood samples were taken at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h, and weekly thereafter until 28 days post-treatment. Parasite and host genetics were assessed, as well as clinical, behavioral, and environmental characteristics, and host anti-malarial serologic response. Results While there was a broad range of clearance rates at both sites, 85% and 96% of Kenyan and Tanzanian samples, respectively, were qPCR-positive but microscopy-negative at 72 h post-treatment. A greater complexity of infection (COI) was negatively associated with qPCR-detectable parasitemia at 72 h (OR: 0.70, 95% CI: 0.53-0.94), and a greater baseline parasitemia was marginally associated with qPCR-detectable parasitemia (1,000 parasites/uL change, OR: 1.02, 95% CI: 1.01-1.03). Demographic, serological, and host genotyping characteristics showed no association with qPCR-detectable parasitemia at 72 h. Parasite haplotype-specific clearance slopes were grouped around the mean with no association detected between specific haplotypes and slower clearance rates. Conclusions Identifying risk factors for slow clearing P. falciparum infections, such as COI, are essential for ongoing surveillance of ACT treatment failure in Kenya, Tanzania, and more broadly in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hillary M. Topazian
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Kara A. Moser
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Billy Ngasala
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Peter O. Oluoch
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
- Center for Global Health Research, Kenyan Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Catherine S. Forconi
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Lwidiko E. Mhamilawa
- Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, International Maternal and Child Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Ozkan Aydemir
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Oksana Kharabora
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Molly Deutsch-Feldman
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Andrew F. Read
- Department of Entomology, Penn State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Madeline Denton
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Antonio Lorenzo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nicole Mideo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bernhards Ogutu
- Center for Global Health Research, Kenyan Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Ann M. Moormann
- Department of Medicine, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Andreas Mårtensson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, International Maternal and Child Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Boaz Odwar
- Center for Global Health Research, Kenyan Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Jeffrey A. Bailey
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Hoseah Akala
- Center for Global Health Research, Kenyan Medical Research Institute, Kisumu, Kenya
| | | | - Jonathan J. Juliano
- Institute for Global Health and Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Division of Infectious Diseases, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Curriculum in Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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234
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Nosten F, Richard-Lenoble D, Danis M. A Brief History of Malaria. Presse Med 2022; 51:104130. [PMID: 35667599 DOI: 10.1016/j.lpm.2022.104130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
For millions of years, invertebrates and malaria parasites have coexisted and to date, malaria remains the most important human parasitic disease. This co-evolution had profound impacts on the movements of early hominids and on the genome of modern humans. Over the past two centuries, progress has been made with the discovery of the parasite, its transmission, and medicines, paving the way to the control of the disease and its elimination in some countries. However, the Plasmodium parasite is a formidable foe capable of developing resistance to drugs, and the mosquito vector has adapted to insecticides, foiling all attempts to eradicate the disease. Over recent years the economic and social costs of malaria have been recognized and more funds have been mobilized than ever before, however further efforts are needed. National programs, international institutions and researchers will need to do better if the preventable deaths of hundreds of thousands of mostly African children are to be averted.
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Affiliation(s)
- François Nosten
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine Research building, University of Oxford Old Road campus, Oxford, UK; Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Mae Sot, Thailand.
| | - Dominique Richard-Lenoble
- Professeur émérite des Universités - CHR de Tours, Parasitologie-Médecine tropicale. Membre de l'Académie Nationale de Médecine
| | - Martin Danis
- Professeur émérite, Parasitologie, Médecine Tropicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université Paris Médecine, Académie Nationale de Médecine
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235
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Chrzastek K, Tennakoon C, Bialy D, Freimanis G, Flannery J, Shelton H. A random priming amplification method for whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 virus. BMC Genomics 2022; 23:406. [PMID: 35644636 PMCID: PMC9148844 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08563-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-targeted whole genome sequencing is a powerful tool to comprehensively identify constituents of microbial communities in a sample. There is no need to direct the analysis to any identification before sequencing which can decrease the introduction of bias and false negatives results. It also allows the assessment of genetic aberrations in the genome (e.g., single nucleotide variants, deletions, insertions and copy number variants) including in noncoding protein regions. METHODS The performance of four different random priming amplification methods to recover RNA viral genetic material of SARS-CoV-2 were compared in this study. In method 1 (H-P) the reverse transcriptase (RT) step was performed with random hexamers whereas in methods 2-4 RT incorporating an octamer primer with a known tag. In methods 1 and 2 (K-P) sequencing was applied on material derived from the RT-PCR step, whereas in methods 3 (SISPA) and 4 (S-P) an additional amplification was incorporated before sequencing. RESULTS The SISPA method was the most effective and efficient method for non-targeted/random priming whole genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 that we tested. The SISPA method described in this study allowed for whole genome assembly of SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 in mixed samples. We determined the limit of detection and characterization of SARS-CoV-2 virus which was 103 pfu/ml (Ct, 22.4) for whole genome assembly and 101 pfu/ml (Ct, 30) for metagenomics detection. CONCLUSIONS The SISPA method is predominantly useful for obtaining genome sequences from RNA viruses or investigating complex clinical samples as no prior sequence information is needed. It might be applied to monitor genomic virus changes, virus evolution and can be used for fast metagenomics detection or to assess the general picture of different pathogens within the sample.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Dagmara Bialy
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, UK
| | | | - John Flannery
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, UK
| | - Holly Shelton
- The Pirbright Institute, Pirbright, Woking, Surrey, UK.
