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Pinheiro AAS, Torrecilhas AC, Souza BSDF, Cruz FF, Guedes HLDM, Ramos TD, Lopes‐Pacheco M, Caruso‐Neves C, Rocco PRM. Potential of extracellular vesicles in the pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy for parasitic diseases. J Extracell Vesicles 2024; 13:e12496. [PMID: 39113589 PMCID: PMC11306921 DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 07/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Parasitic diseases have a significant impact on human and animal health, representing a major hazard to the public and causing economic and health damage worldwide. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have long been recognized as diagnostic and therapeutic tools but are now also known to be implicated in the natural history of parasitic diseases and host immune response modulation. Studies have shown that EVs play a role in parasitic disease development by interacting with parasites and communicating with other types of cells. This review highlights the most recent research on EVs and their role in several aspects of parasite-host interactions in five key parasitic diseases: Chagas disease, malaria, toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis and helminthiases. We also discuss the potential use of EVs as diagnostic tools or treatment options for these infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Acacia Sá Pinheiro
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas FilhoUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health‐NanoSAÚDE/Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Ana Claudia Torrecilhas
- Departamento de Ciências FarmacêuticasDiadema Campus, Instituto de Ciências Ambientais, Químicas e FarmacêuticasUniversidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP)DiademaSão PauloBrazil
| | - Bruno Solano de Freitas Souza
- Center for Biotechnology and Cell TherapySão Rafael HospitalSalvadorBrazil
- D'Or Institute for Research and Education (IDOR)SalvadorBrazil
| | - Fernanda Ferreira Cruz
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas FilhoUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health‐NanoSAÚDE/Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Herbert Leonel de Matos Guedes
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Goés (IMPG)Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Tadeu Diniz Ramos
- Instituto de Microbiologia Paulo de Goés (IMPG)Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (FIOCRUZ)Instituto Oswaldo Cruz (IOC)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Miqueias Lopes‐Pacheco
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas FilhoUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- Deparment of PediatricsCenter for Cystic Fibrosis and Airway Disease ResearchEmory University School of MedicineAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | - Celso Caruso‐Neves
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas FilhoUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health‐NanoSAÚDE/Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative MedicineINCT‐REGENERARio de JaneiroBrazil
| | - Patricia R. M. Rocco
- Instituto de Biofísica Carlos Chagas FilhoUniversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- Rio de Janeiro Innovation Network in Nanosystems for Health‐NanoSAÚDE/Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ)Rio de JaneiroBrazil
- National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative MedicineINCT‐REGENERARio de JaneiroBrazil
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2
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Constantinescu AE, Hughes DA, Bull CJ, Fleming K, Mitchell RE, Zheng J, Kar S, Timpson NJ, Amulic B, Vincent EE. A genome-wide association study of neutrophil count in individuals associated to an African continental ancestry group facilitates studies of malaria pathogenesis. Hum Genomics 2024; 18:26. [PMID: 38491524 PMCID: PMC10941368 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-024-00585-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND 'Benign ethnic neutropenia' (BEN) is a heritable condition characterized by lower neutrophil counts, predominantly observed in individuals of African ancestry, and the genetic basis of BEN remains a subject of extensive research. In this study, we aimed to dissect the genetic architecture underlying neutrophil count variation through a linear-mixed model genome-wide association study (GWAS) in a population of African ancestry (N = 5976). Malaria caused by P. falciparum imposes a tremendous public health burden on people living in sub-Saharan Africa. Individuals living in malaria endemic regions often have a reduced circulating neutrophil count due to BEN, raising the possibility that reduced neutrophil counts modulate severity of malaria in susceptible populations. As a follow-up, we tested this hypothesis by conducting a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis of neutrophil counts on severe malaria (MalariaGEN, N = 17,056). RESULTS We carried out a GWAS of neutrophil count in individuals associated to an African continental ancestry group within UK Biobank, identifying 73 loci (r2 = 0.1) and 10 index SNPs (GCTA-COJO loci) associated with neutrophil count, including previously unknown rare loci regulating neutrophil count in a non-European population. BOLT-LMM was reliable when conducted in a non-European population, and additional covariates added to the model did not largely alter the results of the top loci or index SNPs. The two-sample bi-directional MR analysis between neutrophil count and severe malaria showed the greatest evidence for an effect between neutrophil count and severe anaemia, although the confidence intervals crossed the null. CONCLUSION Our GWAS of neutrophil count revealed unique loci present in individuals of African ancestry. We note that a small sample-size reduced our power to identify variants with low allele frequencies and/or low effect sizes in our GWAS. Our work highlights the need for conducting large-scale biobank studies in Africa and for further exploring the link between neutrophils and severe malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei-Emil Constantinescu
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - David A Hughes
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Louisiana State University, Louisiana, USA
| | - Caroline J Bull
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Health Data Research UK, London, UK
| | - Kathryn Fleming
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ruth E Mitchell
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Jie Zheng
- Department of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai National Clinical Research Center for Metabolic Diseases, Key Laboratory for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, National Health Commission, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
- Shanghai National Center for Translational Medicine, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China
| | - Siddhartha Kar
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Early Cancer Insitute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicholas J Timpson
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Borko Amulic
- School of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Emma E Vincent
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- Bristol Medical School, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
- School of Translational Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
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3
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Wassmer SC, de Koning-Ward TF, Grau GER, Pai S. Unravelling mysteries at the perivascular space: a new rationale for cerebral malaria pathogenesis. Trends Parasitol 2024; 40:28-44. [PMID: 38065791 PMCID: PMC11072469 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2023.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 11/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe neurological complication caused by Plasmodium falciparum parasites; it is characterized by the sequestration of infected red blood cells within the cerebral microvasculature. New findings, combined with a better understanding of the central nervous system (CNS) barriers, have provided greater insight into the players and events involved in CM, including site-specific T cell responses in the human brain. Here, we review the updated roles of innate and adaptive immune responses in CM, with a focus on the role of the perivascular macrophage-endothelium unit in antigen presentation, in the vascular and perivascular compartments. We suggest that these events may be pivotal in the development of CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel C Wassmer
- Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Tania F de Koning-Ward
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia; Institute of Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - Georges E R Grau
- Vascular Immunology Unit, Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Saparna Pai
- Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, Queensland, Australia.
