Plug for the parasitophorous duct: a solution of two conundra

Cultivation of Asexual Intraerythrocytic Stages of Plasmodium falciparum

Successfully developed in 1976, the continuous in vitro culture of Plasmodium falciparum has many applications in the field of malaria research. It has become an important experimental model that directly uses a human pathogen responsible for a high prevalence of morbidity and mortality in many parts of the world and is a major source of biological material for immunological, biochemical, molecular, and pharmacological studies. Until present, the basic techniques described by Trager and Jensen and Haynes et al. remain unchanged in many malaria research laboratories. Nonetheless, different factors, including culture media, buffers, serum substitutes and supplements, sources of erythrocytes, and conditions of incubation (especially oxygen concentration), have been modified by different investigators to adapt the original technique in their laboratories or enhance the in vitro growth of the parasites. The possible effects and benefits of these modifications for the continuous cultivation of asexual intraerythrocytic stages of P. falciparum, as well as future challenges in developing a serum-free cultivation system and axenic cultures, are discussed.

An overview of the Plasmodium falciparum hexose transporter and its therapeutic interventions

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.