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Pradhan D, Biswasroy P, Sahu DK, Ghosh G, Rath G. Isolation and structure elucidation of a steroidal moiety from Withania somnifera and in silico evaluation of antimalarial efficacy against artemisinin resistance Plasmodium falciparum kelch 13 protein. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-14. [PMID: 35585777 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2077448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
According to the 2021 Malaria report, 241 million clinical episodes with 627000 deaths penalty was estimated across the worldwide. However, mutation in the propeller domain of Plasmodium falciparum kelch 13 protein resulted in longer parasite clearance time following an artemisinin-based treatment and had a greater survival rate of ring-stage parasites even after a brief exposure to a high dose of artesunate. Clinical manifestations become more complex and worse with the emerging trend of drug resistance against artemisinin derivatives and the poor effectiveness of malaria vaccination drive. Steroidal lactone (withanolide) moiety (C-28) isolated from methanolic leaf extract Withania somnifera show a greater affinity towards Pfkelch 13 protein in comparison to the artemisinin derivatives (artesunate, artemether). The isolated compound was characterized to be withaferin A with a percentage yield of 29.01% w/w in chloroform fraction, 1.75% w/w in methanolic extract, and 0.29% w/w in raw leaf powder. Structure-based analysis shows that withaferin A (docking score -8.253, -9.802) has a higher affinity for two distinct binding pockets I and II of the Plasmodium falciparum kelch 13 protein than artesunate (docking score -4.470, -3.656). Further, Gibbs binding free energy signifies thermodynamic stability of the docked complex of withaferin A (-43.25, -43.76 Kcal/mol) in comparison to artesunate docked complex (-8.49, -5.75 Kcal/mol). The pharmacokinetic profile of withaferin A shows more drug-likeness characteristics without violating Jorgensen's rule of three, and Lipinski's rule of five. Hence above experimental findings suggest withaferin A could be a suitable therapeutic adjunct for preclinical evaluation of antimalarial potentiality in artemisinin-resistant malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepak Pradhan
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Prativa Biswasroy
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Dipak Kumar Sahu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Goutam Ghosh
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Goutam Rath
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Siksha O Anusandhan (Deemed to be University), Bhubaneswar, India
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Assessing the Roles of Molecular Markers of Antimalarial Drug Resistance and the Host Pharmacogenetics in Drug-Resistant Malaria. J Trop Med 2022; 2022:3492696. [PMID: 35620049 PMCID: PMC9129956 DOI: 10.1155/2022/3492696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 04/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Malaria caused by the Plasmodium parasites is a major public health concern in malaria-endemic regions with P. falciparum causing the most severe form of the disease. The use of antimalarial drugs for the management of the disease proves to be one of the best methods to manage the disease. Unfortunately, P. falciparum has developed resistance to almost all the current in-use antimalarial drugs. Parasite development of resistance is primarily caused by both parasite and host genetic factors. The parasite genetic factors involve undergoing mutation in the drug target sites or increasing the drug target gene copy number to prevent the intended action of the antimalarial drugs. The host pharmacogenetic factors which determine how a particular antimalarial drug is metabolized could result in variations of drug plasma concentration and consequently contribute to variable treatment outcomes and the emergence or propagation of resistant parasites. Since both host and parasite genomes play a role in antimalarial drug action, a key question often asked is, “which of the two strongly drives or controls antimalarial drug resistance?” A major finding in our recent study published in the Malaria Journal indicates that the parasite's genetic factors rather than the host are likely to energize resistance to an antimalarial drug. However, others have reported contrary findings suggesting that the host genetic factors are the force behind resistance to antimalarial drugs. To bring clarity to these observations, there is the need for deciphering the major driving force behind antimalarial drug resistance through optimized strategies aimed at alleviating the phenomenon. In this direction, literature was systematically reviewed to establish the role and importance of each of the two factors aforementioned in the etiology of drug-resistant malaria. Using Internet search engines such as Pubmed and Google, we looked for terms likely to give the desired information which we herein present. We then went ahead to leverage the obtained information to discuss the globally avid aim of combating antimalarial drug resistance.