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Jeje TO, Bando H, Azad MTA, Fukuda Y, Oluwafemi IE, Kato K. Antiplasmodial and interferon-gamma-modulating activities of the aqueous extract of stone breaker (Phyllanthus niruri Linn.) in malaria infection. Parasitol Int 2023; 97:102789. [PMID: 37473798 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2023.102789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum parasites are the primary cause of malaria across Africa. The problem of drug resistance to malaria is ever growing and novel therapeutic strategies need to be developed, particularly those targeting the parasite and also the host or host-pathogen interaction. Previous studies have shown that the development of cerebral malaria (CM) is related to dysregulation of the immune system in a murine malaria model of experimental cerebral malaria. It involves a complex interaction of events and interferon-gamma seems to be the unifying factor. Therefore, the antiplasmodial activity targeting the parasite and immunomodulatory strategies that reduce overall host inflammation, with IFN-γ in focus, could delay CM onset and prove beneficial in malaria infection therapy. Phyllanthus niruri is used to treat fever and other symptoms of malaria in Nigeria. Its modes of action as an anti-malarial remedy have not been exhaustively investigated. This study therefore examined the aqueous extract of P. niruri (PE) for its antiplasmodial activity in vitro using the Plasmodium falciparum HB3 strain. Furthermore, in vivo murine malaria model using the Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain was used to investigate its anti-malarial effects. We showed that PE has multiple anti-malarial effects, including anti-parasitic and host immunomodulatory activities. Co-culture of P. falciparum with PE and some of its phytoconstituents drastically reduced parasite number. PE also decreased parasitemia, and increased the survival of infected mice. We also observed that the integrity of the blood-brain barrier was maintained in the PE-treated mice. The results confirmed that PE showed moderate antiplasmodial activity. In vivo murine malaria model using P. berghei ANKA for experimental cerebral malaria revealed that PE suppressed parasite growth, and modulate the production of interferon-gamma. The findings demonstrate that PE affects malaria progression, targeting parasites and host cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Temitope Olawale Jeje
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan; Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Nigeria; Department of Biochemistry, School of Science, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria
| | - Hironori Bando
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan
| | - Md Thoufic Anam Azad
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan; Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh
| | - Yasuhiro Fukuda
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan
| | | | - Kentaro Kato
- Laboratory of Sustainable Animal Environment, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, 232-3 Yomogida, Naruko-onsen, Osaki, Miyagi 989-6711, Japan.
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5
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Vetter L, Bajalan A, Ahamed MT, Scasso C, Shafeeq S, Andersson B, Ribacke U. Starvation induces changes in abundance and small RNA cargo of extracellular vesicles released from Plasmodium falciparum infected red blood cells. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18423. [PMID: 37891207 PMCID: PMC10611735 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45590-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The lethal malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum needs to constantly respond and adapt to changes within the human host in order to survive and transmit. One such change is composed of nutritional limitation, which is augmented with increased parasite loads and intimately linked to severe disease development. Extracellular vesicles released from infected red blood cells have been proposed as important mediators of disease pathogenesis and intercellular communication but whether important for the parasite response to nutritional availability is unknown. Therefore, we investigated the abundance and small RNA cargo of extracellular vesicles released upon short-term nutritional starvation of P. falciparum in vitro cultures. We show that primarily ring-stage parasite cultures respond to glucose and amino acid deprivation with an increased release of extracellular vesicles. Small RNA sequencing of these extracellular vesicles further revealed human miRNAs and parasitic tRNA fragments as the main constituent biotypes. Short-term starvations led to alterations in the transcriptomic profile, most notably in terms of the over-represented biotypes. These data suggest a potential role for extracellular vesicles released from P. falciparum infected red blood cells in the response to nutritional perturbations, their potential as prognostic biomarkers and point towards an evolutionary conserved role among protozoan parasites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonie Vetter
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165, Solna, Sweden
| | - Amanj Bajalan
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165, Solna, Sweden
| | - Mohammad Tanvir Ahamed
- Department of Learning, Informatics, Management and Ethics, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18, SE-17177, Solna, Sweden
| | - Caterina Scasso
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sulman Shafeeq
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165, Solna, Sweden
| | - Björn Andersson
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165, Solna, Sweden
| | - Ulf Ribacke
- Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology, Karolinska Institutet, Solnavägen 9, SE-17165, Solna, Sweden.
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Uppsala University, Husargatan 3, SE-75237, Uppsala, Sweden.
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6
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Rajan Raghavan SS, Turner L, Jensen RW, Johansen NT, Jensen DS, Gourdon P, Zhang J, Wang Y, Theander TG, Wang K, Lavstsen T. Endothelial protein C receptor binding induces conformational changes to severe malaria-associated group A PfEMP1. Structure 2023; 31:1174-1183.e4. [PMID: 37582356 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria infections are caused by microvascular sequestration of parasites binding to the human endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) via the multi-domain P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) adhesion ligands. Using cryogenic electron microscopy (Cryo-EM) and PfEMP1 sequence diversity analysis, we found that group A PfEMP1 CIDRα1 domains interact with the adjacent DBLα1 domain through central, conserved residues of the EPCR-binding site to adopt a compact conformation. Upon EPCR binding, the DBLα1 domain is displaced, and the EPCR-binding helix of CIDRα1 is turned, kinked, and twisted to reach a rearranged, stable EPCR-bound conformation. The unbound conformation and the required transition to the EPCR-bound conformation may represent a conformational masking mechanism of immune evasion for the PfEMP1 family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai Sundar Rajan Raghavan
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Louise Turner
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rasmus W Jensen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Nicolai Tidemand Johansen
- Section for Transport Biology, Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Skjold Jensen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Pontus Gourdon
- Department of Experimental Medical Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden; Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jinqiu Zhang
- The Provincial International Science and Technology Cooperation Base on Engineering Biology, International Campus of Zhejiang University, Haining, China
| | - Yong Wang
- The Provincial International Science and Technology Cooperation Base on Engineering Biology, International Campus of Zhejiang University, Haining, China
| | - Thor Grundtvig Theander
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kaituo Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Thomas Lavstsen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Copenhagen, and Department of Infectious Diseases, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark.
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7
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Tiberti N, Longoni SS, Combes V, Piubelli C. Host-Derived Extracellular Vesicles in Blood and Tissue Human Protozoan Infections. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2318. [PMID: 37764162 PMCID: PMC10536481 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11092318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Blood and tissue protozoan infections are responsible for an enormous burden in tropical and subtropical regions, even though they can also affect people living in high-income countries, mainly as a consequence of migration and travel. These pathologies are responsible for heavy socio-economic issues in endemic countries, where the lack of proper therapeutic interventions and effective vaccine strategies is still hampering their control. Moreover, the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with the establishment, progression and outcome of these infectious diseases are yet to be fully described. Among all the players, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have raised significant interest during the last decades due to their capacity to modulate inter-parasite and host-parasite interactions. In the present manuscript, we will review the state of the art of circulating host-derived EVs in clinical samples or in experimental models of human blood and tissue protozoan diseases (i.e., malaria, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, human African trypanosomiasis and toxoplasmosis) to gain novel insights into the mechanisms of pathology underlying these conditions and to identify novel potential diagnostic markers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Tiberti
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy; (S.S.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Silvia Stefania Longoni
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy; (S.S.L.); (C.P.)
| | - Valéry Combes
- Microvesicles and Malaria Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia;
| | - Chiara Piubelli
- Department of Infectious, Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, 37024 Negrar di Valpolicella, Italy; (S.S.L.); (C.P.)
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8
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Altered gastrointestinal tract structure and microbiome following cerebral malaria infection. Parasitol Res 2023; 122:789-799. [PMID: 36602586 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07775-2] [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: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most severe form of malaria with the highest mortality rate and can result in life-long neurological deficits and ongoing comorbidities. Factors contributing to severity of infection and development of CM are not fully elucidated. Recent studies have indicated a key role of the gut microbiome in a range of health conditions that affect the brain, but limited microbiome research has been conducted in the context of malaria. To address this knowledge gap, the impact of CM on the gut microbiome was investigated in mice. C57BL/6J mice were infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) parasites and compared to non-infected controls. Microbial DNA from faecal pellets collected daily for 6-days post-infection were extracted, and microbiome comparisons conducted using 16S rRNA profiling. We identified significant differences in the composition of bacterial communities between the infected and the non-infected groups, including a higher abundance of the genera Akkermansia, Alistipes and Alloprevotella in PbA-infected mice. Furthermore, intestinal samples were collected post-cull for morphological analysis. We determined that the caecal weight was significantly lower, and the small intestine was significantly longer in PbA-infected mice than in the non-infected controls. We concluded that changes in microbial community composition were primarily driven by the infection protocol and, to a lesser extent, by the time of infection. Our findings pave the way for a new area of research and novel intervention strategies to modulate the severity of cerebral malaria disease.
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9
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Storm J, Camarda G, Haley MJ, Brough D, Couper KN, Craig AG. Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocyte co-culture with the monocyte cell line THP-1 does not trigger production of soluble factors reducing brain microvascular barrier function. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285323. [PMID: 37141324 PMCID: PMC10159134 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Monocytes contribute to the pro-inflammatory immune response during the blood stage of a Plasmodium falciparum infection, but their precise role in malaria pathology is not clear. Besides phagocytosis, monocytes are activated by products from P. falciparum infected erythrocytes (IE) and one of the activation pathways is potentially the NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome, a multi-protein complex that leads to the production of interleukin (IL)-1β. In cerebral malaria cases, monocytes accumulate at IE sequestration sites in the brain microvascular and the locally produced IL-1β, or other secreted molecules, could contribute to leakage of the blood-brain barrier. To study the activation of monocytes by IE within the brain microvasculature in an in vitro model, we co-cultured IT4var14 IE and the monocyte cell line THP-1 for 24 hours and determined whether generated soluble molecules affect barrier function of human brain microvascular endothelial cells, measured by real time trans-endothelial electrical resistance. The medium produced after co-culture did not affect endothelial barrier function and similarly no effect was measured after inducing oxidative stress by adding xanthine oxidase to the co-culture. While IL-1β does decrease barrier function, barely any IL-1β was produced in the co- cultures, indicative of a lack of or incomplete THP-1 activation by IE in this co-culture model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Storm
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Grazia Camarda
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Michael J Haley
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - David Brough
- Division of Neuroscience, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Kevin N Couper
- Division of Immunology, Immunity to Infection and Respiratory Medicine, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Alister G Craig
- Department of Tropical Disease Biology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
- Centre for Drugs and Diagnostics, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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10
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Kumar A, Kabra A, Igarashi I, Krause PJ. Animal models of the immunology and pathogenesis of human babesiosis. Trends Parasitol 2023; 39:38-52. [PMID: 36470781 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Animal models of human babesiosis have provided a basic understanding of the immunological mechanisms that clear, or occasionally exacerbate, Babesia infection and those pathological processes that cause disease complications. Human Babesia infection can cause asymptomatic infection, mild to moderate disease, or severe disease resulting in organ dysfunction and death. More than 100 Babesia species infect a wide array of wild and domestic animals, and many of the immunologic and pathologic responses to Babesia infection are similar in animals and humans. In this review, we summarize the knowledge gained from animal studies, their limitations, and how animal models or alternative approaches can be further leveraged to improve our understanding of human babesiosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinav Kumar
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Aditya Kabra
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA
| | - Ikuo Igarashi
- National Research Center for Protozoan Diseases, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Peter J Krause
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA.
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11
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Investigation of Plasma-Derived Lipidome Profiles in Experimental Cerebral Malaria in a Mouse Model Study. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010501. [PMID: 36613941 PMCID: PMC9820457 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM), a fatal complication of Plasmodium infection that affects children, especially under the age of five, in sub-Saharan Africa and adults in South-East Asia, results from incompletely understood pathogenetic mechanisms. Increased release of circulating miRNA, proteins, lipids and extracellular vesicles has been found in CM patients and experimental mouse models. We compared lipid profiles derived from the plasma of CBA mice infected with Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA), which causes CM, to those from Plasmodium yoelii (Py), which does not. We previously showed that platelet-free plasma (18k fractions enriched from plasma) contains a high number of extracellular vesicles (EVs). Here, we found that this fraction produced at the time of CM differed dramatically from those of non-CM mice, despite identical levels of parasitaemia. Using high-resolution liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS), we identified over 300 lipid species within 12 lipid classes. We identified 45 and 75 lipid species, mostly including glycerolipids and phospholipids, with significantly altered concentrations in PbA-infected mice compared to Py-infected and uninfected mice, respectively. Total lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) levels were significantly lower in PbA infection compared to Py infection and controls. These results suggest that experimental CM could be characterised by specific changes in the lipid composition of the 18k fraction containing circulating EVs and can be considered an appropriate model to study the role of lipids in the pathophysiology of CM.