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Matrevi SA, Tandoh KZ, Bruku S, Opoku-Agyeman P, Adams T, Ennuson NA, Asare B, Hagan OCK, Abuaku B, Koram KA, Fox A, Quashie NB, Letizia AG, Duah-Quashie NO. Novel pfk13 polymorphisms in Plasmodium falciparum population in Ghana. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7797. [PMID: 35551239 PMCID: PMC9098865 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11790-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The molecular determinants of Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance are the single nucleotide polymorphisms in the parasite’s kelch propeller domain, pfk13. Validated and candidate markers are under surveillance in malaria endemic countries using artemisinin-based combination therapy. However, pfk13 mutations which may confer parasite artemisinin resistance in Africa remains elusive. It has therefore become imperative to report all observed pfk13 gene polymorphisms in malaria therapeutic efficacy studies for functional characterization. We herein report all novel pfk13 mutations observed only in the Ghanaian parasite population. In all, 977 archived samples from children aged 12 years and below with uncomplicated malaria from 2007 to 2017 were used. PCR/Sanger sequencing analysis revealed 78% (763/977) of the samples analyzed were wild type (WT) for pfk13 gene. Of the 214 (22%) mutants, 78 were novel mutations observed only in Ghana. The novel SNPs include R404G, P413H, N458D/H/I, C473W/S, R529I, M579T/Y, C580R/V, D584L, N585H/I, Q661G/L. Some of the mutations were sites and ecological zones specific. There was low nucleotide diversity and purifying selection at the pfk13 locus in Ghanaian parasite population. With increasing drug pressure and its consequent parasite resistance, documenting these mutations as baseline data is crucial for future molecular surveillance of P. falciparum resistance to artemisinin in Ghana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sena Adzoa Matrevi
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwesi Zandoh Tandoh
- West Africa Centre for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Selassie Bruku
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Philip Opoku-Agyeman
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Tryphena Adams
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Nana Aba Ennuson
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Bright Asare
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Oheneba Charles Kofi Hagan
- West Africa Centre for Cell Biology and Infectious Pathogens, Department of Biochemistry Cell and Molecular Biology, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Benjamin Abuaku
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwadwo Ansah Koram
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Ann Fox
- United States Naval Medical Research Unit 3, Ghana Laboratory, Accra, Ghana
| | - Neils Ben Quashie
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.,Centre for Tropical Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Ghana Medical School, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Andrew G Letizia
- United States Naval Medical Research Unit 3, Ghana Laboratory, Accra, Ghana
| | - Nancy Odurowah Duah-Quashie
- Department of Epidemiology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
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Rodrigues ABB, de Abreu-Fernandes R, Neto Z, Jandondo D, Almeida-de-Oliveira NK, de Lavigne Mello AR, Morais J, Daniel-Ribeiro CT, Menard D, Ferreira-da-Cruz MDF. Pfkelch13 Plasmodium falciparum Mutations in Huambo, Angola. Pathogens 2022; 11:554. [PMID: 35631076 PMCID: PMC9146480 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11050554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Artemisinin (ART) is recommended as the first-line drug for P. falciparum infections combined with a long-acting partner drug. The emergence of P. falciparum resistance to ART (ARTR) is a concern for malaria. The most feared threat remains the spread of ARTR from Southeast Asia to Africa or the independent emergence of ARTR in Africa, where malaria accounts for 93% of all malaria cases and 94% of deaths. To avoid this worst-case scenario, surveillance of Pfkelch13 mutations is essential. We investigated mutations of Pfkelch13 in 78 P. falciparum samples from Huambo, Angola. Most of the parasites had a wild-type Pfkelch13 allele. We identified one synonymous mutation (R471R) in 10 isolates and one non-synonymous mutation (A578S) in two samples. No Pfkelch13 validated or candidate ARTR mutants were identified. The finding suggests that there is little polymorphism in Pfkelch13 in Huambo. Since cases of late response to ART in Africa and the emergence of ARTR mutations in Rwanda and Uganda have been reported, efforts should be made toward continuous molecular surveillance of ARTR. Our study has some limitations. Since we analyzed P. falciparum parasites from a single health facility, the study may not be representative of all Angolan endemic areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Beatriz Batista Rodrigues
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (A.B.B.R.); (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (C.T.D.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal)/Reference Center for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Rebecca de Abreu-Fernandes
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (A.B.B.R.); (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (C.T.D.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal)/Reference Center for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Zoraima Neto
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde (INIS), Ministério da Saúde, Luanda 999104, Angola; (Z.N.); (D.J.); (J.M.)
| | - Domingos Jandondo
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde (INIS), Ministério da Saúde, Luanda 999104, Angola; (Z.N.); (D.J.); (J.M.)
| | - Natália Ketrin Almeida-de-Oliveira
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (A.B.B.R.); (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (C.T.D.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal)/Reference Center for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Aline Rosa de Lavigne Mello
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (A.B.B.R.); (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (C.T.D.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal)/Reference Center for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Joana Morais
- Instituto Nacional de Investigação em Saúde (INIS), Ministério da Saúde, Luanda 999104, Angola; (Z.N.); (D.J.); (J.M.)
| | - Cláudio Tadeu Daniel-Ribeiro
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (A.B.B.R.); (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (C.T.D.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal)/Reference Center for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
| | - Didier Menard
- Institut Pasteur, INSERM U1201, 75015 Paris, France;
- Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases, UR7292, Dynamics of Host-Pathogen Interactions, Federation of Translational Medicine, University of Strasbourg, 67081 Strasbourg, France
- Laboratory of Parasitology and Medical Mycology, Strasbourg University Hospital, 67081 Strasbourg, France
| | - Maria de Fátima Ferreira-da-Cruz
- Laboratório de Pesquisa em Malária, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil; (A.B.B.R.); (R.d.A.-F.); (N.K.A.-d.-O.); (A.R.d.L.M.); (C.T.D.-R.)