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12
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Alves FDM, Bellei JCB, Barbosa CDS, Duarte CL, da Fonseca AL, Pinto ACDS, Raimundo FO, Carpinter BA, Lemos ASDO, Coimbra ES, Taranto AG, Rocha VN, de Pilla Varotti F, Ribeiro Viana GH, Scopel KKG. Rational-Based Discovery of Novel β-Carboline Derivatives as Potential Antimalarials: From In Silico Identification of Novel Targets to Inhibition of Experimental Cerebral Malaria. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11121529. [PMID: 36558863 PMCID: PMC9781199 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11121529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Malaria is an infectious disease widespread in underdeveloped tropical regions. The most severe form of infection is caused by Plasmodium falciparum, which can lead to development of cerebral malaria (CM) and is responsible for deaths and significant neurocognitive sequelae throughout life. In this context and considering the emergence and spread of drug-resistant P. falciparum isolates, the search for new antimalarial candidates becomes urgent. β-carbolines alkaloids are good candidates since a wide range of biological activity for these compounds has been reported. Herein, we designed 20 chemical entities and performed an in silico virtual screening against a pool of P. falciparum molecular targets, the Brazilian Malaria Molecular Targets (BRAMMT). Seven structures showed potential to interact with PfFNR, PfPK7, PfGrx1, and PfATP6, being synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antiplasmodial activity. Among them, compounds 3−6 and 10 inhibited the growth of the W2 strain at µM concentrations, with low cytotoxicity against the human cell line. In silico physicochemical and pharmacokinetic properties were found to be favorable for oral administration. The compound 10 provided the best results against CM, with important values of parasite growth inhibition on the 5th day post-infection for both curative (67.9%) and suppressive (82%) assays. Furthermore, this compound was able to elongate mice survival and protect them against the development of the experimental model of CM (>65%). Compound 10 also induced reduction of the NO level, possibly by interaction with iNOS. Therefore, this alkaloid showed promising activity for the treatment of malaria and was able to prevent the development of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM), probably by reducing NO synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernanda de Moura Alves
- Research Center on Biological Chemistry (NQBio), Federal University of São João Del Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Jessica Correa Bezerra Bellei
- Research Center Parasitology, Departament of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Camila de Souza Barbosa
- Research Center on Biological Chemistry (NQBio), Federal University of São João Del Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Caíque Lopes Duarte
- Research Center on Biological Chemistry (NQBio), Federal University of São João Del Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Amanda Luisa da Fonseca
- Research Center on Biological Chemistry (NQBio), Federal University of São João Del Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Ana Claudia de Souza Pinto
- Research Center on Biological Chemistry (NQBio), Federal University of São João Del Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Felipe Oliveira Raimundo
- Research Center Parasitology, Departament of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Albuquerque Carpinter
- Research Center Parasitology, Departament of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Ari Sérgio de Oliveira Lemos
- Research Center Parasitology, Departament of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Elaine Soares Coimbra
- Research Center Parasitology, Departament of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Alex Gutterres Taranto
- Research Center on Biological Chemistry (NQBio), Federal University of São João Del Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, Brazil
| | - Vinícius Novaes Rocha
- Research Center of Pathology and Veterinary Histology, Departament of Veterinary Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
| | - Fernando de Pilla Varotti
- Research Center on Biological Chemistry (NQBio), Federal University of São João Del Rei, Divinópolis 35501-296, Brazil
- Correspondence: (F.d.P.V.); (K.K.G.S.)
| | | | - Kézia K. G. Scopel
- Research Center Parasitology, Departament of Parasitology, Microbiology and Immunology, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
- Correspondence: (F.d.P.V.); (K.K.G.S.)
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13
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Royo J, Camara A, Bertrand B, Batigne P, Coste A, Pipy B, Aubouy A. Kinetics of monocyte subpopulations during experimental cerebral malaria and its resolution in a model of late chloroquine treatment. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:952993. [PMID: 36310859 PMCID: PMC9614070 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.952993] [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: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is one of the most severe forms of malaria and is a neuropathology that can lead to death. Monocytes have been shown to accumulate in the brain microvasculature at the onset of neurological symptoms during CM. Monocytes have a remarkable ability to adapt their function to their microenvironment from pro-inflammatory to resolving activities. This study aimed to describe the behavior of monocyte subpopulations during infection and its resolution. C57BL/6 mice were infected with the Plasmodium berghei ANKA strain and treated or not with chloroquine (CQ) on the first day of the onset of neurological symptoms (day 6) for 4 days and followed until day 12 to mimic neuroinflammation and its resolution during experimental CM. Ly6C monocyte subpopulations were identified by flow cytometry of cells from the spleen, peripheral blood, and brain and then quantified and characterized at different time points. In the brain, the Ly6Cint and Ly6Clow monocytes were associated with neuroinflammation, while Ly6Chi and Ly6Cint were mobilized from the peripheral blood to the brain for resolution. During neuroinflammation, CD36 and CD163 were both involved via splenic monocytes, whereas our results suggest that the low CD36 expression in the brain during the neuroinflammation phase was due to degradation. The resolution phase was characterized by increased expressions of CD36 and CD163 in blood Ly6Clow monocytes, a higher expression of CD36 in the microglia, and restored high expression levels of CD163 in Ly6Chi monocytes localized in the brain. Thus, our results suggest that increasing the expressions of CD36 and CD163 specifically in the brain during the neuroinflammatory phase contributes to its resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jade Royo
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR152) Pharmcochimie et biologie pour le développement (PHARMADEV), Université de Toulouse, French National Research Institue for Sustainable Development (IRD), UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Aissata Camara
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR152) Pharmcochimie et biologie pour le développement (PHARMADEV), Université de Toulouse, French National Research Institue for Sustainable Development (IRD), UPS, Toulouse, France
- Pharmacy Department, Institut de Recherche et de Développement des Plantes Médicinales et Alimentaires de Guinée (IRDPMAG), Dubréka, Guinea
| | - Benedicte Bertrand
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR152) Pharmcochimie et biologie pour le développement (PHARMADEV), Université de Toulouse, French National Research Institue for Sustainable Development (IRD), UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Philippe Batigne
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR152) Pharmcochimie et biologie pour le développement (PHARMADEV), Université de Toulouse, French National Research Institue for Sustainable Development (IRD), UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Agnes Coste
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR152) Pharmcochimie et biologie pour le développement (PHARMADEV), Université de Toulouse, French National Research Institue for Sustainable Development (IRD), UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Bernard Pipy
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR152) Pharmcochimie et biologie pour le développement (PHARMADEV), Université de Toulouse, French National Research Institue for Sustainable Development (IRD), UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Agnes Aubouy
- Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR152) Pharmcochimie et biologie pour le développement (PHARMADEV), Université de Toulouse, French National Research Institue for Sustainable Development (IRD), UPS, Toulouse, France
- *Correspondence: Agnes Aubouy,
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14
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Hallal S, Tűzesi Á, Grau GE, Buckland ME, Alexander KL. Understanding the extracellular vesicle surface for clinical molecular biology. J Extracell Vesicles 2022; 11:e12260. [PMID: 36239734 PMCID: PMC9563386 DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid-membrane enclosed nanoparticles that play significant roles in health and disease. EVs are abundant in body fluids and carry an array of molecules (proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and glycans) that reflect the identity and activity of their cell-of-origin. While the advent of high throughput omics technologies has allowed in-depth characterisation of EV compositions, how these molecular species are spatially distributed within EV structures is not well appreciated. This is particularly true of the EV surface where a plethora of molecules are reported to be both integral and peripherally associated to the EV membrane. This coronal layer or 'atmosphere' that surrounds the EV membrane contributes to a large, highly interactive and dynamic surface area that is responsible for facilitating EV interactions with the extracellular environment. The EV coronal layer harbours surface molecules that reflect the identity of parent cells, which is likely a highly valuable property in the context of diagnostic liquid biopsies. In this review, we describe the current understanding of the mechanical, electrostatic and molecular properties of the EV surface that offer significant biomarker potential and contribute to a highly dynamic interactome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah Hallal
- Neurosurgery DepartmentChris O'Brien LifehouseCamperdownNSWAustralia,Brainstorm Brain Cancer Research, Brain and Mind CentreThe University of SydneyNSWAustralia,Neuropathology DepartmentRoyal Prince Alfred HospitalCamperdownNSWAustralia
| | - Ágota Tűzesi
- Brainstorm Brain Cancer Research, Brain and Mind CentreThe University of SydneyNSWAustralia,Neuropathology DepartmentRoyal Prince Alfred HospitalCamperdownNSWAustralia,School of Medical SciencesFaculty of Medicine & HealthThe University of SydneyCamperdownNSWAustralia
| | - Georges E. Grau
- School of Medical SciencesFaculty of Medicine & HealthThe University of SydneyCamperdownNSWAustralia
| | - Michael E. Buckland
- Brainstorm Brain Cancer Research, Brain and Mind CentreThe University of SydneyNSWAustralia,Neuropathology DepartmentRoyal Prince Alfred HospitalCamperdownNSWAustralia,School of Medical SciencesFaculty of Medicine & HealthThe University of SydneyCamperdownNSWAustralia
| | - Kimberley L. Alexander
- Neurosurgery DepartmentChris O'Brien LifehouseCamperdownNSWAustralia,Brainstorm Brain Cancer Research, Brain and Mind CentreThe University of SydneyNSWAustralia,Neuropathology DepartmentRoyal Prince Alfred HospitalCamperdownNSWAustralia,School of Medical SciencesFaculty of Medicine & HealthThe University of SydneyCamperdownNSWAustralia
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15
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Daniyan MO, Fisusi FA, Adeoye OB. Neurotransmitters and molecular chaperones interactions in cerebral malaria: Is there a missing link? Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:965569. [PMID: 36090033 PMCID: PMC9451049 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.965569] [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: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for the most severe and deadliest human malaria infection. The most serious complication of this infection is cerebral malaria. Among the proposed hypotheses that seek to explain the manifestation of the neurological syndrome in cerebral malaria is the vascular occlusion/sequestration/mechanic hypothesis, the cytokine storm or inflammatory theory, or a combination of both. Unfortunately, despite the increasing volume of scientific information on cerebral malaria, our understanding of its pathophysiologic mechanism(s) is still very limited. In a bid to maintain its survival and development, P. falciparum exports a large number of proteins into the cytosol of the infected host red blood cell. Prominent among these are the P. falciparum erythrocytes membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1), P. falciparum histidine-rich protein II (PfHRP2), and P. falciparum heat shock proteins 70-x (PfHsp70-x). Functional activities and interaction of these proteins with one another and with recruited host resident proteins are critical factors in the pathology of malaria in general and cerebral malaria in particular. Furthermore, several neurological impairments, including cognitive, behavioral, and motor dysfunctions, are known to be associated with cerebral malaria. Also, the available evidence has implicated glutamate and glutamatergic pathways, coupled with a resultant alteration in serotonin, dopamine, norepinephrine, and histamine production. While seeking to improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of cerebral malaria, this article seeks to explore the possible links between host/parasite chaperones, and neurotransmitters, in relation to other molecular players in the pathology of cerebral malaria, to explore such links in antimalarial drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Oluwatoyin Daniyan
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Funmilola Adesodun Fisusi
- Drug Research and Production Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria
| | - Olufunso Bayo Adeoye
- Department of Biochemistry, Benjamin S. Carson (Snr.) College of Medicine, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria
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16
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An update on cerebral malaria for therapeutic intervention. Mol Biol Rep 2022; 49:10579-10591. [PMID: 35670928 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-022-07625-5] [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: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cerebral malaria is often pronounced as a major life-threatening neurological complication of Plasmodium falciparum infection. The complex pathogenic landscape of the parasite and the associated neurological complications are still not elucidated properly. The growing concerns of drugresistant parasite strains along with the failure of anti-malarial drugs to subdue post-recovery neuro-cognitive dysfunctions in cerebral malaria patients have called for a demand to explore novel biomarkers and therapeutic avenues. Due course of the brain infection journey of the parasite, events such as sequestration of infected RBCs, cytoadherence, inflammation, endothelial activation, and blood-brain barrier disruption are considered critical. METHODS In this review, we briefly summarize the diverse pathogenesis of the brain-invading parasite associated with loss of the blood-brain barrier integrity. In addition, we also discuss proteomics, transcriptomics, and bioinformatics strategies to identify an array of new biomarkers and drug candidates. CONCLUSION A proper understanding of the parasite biology and mechanism of barrier disruption coupled with emerging state-of-art therapeutic approaches could be helpful to tackle cerebral malaria.
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17
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Molecular mechanisms of hematological and biochemical alterations in malaria: A review. Mol Biochem Parasitol 2021; 247:111446. [PMID: 34953384 DOI: 10.1016/j.molbiopara.2021.111446] [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: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Malaria is a dangerous disease that contributes to millions of hospital visits and hundreds of thousands of deaths, especially in children residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Although several interventions such as vector control, case detection, and treatment are already in place, there is no substantive reduction in the disease burden. Several studies in the past have reported the emergence of resistant strains of malaria parasites (MPs) and mosquitoes, and poor adherence and inaccessibility to effective antimalarial drugs as the major factors for this persistent menace of malaria infections. Moreover, victory against MP infections for many years has been hampered by an incomplete understanding of the complex nature of malaria pathogenesis. Very recent studies have identified different complex interactions and hematological alterations induced by malaria parasites. However, no studies have hybridized these alterations for a better understanding of Malaria pathogenesis. Hence, this review thoroughly discusses the molecular mechanisms of all reported hematological and biochemical alterations induced by MPs infections. Specifically, the mechanisms in which MP-infection induces anemia, thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, dyslipidemia, hypoglycemia, oxidative stress, and liver and kidney malfunctions were presented. The study also discussed how MPs evade the host's immune response and suggested strategies to limit evasion of the host's immune response to combat malaria and its complications.