- Centro de Pesquisa, Diagnóstico e Treinamento em Malária (CPD-Mal)/Reference Center for Malaria in the Extra-Amazonian Region of the Brazilian Ministry of Health, SVS & Fiocruz, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil
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Dong Y, Liu L, Han J, Zhang L, Wang Y, Li J, Li Y, Liu H, Zhou K, Li L, Wang X, Shen X, Zhang M, Zhang B, Hu X. Worldwide Research Trends on Artemisinin: A Bibliometric Analysis From 2000 to 2021. Front Med (Lausanne) 2022; 9:868087. [PMID: 35602470 PMCID: PMC9121127 DOI: 10.3389/fmed.2022.868087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
ObjectiveArtemisinin is an organic compound that comes from Artemisia annua. Artemisinin treatment is the most important and effective method for treating malaria. Bibliometric analysis was carried out to identify the global research trends, hot spots, scientific frontiers, and output characteristics of artemisinin from 2000 to 2021.MethodsPublications and their recorded information from 2000 to 2021 were retrieved through the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC). Using VOSviewer and Citespace, the hotspots and trends of studies on artemisinin were visualized.ResultsA total of 8,466 publications were retrieved, and for the past 22 years, the annual number of publications associated with artemisinin kept increasing. The United States published most papers. The H-index and number of citations of the United States ranked first. The University of Oxford and MALARIA JOURNAL were the most productive affiliation and journal, respectively. A paper written by E.A. Ashley in 2011 achieved the highest global citation score. Keywords, such as “malaria,” “artesunate,” “plasmodium-falciparum,” “in-vitro,” “artemisinin resistance,” “plasmodium falciparum,” “resistance,” and “artemether-lumefantrine,” appeared most frequently. The research on artemisinin includes clinical research and animal and cell experiments.ConclusionThe biosynthesis, drug resistance mechanism, and combination of artemisinin have become more popular than before. Studies on artemisinin treating coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been carried out, and good research results have been obtained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yankai Dong
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lina Liu
- General Medical Department, Nankai Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Han
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Lianqing Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yi Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Juan Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yuexiang Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - He Liu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Kun Zhou
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Luyao Li
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xin Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Xue Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Meiling Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Bo Zhang
- Clinical Laboratory, Ankang Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ankang, China
- *Correspondence: Bo Zhang
| | - Xiaofei Hu
- Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, China
- Xiaofei Hu
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Nkemngo FN, Mugenzi LMJ, Tchouakui M, Nguiffo-Nguete D, Wondji MJ, Mbakam B, Tchoupo M, Ndo C, Wanji S, Wondji CS. Xeno-monitoring of molecular drivers of artemisinin and partner drug resistance in P. falciparum populations in malaria vectors across Cameroon. Gene 2022; 821:146339. [PMID: 35183684 PMCID: PMC8942117 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2022.146339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
High Plasmodium infection rate in the major Anopheles vectors across Cameroon. Emerging signal of the R575I polymorphism in the k13 propeller domain backbone. Dominance of the N86F184mdr1 variants in natural P. falciparum populations. Low k13 and mdr1 genetic diversity in P. falciparum-infected mosquitoes.
Background Monitoring of drug resistance in Plasmodium populations is crucial for malaria control. This has primarily been performed in humans and rarely in mosquitoes where parasites genetic recombination occurs. Here, we characterized the Plasmodium spp populations in wild Anopheles vectors by analyzing the genetic diversity of the P. falciparum kelch13 and mdr1 gene fragments implicated in artemisinin and partner drug resistance across Cameroon in three major malaria vectors. Methods Anopheles mosquitoes were collected across nine localities in Cameroon and dissected into the head/thorax (H/T) and abdomen (Abd) after species identification. A TaqMan assay was performed to detect Plasmodium infection. Fragments of the Kelch 13 and mdr1 genes were amplified in P. falciparum positive samples and directly sequenced to assess their drug resistance polymorphisms and genetic diversity profile. Results The study revealed a high Plasmodium infection rate in the major Anopheles vectors across Cameroon. Notably, An. funestus vector recorded the highest sporozoite (8.0%) and oocyst (14.4%) infection rates. A high P. falciparum sporozoite rate (80.08%) alongside epidemiological signatures of significant P. malariae (15.9%) circulation were recorded in these vectors. Low genetic diversity with six (A578S, R575I, G450R, L663L, G453D, N458D) and eight (H53H, V62L, V77E, N86Y, G102G, L132I, H143H, Y184F) point mutations were observed in the k13 and mdr1 backbones respectively. Remarkably, the R575I (4.4%) k13 and Y184F (64.2%) mdr1 mutations were the predominant variants in the P. falciparum populations. Conclusion The emerging signal of the R575I polymorphism in the Pfk13 propeller backbone entails the regular surveillance of molecular markers to inform evidence-based policy decisions. Moreover, the high frequency of the 86N184F allele highlights concerns on the plausible decline in efficacy of artemisinin-combination therapies (ACTs); further implying that parasite genotyping from mosquitoes can provide a more relevant scale for quantifying resistance epidemiology in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francis N Nkemngo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon.
| | - Leon M J Mugenzi
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Magellan Tchouakui
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Daniel Nguiffo-Nguete
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Murielle J Wondji
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom.
| | - Bertrand Mbakam
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Micareme Tchoupo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon.
| | - Cyrille Ndo
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon.
| | - Samuel Wanji
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, P.O. Box 63, Buea, Cameroon; Research Foundation in Tropical Diseases and Environment, Buea, Cameroon.
| | - Charles S Wondji
- Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases (CRID), P.O. Box 13591, Yaoundé, Cameroon; Vector Biology Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, United Kingdom.
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Pembet Singana B, Casimiro PN, Matondo Diassivi B, Kobawila SC, Youndouka JM, Basco LK, Ringwald P, Briolant S, Ndounga M. Prevalence of malaria among febrile patients and assessment of efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine and artesunate-amodiaquine for uncomplicated malaria in Dolisie, Republic of the Congo. Malar J 2022; 21:137. [PMID: 35501861 PMCID: PMC9063077 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04143-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In the Republic of the Congo, malaria represents a major public health problem affecting all age groups. A regular surveillance of the current efficacy of first-line anti-malarial drugs is required in the face of possible emergence and spread of artemisinin-resistant Plasmodium falciparum strains in Africa. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of malaria among febrile patients of all ages and assess the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine (AL) and artesunate-amodiaquine (ASAQ) in Congolese children. METHODS Febrile patients of all ages were initially screened for malaria by both rapid diagnostic test (RDT) and microscopy. Patients less than 12 years of age, with parasitaemia ≥ 1000 asexual parasites of P. falciparum/µL of blood, without any signs of severity, were enrolled in a therapeutic efficacy study and treated after obtaining their parents' (or legal guardian's) informed consent in two health centres in Dolisie. The patients were followed for 28 days in accordance with the 2009 World Health Organization standard protocol. If parasitaemia reappeared on or after day 7, the genetic profiles (genes expressing merozoite surface protein-1 [msp1], merozoite surface protein-2 [msp2], and glutamine-rich protein [glurp]) of pre-treatment and post-treatment isolates were compared by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by capillary electrophoresis to make a distinction between recrudescence and re-infection. The clinical and parasitological outcome was analysed by the per-protocol method and Kaplan-Meier survival curves. RESULTS A total of 994 febrile patients of all ages were screened by RDT and microscopy. Of 994 patients, 323 (32.5%) presented a positive RDT, and 266 (26.8%) were microscopy-positive. Based on microscopy as the reference diagnostic method, the sensitivity and the specificity of the RDT were 98.9 and 91.8%, respectively. The Cohen's kappa coefficient was 0.86. A total of 121 children aged less than 12 years (61 in AL treatment group and 60 in ASAQ treatment group) were included in therapeutic efficacy study. Before PCR correction, the proportions of adequate clinical and parasitological response were 96.6% for AL and 86.0% for ASAQ in the per-protocol population (P < 0.05). The PCR-corrected efficacy rates were 98.2% and 94.2% for AL and ASAQ, respectively (P > 0.05). Both treatments were well tolerated. CONCLUSIONS AL and ASAQ remain highly effective for the first-line treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Dolisie. Despite high efficacy of first- and second-line treatment, there is a continuing need to scale up effective malaria preventive interventions and vector control strategies in the country. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ACTRN12616001422415.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brice Pembet Singana
- grid.442828.00000 0001 0943 7362Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Marien Ngouabi, BP 69 Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Prisca Nadine Casimiro
- Institut National de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Simon Charles Kobawila
- grid.442828.00000 0001 0943 7362Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Marien Ngouabi, BP 69 Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Jean-Mermoz Youndouka
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Direction Générale de l’Epidémiologie de la Maladie, Ministère de la Santé et de la Population, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Leonardo K. Basco
- Aix Marseille Univ., IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France ,grid.483853.10000 0004 0519 5986IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France
| | - Pascal Ringwald
- grid.3575.40000000121633745Global Malaria Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sébastien Briolant
- Aix Marseille Univ., IRD, AP-HM, SSA, VITROME, Marseille, France ,grid.483853.10000 0004 0519 5986IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France ,grid.418221.cUnité de Parasitologie Entomologie, Département de Microbiologie et Maladies Infectieuses, Institut de Recherche Biomédicale des Armées, Marseille, France
| | - Mathieu Ndounga
- Programme National de Lutte Contre le Paludisme, Direction Générale de l’Epidémiologie de la Maladie, Ministère de la Santé et de la Population, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
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Koko VS, Warsame M, Vonhm B, Jeuronlon MK, Menard D, Ma L, Taweh F, Tehmeh L, Nyansaiye P, Pratt OJ, Parwon S, Kamara P, Asinya M, Kollie A, Ringwald P. Artesunate-amodiaquine and artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in Liberia: in vivo efficacy and frequency of molecular markers. Malar J 2022; 21:134. [PMID: 35477399 PMCID: PMC9044686 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04140-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Artesunate–amodiaquine (ASAQ) and Artemether–lumefantrine (AL) are the recommended treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Liberia. Intermittent preventive treatment with sulfadoxine/pyrimethamine is also recommended for pregnant women. The therapeutic efficacy of Artesunate–amodiaquine and Artemether–lumefantrine, and the frequency of molecular markers associated with anti-malarial drug resistance were investigated. Methods The therapeutic efficacy of ASAQ and AL was evaluated using the standard World Health Organization protocol (WHO. Methods for Surveillance of Antimalarial Drug Efficacy. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2009. https://www.who.int/malaria/publications/atoz/9789241597531/en/). Eligible children were recruited and monitored clinically and parasitologically for 28 days. Polymorphisms in the Pfkelch 13, chloroquine resistance transporter (Pfcrt), multidrug resistance 1 (Pfmdr-1), dihydrofolate reductase (Pfdhfr), and dihydropteroate synthase (Pfdhps) genes and copy number variations in the plasmepsin-2 (Pfpm2) gene were assessed in pretreatment samples. Results Of the 359 children enrolled, 180 were treated with ASAQ (89 in Saclepea and 91 in Bensonville) and 179 with AL (90 in Sinje and 89 in Kakata). Of the recruited children, 332 (92.5%) reached study endpoints. PCR-corrected per-protocol analysis showed ACPR of 90.2% (95% CI: 78.6–96.7%) in Bensonville and 92.7% (95% CI: 83.4.8–96.5%) in Saclepea for ASAQ, while ACPR of 100% was observed in Kakata and Sinje for AL. In both treatment groups, only two patients had parasites on day 3. No artemisinin resistance associated Pfkelch13 mutations or multiple copies of Pfpm2 were found. Most samples tested had the Pfcrt 76 T mutation (80/91, 87.9%), while the Pfmdr-1 86Y (40/91, 44%) and 184F (47/91, 51.6%) mutations were less frequent. The Pfdhfr triple mutant (51I/59R/108 N) was the predominant allele (49.2%). For the Pfdhps gene, it was the 540E mutant (16.0%), and the 436A mutant (14.3%). The quintuple allele (51I/59R/108 N-437G/540E) was detected in only one isolate (1/357). Conclusion This study reports a decline in the efficacy of ASAQ treatment, while AL remained highly effective, supporting the recent decision by NMCP to replace ASAQ with AL as first-line treatment for uncomplicated falciparum malaria. No association between the presence of the mutations in Pfcrt and Pfmdr-1 and the risk of parasite recrudescence in patients treated with ASAQ was observed. Parasites with signatures known to be associated with artemisinin and piperaquine resistance were not detected. The very low frequency of the quintuple Pfdhfr/Pfdhps mutant haplotype supports the continued use of SP for IPTp. Monitoring of efficacy and resistance markers of routinely used anti-malarials is necessary to inform malaria treatment policy. Trial registration ACTRN12617001064392. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-022-04140-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor S Koko
- National Malaria Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Monrovia, Liberia.