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18
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Kusi KA, Frimpong A, Partey FD, Lamptey H, Amoah LE, Ofori MF. High infectious disease burden as a basis for the observed high frequency of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections in sub-Saharan Africa. AAS Open Res 2021; 4:2. [PMID: 34729457 PMCID: PMC8524298 DOI: 10.12688/aasopenres.13196.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Following the coronavirus outbreaks described as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, the world has again been challenged by yet another corona virus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 infections were first detected in a Chinese Province in December 2019 and then declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. An infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 may result in asymptomatic, uncomplicated or fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Fatal disease has been linked with the uncontrolled "cytokine storm" manifesting with complications mostly in people with underlying cardiovascular and pulmonary disease conditions. The severity of COVID-19 disease and the associated mortality has been disproportionately lower in terms of number of cases and deaths in Africa and also Asia in comparison to Europe and North America. Also, persons of colour residing in Europe and North America have been identified as a highly susceptible population due to a combination of several socioeconomic factors and poor access to quality healthcare. Interestingly, this has not been the case in sub-Saharan Africa where majority of the population are even more deprived of the aforementioned factors. On the contrary, sub-Saharan Africa has recorded the lowest levels of mortality and morbidity associated with the disease, and an overwhelming proportion of infections are asymptomatic. Whilst it can be argued that these lower number of cases in Africa may be due to challenges associated with the diagnosis of the disease such as lack of trained personnel and infrastructure, the number of persons who get infected and develop symptoms is proportionally lower than those who are asymptomatic, including asymptomatic cases that are never diagnosed. This review discusses the most probable reasons for the significantly fewer cases of severe COVID-19 disease and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Augustina Frimpong
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Frederica Dedo Partey
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Helena Lamptey
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Linda Eva Amoah
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Michael Fokuo Ofori
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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19
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Shaw TN, Haley MJ, Dookie RS, Godfrey JJ, Cheeseman AJ, Strangward P, Zeef LAH, Villegas-Mendez A, Couper KN. Memory CD8 + T cells exhibit tissue imprinting and non-stable exposure-dependent reactivation characteristics following blood-stage Plasmodium berghei ANKA infections. Immunology 2021; 164:737-753. [PMID: 34407221 PMCID: PMC8561116 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) is a severe complication of Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection in mice, characterized by CD8+ T‐cell accumulation within the brain. Whilst the dynamics of CD8+ T‐cell activation and migration during extant primary PbA infection have been extensively researched, the fate of the parasite‐specific CD8+ T cells upon resolution of ECM is not understood. In this study, we show that memory OT‐I cells persist systemically within the spleen, lung and brain following recovery from ECM after primary PbA‐OVA infection. Whereas memory OT‐I cells within the spleen and lung exhibited canonical central memory (Tcm) and effector memory (Tem) phenotypes, respectively, memory OT‐I cells within the brain post‐PbA‐OVA infection displayed an enriched CD69+CD103− profile and expressed low levels of T‐bet. OT‐I cells within the brain were excluded from short‐term intravascular antibody labelling but were targeted effectively by longer‐term systemically administered antibodies. Thus, the memory OT‐I cells were extravascular within the brain post‐ECM but were potentially not resident memory cells. Importantly, whilst memory OT‐I cells exhibited strong reactivation during secondary PbA‐OVA infection, preventing activation of new primary effector T cells, they had dampened reactivation during a fourth PbA‐OVA infection. Overall, our results demonstrate that memory CD8+ T cells are systemically distributed but exhibit a unique phenotype within the brain post‐ECM, and that their reactivation characteristics are shaped by infection history. Our results raise important questions regarding the role of distinct memory CD8+ T‐cell populations within the brain and other tissues during repeat Plasmodium infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tovah N Shaw
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Institute of Immunology and Infection, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael J Haley
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Rebecca S Dookie
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jenna J Godfrey
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Antonn J Cheeseman
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Patrick Strangward
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Leo A H Zeef
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Ana Villegas-Mendez
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Kevin N Couper
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The Lydia Becker Institute of Immunology and Inflammation, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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20
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Kusi KA, Frimpong A, Partey FD, Lamptey H, Amoah LE, Ofori MF. High infectious disease burden as a basis for the observed high frequency of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections in sub-Saharan Africa. AAS Open Res 2021; 4:2. [PMID: 34729457 PMCID: PMC8524298 DOI: 10.12688/aasopenres.13196.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Following the coronavirus outbreaks described as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, the world has again been challenged by yet another corona virus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 infections were first detected in a Chinese Province in December 2019 and then declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. An infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 may result in asymptomatic, uncomplicated or fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Fatal disease has been linked with the uncontrolled "cytokine storm" manifesting with complications mostly in people with underlying cardiovascular and pulmonary disease conditions. The severity of COVID-19 disease and the associated mortality has been disproportionately lower in terms of number of cases and deaths in Africa and also Asia in comparison to Europe and North America. Also, persons of colour residing in Europe and North America have been identified as a highly susceptible population due to a combination of several socioeconomic factors and poor access to quality healthcare. Interestingly, this has not been the case in sub-Saharan Africa where majority of the population are even more deprived of the aforementioned factors. On the contrary, sub-Saharan Africa has recorded the lowest levels of mortality and morbidity associated with the disease, and an overwhelming proportion of infections are asymptomatic. Whilst it can be argued that these lower number of cases in Africa may be due to challenges associated with the diagnosis of the disease such as lack of trained personnel and infrastructure, the number of persons who get infected and develop symptoms is proportionally lower than those who are asymptomatic, including asymptomatic cases that are never diagnosed. This review discusses the most probable reasons for the significantly fewer cases of severe COVID-19 disease and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Augustina Frimpong
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Frederica Dedo Partey
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Helena Lamptey
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Linda Eva Amoah
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Michael Fokuo Ofori
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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21
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Rachmania S, Sulistyaningsih E, Ratna Dewi AAI. Recombinant DBL2β-PfEMP1 of the Indonesian Plasmodium falciparum induces immune responses in Wistar rats. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2021; 16:422-430. [PMID: 34140870 PMCID: PMC8178645 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2020.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Revised: 12/12/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The Duffy binding-like (DBL) domain of the Plasmodium falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 (PfEMP1) is reportedly responsible for the pathophysiology of cerebral malaria. People living in endemic malaria areas possess specific antibodies against PfEMP1 and elicit immune responses to control the severity of malaria infection. Therefore, PfEMP1 may be a potential protein-based vaccine candidate. This study aimed to explore the humoral and cellular immune responses induced by the recombinant DBL2β-PfEMP1 obtained from the Indonesian P. falciparum isolate. METHODS The recombinant protein was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) as soluble and insoluble fractions, and this protein was purified using affinity chromatography before administration as a subcutaneous injection in Wistar rats on days 1, 21, and 42. Sera were harvested 14 days after the second and third injections to determine the titre of IgG and the concentration of CD4+ cells using the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS The IgG titre and the CD4+ cell concentration were found to be increased after the second and third injections. The Mann-Whitney test results showed a significant difference between the control and treatment groups for both the IgG and CD4+ cells (p = 0.001 and p = 0.000, respectively). Western blotting results indicated the presence of a specific antibody against the recombinant DBL2β-PfEMP1. CONCLUSIONS The recombinant DBL2β-PfEMP1 of the Indonesian P. falciparum isolate could induce humoral and cellular immune responses. Further studies on IgG exerting inhibitory effects and the role of CD4+ cells and their association with other effector cells are essential to determine the efficacy of DBL2β-PfEMP1 and its potential application as a peptide-based malaria vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheilla Rachmania
- Department of Histology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jember, Indonesia
| | - Erma Sulistyaningsih
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Jember, Indonesia
| | - Anak Agung I. Ratna Dewi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Jember, Indonesia
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22
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Galán-Salinas A, Corral-Ruíz G, Pérez-Vega MJ, Fabila-Castillo L, Silva-García R, Marquina-Castillo B, León-Contreras JC, Barrios-Payán J, Francisco-Cruz A, Montecillo-Aguado M, Huerta-Yepez S, Calderón-Amador J, Flores-Romo L, Hernández-Pando R, Sánchez-Torres LE. Monocyte Locomotion Inhibitory Factor confers neuroprotection and prevents the development of murine cerebral malaria. Int Immunopharmacol 2021; 97:107674. [PMID: 34044183 DOI: 10.1016/j.intimp.2021.107674] [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: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a neurological complication derived from the Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans. The mechanisms involved in the disease progression are still not fully understood, but both the sequestration of infected red blood cells (iRBC) and leukocytes and an exacerbated host inflammatory immune response are significant factors. In this study, we investigated the effect of Monocyte Locomotion Inhibitory Factor (MLIF), an anti-inflammatory peptide, in a well-characterized murine model of CM. Our data showed that the administration of MLIF increased the survival and avoided the neurological signs of CM in Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infected C57BL/6 mice. MLIF administration down-regulated systemic inflammatory mediators such as IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-6, CXCL2, and CCL2, as well as the in situ expression of TNF-α in the brain. In the same way, MLIF reduced the expression of CD31, CD36, CD54, and CD106 in the cerebral endothelium of infected animals and prevented the sequestration of iRBC and leucocytes in the brain microvasculature. Furthermore, MLIF inhibited the activation of astrocytes and microglia and preserved the integrity of the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In conclusion, our results demonstrated that the administration of MLIF increased survival and conferred neuroprotection by decreasing neuroinflammation in murine CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Galán-Salinas
- Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico; Posgrado en Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - G Corral-Ruíz
- Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico; Posgrado en Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - M J Pérez-Vega
- Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico; Posgrado en Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - L Fabila-Castillo
- Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico; Departamento de Farmacia, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - R Silva-García
- Unidad de Investigación Médica en Inmunología, Hospital de Pediatría, CMN-Siglo XXI, IMSS, México City, Mexico
| | - B Marquina-Castillo
- Sección de Patología Experimental, Departamento de Patología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México City, Mexico
| | - J C León-Contreras
- Sección de Patología Experimental, Departamento de Patología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México City, Mexico
| | - J Barrios-Payán
- Sección de Patología Experimental, Departamento de Patología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México City, Mexico
| | - A Francisco-Cruz
- Department of Translational Molecular Pathology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA
| | - M Montecillo-Aguado
- Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital Infantil de México, Federico Gómez, México City, Mexico
| | - S Huerta-Yepez
- Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital Infantil de México, Federico Gómez, México City, Mexico
| | - J Calderón-Amador
- Posgrado en Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico; Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - L Flores-Romo
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - R Hernández-Pando
- Sección de Patología Experimental, Departamento de Patología, Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Médicas y Nutrición Salvador Zubirán, México City, Mexico.
| | - L E Sánchez-Torres
- Departamento de Inmunología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico.
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23
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Tandoh KZ, Wilson MD, Quashie NB, Duah-Quashie NO. Implicating extracellular vesicles in Plasmodium falciparum artemisinin resistance development. Traffic 2021; 22:194-200. [PMID: 33860593 DOI: 10.1111/tra.12787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Revised: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Plasmodium falciparum malaria remains a disease of significant public health impact today. With the risk of emerging artemisinin resistance stalling malaria control efforts, the need to deepen our understanding of the parasite's biology is dire. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vital to the biology of P. falciparum and play a role in the pathogenesis of malaria. Recent studies have also shown that EVs may play a role in the development of artemisinin resistance in P. falciparum. Here, we highlight evidence on EVs in P. falciparum biology and malaria pathogenesis and argue that there is sufficient ground to propose a role for EVs in the development of P. falciparum artemisinin resistance. We suggest that EVs are actively secreted functional organelles that contribute to cellular homeostasis in P. falciparum-infected red blood cells under artemisinin pressure. Further exploration of this hypothesized EVs-based molecular mechanism of artemisinin resistance will aid the discovery of novel antimalarial therapies.