| | - Marian Warsame
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Benjamin Vonhm
- National Public Health Institute of Liberia-NPHIL, Monrovia, Liberia
| | | | - Didier Menard
- Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit, INSERM U1201, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France.,Laboratoire de Parasitologie et Mycologie Médicale, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France.,Institut de Parasitologie et Pathologie Tropicale, UR7292 Dynamique des Interactions Hôte Pathogène, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Laurence Ma
- Biomics Platform, C2RT, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Fahn Taweh
- National Public Health Institute of Liberia-NPHIL, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Lekilay Tehmeh
- Quality Control Unit, Ministry of Health, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Paye Nyansaiye
- National Malaria Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Oliver J Pratt
- National Malaria Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Monrovia, Liberia
| | - Sei Parwon
- Saclepea Comprehensive Health Center, Saclepea, Ministry of Health, Saclepea, Liberia
| | - Patrick Kamara
- Sinje Health Centre, Garwula, Ministery of Health, Garwula, Liberia
| | - Magnus Asinya
- Charles Henry Rennie Hospital, Kakata, Ministry of Health, Kakata, Liberia
| | - Aaron Kollie
- Bensonville Hospital, Bensonville, Ministry of Health, Bensonville, Liberia
| | - Pascal Ringwald
- Global Malaria Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
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Rawat M, Kanyal A, Choubey D, Deshmukh B, Malhotra R, Mamatharani DV, Rao AG, Karmodiya K. Identification of Co-Existing Mutations and Gene Expression Trends Associated With K13-Mediated Artemisinin Resistance in Plasmodium falciparum. Front Genet 2022; 13:824483. [PMID: 35464842 PMCID: PMC9019836 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.824483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum infects millions and kills thousands of people annually the world over. With the emergence of artemisinin and/or multidrug resistant strains of the pathogen, it has become even more challenging to control and eliminate the disease. Multiomics studies of the parasite have started to provide a glimpse into the confounding genetics and mechanisms of artemisinin resistance and identified mutations in Kelch13 (K13) as a molecular marker of resistance. Over the years, thousands of genomes and transcriptomes of artemisinin-resistant/sensitive isolates have been documented, supplementing the search for new genes/pathways to target artemisinin-resistant isolates. This meta-analysis seeks to recap the genetic landscape and the transcriptional deregulation that demarcate artemisinin resistance in the field. To explore the genetic territory of artemisinin resistance, we use genomic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) datasets from 2,517 isolates from 15 countries from the MalariaGEN Network (The Pf3K project, pilot data release 4, 2015) to dissect the prevalence, geographical distribution, and co-existing patterns of genetic markers associated with/enabling artemisinin resistance. We have identified several mutations which co-exist with the established markers of artemisinin resistance. Interestingly, K13-resistant parasites harbor α-ß hydrolase and putative HECT domain-containing protein genes with the maximum number of SNPs. We have also explored the multiple, publicly available transcriptomic datasets to identify genes from key biological pathways whose consistent deregulation may be contributing to the biology of resistant parasites. Surprisingly, glycolytic and pentose phosphate pathways were consistently downregulated in artemisinin-resistant parasites. Thus, this meta-analysis highlights the genetic and transcriptomic features of resistant parasites to propel further exploratory studies in the community to tackle artemisinin resistance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukul Rawat
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Abhishek Kanyal
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Deepak Choubey
- Life Science Research Unit, Persistent Systems Limited, Pune, India
| | - Bhagyashree Deshmukh
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Rashim Malhotra
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - D V Mamatharani
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Anjani Gopal Rao
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
| | - Krishanpal Karmodiya
- Department of Biology, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune, India
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Polymorphisms of potential drug resistant molecular markers in Plasmodium vivax from China–Myanmar border during 2008‒2017. Infect Dis Poverty 2022; 11:43. [PMID: 35462549 PMCID: PMC9036727 DOI: 10.1186/s40249-022-00964-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Plasmodium vivax remains the predominant species at the China–Myanmar border, imposing a major challenge to the recent gains in regional malaria elimination. To closely supervise the emerging of drug resistance in this area, we surveyed the variations in genes potentially correlated with drug resistance in P. vivax parasite and the possible drug selection with time.
Methods
A total of 235 P. vivax samples were collected from patients suffering uncomplicated malaria at Yingjiang, Tengchong, and Longling counties, and Nabang port in China, Yunnan province, and Laiza sub-township in Myanmar, from 2008 to 2017. Five potential drug resistance genes were amplified utilizing nested-PCR and analyzed, including pvdhfr, pvdhps, pvmdr1, pvcrt-o, and pvk12. The Pearson’s Chi-squared test or Fisher’s exact test were applied to determine the statistical frequency differences of mutations between categorical data.
Results
The pvdhfr F57I/L, S58R, T61M and S117T/N presented in 40.6%, 56.7%, 40.1%, and 56.0% of the sequenced P. vivax isolates, and these mutations significantly decreased with years. The haplotype formed by these quadruple mutations predominated in Yingjiang, Tengchong, Longling and Nabang. While a mutation H99S/R (56.6%) dominated in Laiza and increased with time. In pvdhps, the A383G prevailed in 69.2% of the samples, which remained the most prevalent haplotype. However, a significant decrease of its occurrence was also noticed over the time. The S382A/C and A553G existed in 8.4% and 30.8% of the isolates, respectively. In pvmdr1, the mutation Y976F occurred at a low frequency in 5/232 (2.2%), while T958M was fixed and F1076L was approaching fixed (72.4%). The K10 insertion was detected at an occurrence of 33.2% in pvcrt-o, whereas there was no significant difference among the sites or over the time. No mutation was identified in pvk12.
Conclusions
Mutations related with resistance to antifolate drugs are prevalent in this area, while their frequencies decrease significantly with time, suggestive of increased susceptibility of P. vivax parasite to antifolate drugs. Resistance to chloroquine (CQ) is possibly emerging. However, since the molecular mechanisms underneath CQ resistance is yet to be better understood, close supervision of clinical drug efficiency and continuous function investigation is urgently needed to alarm drug resistance.
Graphical abstract
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246
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Population Pharmacokinetics of Antimalarial Naphthoquine in Combination with Artemisinin in Tanzanian Children and Adults: Dose Optimization. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0169621. [PMID: 35465706 PMCID: PMC9112936 DOI: 10.1128/aac.01696-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The combination antimalarial therapy of artemisinin-naphthoquine (ART-NQ) was developed as a single-dose therapy, aiming to improve adherence relative to the multiday schedules of other artemisinin combination therapies. The pharmacokinetics of ART-NQ has not been well characterized, especially in children. A pharmacokinetic study was conducted in adults and children over 5 years of age (6 to 10, 11 to 17, and ≥18 years of age) with uncomplicated malaria in Tanzania. The median weights for the three age groups were 20, 37.5, and 55 kg, respectively. Twenty-nine patients received single doses of 20 mg/kg of body weight for artemisinin and 8 mg/kg for naphthoquine, and plasma drug concentrations were assessed at 13 time points over 42 days from treatment. We used nonlinear mixed-effects modeling to interpret the data, and allometric scaling was employed to adjust for the effect of body size. The pharmacokinetics of artemisinin was best described by one-compartment model and that of naphthoquine by a two-compartment disposition model. Clearance values for a typical patient (55-kg body weight and 44.3-kg fat-free mass) were estimated as 66.7 L/h (95% confidence interval [CI], 57.3 to 78.5 L/h) for artemisinin and 44.2 L/h (95% CI, 37.9 to 50.6 L/h) for naphthoquine. Nevertheless, we show via simulation that patients weighing ≥70 kg achieve on average a 30% lower day 7 concentration compared to a 48-kg reference patient at the doses tested, suggesting dose increases may be warranted to ensure adequate exposure. (This study has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov under identifier NCT01930331.).
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Boonyalai N, Kirativanich K, Thamnurak C, Praditpol C, Vesely BA, Wojnarski M, Griesenbeck JS, Waters NC. A single point mutation in the Plasmodium falciparum 3'-5' exonuclease does not alter piperaquine susceptibility. Malar J 2022; 21:130. [PMID: 35459163 PMCID: PMC9034581 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-022-04148-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The rise in Plasmodium falciparum resistance to dihydroartemisinin–piperaquine (DHA–PPQ) treatment has been documented in the Greater Mekong Subregion with associations with mutations in the P. falciparum chloroquine resistance transporter (pfcrt) and plasmepsin 2 (pfpm2) genes. However, it is unclear whether other genes also play a role with PPQ resistance, such as the E415G mutation in the exonuclease (pfexo) gene. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of this mutation in PPQ resistance by generating transgenic parasites expressing the pfexo-E415G mutant allele. Methods Transgenic parasite clones carrying the E415G mutation in PfEXO of the B5 isolate were derived by CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and verified using PCR and gene sequencing. Polymorphisms of pfkelch-13, pfcrt, and pfexo were examined by PCR while the copy number variations of pfpm2 were examined by both relative quantitative real-time PCR and the duplication breakpoint assay. Drug sensitivity against a panel of antimalarials, the ring-stage survival assay (RSA), the PPQ survival assay (PSA), and bimodal dose-response curves were used to evaluate antimalarial susceptibility. Results The transgenic line, B5-rexo-E415G-B8, was successfully generated. The PPQ-IC90, %PPQ survival, and the bimodal dose-response clearly showed that E415G mutation in PfEXO of B5 isolate remained fully susceptible to PPQ. Furthermore, growth assays demonstrated that the engineered parasites grew slightly faster than the unmodified parental isolates whereas P. falciparum isolates harbouring pfkelch-13, pfcrt, and pfexo mutations with multiple copies of pfpm2 grew much more slowly. Conclusions Insertion of the E415G mutation in PfEXO did not lead to increased PPQ-IC90 and %PPQ survival, suggesting that this mutation alone may not be associated with PPQ resistance, but could still be an important marker if used in conjunction with other markers for monitoring PPQ-resistant parasites. The results also highlight the importance of monitoring and evaluating suspected genetic mutations with regard to parasite fitness and resistance. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12936-022-04148-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nonlawat Boonyalai
- Department of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Kirakarn Kirativanich
- Department of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chatchadaporn Thamnurak
- Department of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chantida Praditpol
- Department of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Brian A Vesely
- Department of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Mariusz Wojnarski
- Department of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - John S Griesenbeck
- Department of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Norman C Waters
- Department of Bacterial and Parasitic Diseases, Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Bangkok, Thailand
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Abstract
Emerging resistance to artemisinin (ART) has become a challenge for reducing worldwide malaria mortality and morbidity. The C580Y mutation in Plasmodium falciparum Kelch13 has been identified as the major determinant for ART resistance in the background of other mutations, which include the T38I mutation in autophagy-related protein PfATG18. Increased endoplasmic reticulum phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate (ER-PI3P) vesiculation, unfolded protein response (UPR), and oxidative stress are the proteostasis mechanisms proposed to cause ART resistance. While UPR and PI3P are known to stimulate autophagy in higher organisms to clear misfolded proteins, participation of the parasite autophagy machinery in these mechanisms of ART resistance has not yet been experimentally demonstrated. Our study establishes that ART-induced ER stress leads to increased expression of P. falciparum autophagy proteins through induction of the UPR. Furthermore, the ART-resistant K13C580Y isolate shows higher basal expression levels of autophagy proteins than those of its isogenic counterpart, and this magnifies under starvation conditions. The copresence of PfK13 with PfATG18 and PI3P on parasite hemoglobin-trafficking vesicles demonstrate interactions between the autophagy and hemoglobin endocytosis pathways proposed to be involved in ART resistance. Analysis of PfK13 mutations in 2,517 field isolates, revealing an impressive >85% coassociation between PfK13 C580Y and PfATG18 T38I, together with our experimental studies with an ART-resistant P. falciparum strain establishes that parasite autophagy underpins various mechanisms of ART resistance and is a starting point to further explore this pathway for developing antimalarials.
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Dimeric Artesunate Glycerophosphocholine Conjugate Nano-Assemblies as Slow-Release Antimalarials to Overcome Kelch 13 Mutant Artemisinin Resistance. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2022; 66:e0206521. [PMID: 35416709 DOI: 10.1128/aac.02065-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Current best practice for the treatment of malaria relies on short half-life artemisinins that are failing against emerging Kelch 13 mutant parasite strains. Here, we introduce a liposome-like self-assembly of a dimeric artesunate glycerophosphocholine conjugate (dAPC-S) as an amphiphilic prodrug for the short-lived antimalarial drug, dihydroartemisinin (DHA), with enhanced killing of Kelch 13 mutant artemisinin-resistant parasites. Cryo-electron microscopy (cryoEM) images and the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique show that dAPC-S typically exhibits a multilamellar liposomal structure with a size distribution similar to that of the liposomes generated using thin-film dispersion (dAPC-L). Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS) was used to monitor the release of DHA. Sustainable release of DHA from dAPC-S and dAPC-L assemblies increased the effective dose and thus efficacy against Kelch 13 mutant artemisinin-resistant parasites in an in vitro assay. To better understand the enhanced killing effect, we investigated processes for deactivation of both the assemblies and DHA, including the roles of serum components and trace levels of iron. Analysis of parasite proteostasis pathways revealed that dAPC assemblies exert their activity via the same mechanism as DHA. We conclude that this easily prepared multilamellar liposome-like dAPC-S with long-acting efficacy shows potential for the treatment of severe and artemisinin-resistant malaria.
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Rosenthal PJ, Björkman A, Dhorda M, Djimde A, Dondorp AM, Gaye O, Guerin PJ, Juma E, Kwiatkowski DP, Merson L, Ntoumi F, Price RN, Raman J, Roos DS, ter Kuile F, Tinto H, Tomko SS, White NJ, Barnes KI. Cooperation in Countering Artemisinin Resistance in Africa: Learning from COVID-19. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2022; 106:tpmd220148. [PMID: 35413688 PMCID: PMC9209939 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.22-0148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Anders Björkman
- Malaria Group, University of Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Mehul Dhorda
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Abdoulaye Djimde
- Malaria Research and Training Centre, University of Science, Techniques and Technologies, Bamako, Mali
| | - Arjen M. Dondorp
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Oumar Gaye
- Department of Medical Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dentistry, L’Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Philippe J. Guerin
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network and Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Juma
- World Health Organization African Regional Office, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Laura Merson
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network and Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Francine Ntoumi
- Fondation Congolaise pour la Recherche Médicale, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- Institute for Tropical Medicine, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Ric N. Price
- Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Bangkok, Thailand
- Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network and Infectious Diseases Data Observatory, Oxford University, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Global and Tropical Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
| | - Jaishree Raman
- South African National Institute for Communicable Diseases, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Wits Research Institute for Malaria, School of Pathology, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - David S. Roos
- University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Feiko ter Kuile
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Kenya Medical Research Institute, Centre for Global Health Research, Kisumu, Kenya
| | - Halidou Tinto
- Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé, Nanoro, Burkina Faso
| | | | | | - Karen I. Barnes
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network, Pharmacology Scientific Module, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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