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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
| | - 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
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24
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Perillyl alcohol reduces parasite sequestration and cerebrovascular dysfunction during experimental cerebral malaria. Antimicrob Agents Chemother 2021; 65:AAC.00004-21. [PMID: 33649109 PMCID: PMC8092904 DOI: 10.1128/aac.00004-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe immunovasculopathy which presents high mortality rate (15-20%), despite the availability of artemisinin-based therapy. More effective immunomodulatory and/or antiparasitic therapies are urgently needed. Experimental Cerebral Malaria (ECM) in mice is used to elucidate aspects involved in this pathology since manifests many of the neurological features of CM. In the present study, we evaluated the potential mechanisms involved in the protection afforded by perillyl alcohol (POH) in mouse strains susceptible to CM caused by Plasmodium berghei ANKA (PbA) infection through intranasal preventive treatment. Additionally, to evaluate the interaction of POH with the cerebral endothelium using an in vitro model of human brain endothelial cells (HBEC). Pharmacokinetic approaches demonstrated constant and prolonged levels of POH in the plasma and brain after a single intranasal dose. Treatment with POH effectively prevented vascular dysfunction. Furthermore, treatment with POH reduced the endothelial cell permeability and PbA s in the brain and spleen. Finally, POH treatment decreased the accumulation of macrophages and T and B cells in the spleen and downregulated the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules (ICAM-1, VCAM-1, and CD36) in the brain. POH is a potent monoterpene that prevents cerebrovascular dysfunction in vivo and in vitro, decreases parasite sequestration, and modulates different processes related to the activation, permeability, and integrity of the blood brain barrier (BBB), thereby preventing cerebral oedema and inflammatory infiltrates.
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25
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Kusi KA, Frimpong A, Partey FD, Lamptey H, Amoah LE, Ofori MF. High infectious disease burden as a basis for the observed high frequency of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infections in sub-Saharan Africa. AAS Open Res 2021; 4:2. [PMID: 34729457 PMCID: PMC8524298 DOI: 10.12688/aasopenres.13196.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Following the coronavirus outbreaks described as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2012, the world has again been challenged by yet another corona virus, named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). SARS-CoV-2 infections were first detected in a Chinese Province in December 2019 and then declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization in March 2020. An infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 may result in asymptomatic, uncomplicated or fatal coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Fatal disease has been linked with the uncontrolled "cytokine storm" manifesting with complications mostly in people with underlying cardiovascular and pulmonary disease conditions. The severity of COVID-19 disease and the associated mortality has been disproportionately lower in Africa and Asia in comparison to Europe and North America in terms of number of cases and deaths. While persons of colour who live in Europe and North America have been identified as a highly susceptible population due to a combination of several socioeconomic factors and poor access to quality healthcare, this has not been the case in sub-Saharan Africa where inhabitants are even more deprived concerning the said factors. On the contrary, sub-Saharan Africa has recorded the lowest levels of mortality and morbidity associated with the disease, and an overwhelming proportion of infections are asymptomatic. This review discusses the most probable reasons for the significantly fewer cases of severe COVID-19 disease and deaths in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kwadwo Asamoah Kusi
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Augustina Frimpong
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Frederica Dedo Partey
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Helena Lamptey
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Linda Eva Amoah
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Michael Fokuo Ofori
- Department of Immunology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
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26
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Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) remains a major problem of public health at the world level (Idro et al. 2010; WHO 2009), in spite of numerous efforts from various disciplines to improve our knowledge of disease mechanisms (Hunt and Grau 2003; Schofield and Grau 2005; van der Heyde et al. 2006). Our approach to a better understanding of CM pathogenesis has involved the dissection of immunopathological pathways which, in addition to direct changes caused by malaria parasite-infected erythrocytes (IE), lead to neurovascular lesions. We posited that immunopathology is important in CM because a role for cells and soluble mediators of the immune system has been widely recognised as contributing to the complications of viral, bacterial, fungal and many parasitic infections. As detailed earlier, it would be extraordinary if malaria did not conform to this general pattern. As a matter of fact, there now is strong evidence to support immune mechanisms in malarial pathogenesis (Grau and Hunt 2014).Extracellular vesicles (EV) and their subtypes have been described and reviewed by a number of investigators (Hosseini-Beheshti and Grau 2018, 2019; Raposo and Stahl 2019; Witwer et al. 2017; Zijlstra and Di Vizio 2018) and in others chapters of the present book.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georges Emile Raymond Grau
- Vascular Immunology Unit, Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences; Marie Bashir Institute and The University of Sydney Nano Institute (Sydney Nano), The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia.
| | - Elham Hosseini-Beheshti
- Vascular Immunology Unit, Discipline of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences; Marie Bashir Institute and The University of Sydney Nano Institute (Sydney Nano), The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW, Australia
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27
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Abstract
The mechanistic (or mammalian) target of rapamycin (mTOR) is considered as a critical regulatory enzyme involved in essential signaling pathways affecting cell growth, cell proliferation, protein translation, regulation of cellular metabolism, and cytoskeletal structure. Also, mTOR signaling has crucial roles in cell homeostasis via processes such as autophagy. Autophagy prevents many pathogen infections and is involved on immunosurveillance and pathogenesis. Immune responses and autophagy are therefore key host responses and both are linked by complex mTOR regulatory mechanisms. In recent years, the mTOR pathway has been highlighted in different diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and infectious and parasitic diseases including leishmaniasis, toxoplasmosis, and malaria. The current review underlines the implications of mTOR signals and intricate networks on pathogen infections and the modulation of this master regulator by parasites. Parasitic infections are able to induce dynamic metabolic reprogramming leading to mTOR alterations in spite of many other ways impacting this regulatory network. Accordingly, the identification of parasite effects and interactions over such a complex modulation might reveal novel information regarding the biology of the abovementioned parasites and might allow the development of therapeutic strategies against parasitic diseases. In this sense, the effects of inhibiting the mTOR pathways are also considered in this context in the light of their potential for the prevention and treatment of parasitic diseases.
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28
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BCG Provides Short-Term Protection from Experimental Cerebral Malaria in Mice. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8040745. [PMID: 33316929 PMCID: PMC7768457 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8040745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Revised: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical and experimental evidence suggests that the tuberculosis vaccine BCG offers protection against unrelated pathogens including the malaria parasite. Cerebral malaria (CM) is the most severe complication associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection in humans and is responsible for most of the fatalities attributed to malaria. We investigated whether BCG protected C57BL/6 mice from P. berghei ANKA (PbA)-induced experimental CM (ECM). The majority of PbA-infected mice that were immunized with BCG showed prolonged survival without developing clinical symptoms of ECM. However, this protective effect waned over time and was associated with the recovery of viable BCG from liver and spleen. Intriguingly, BCG-mediated protection from ECM was not associated with a reduction in parasite burden, indicating that BCG immunization did not improve anti-parasite effector mechanisms. Instead, we found a significant reduction in pro-inflammatory mediators and CD8+ T cells in brains of BCG-vaccinated mice. Together these data suggest that brain recruitment of immune cells involved in the pathogenesis of ECM decreased after BCG vaccination. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the protective effects of BCG on PbA-induced ECM can provide a rationale for developing effective adjunctive therapies to reduce the risk of death and brain damage in CM.
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29
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Wu X, Thylur RP, Dayanand KK, Punnath K, Norbury CC, Gowda DC. IL-4 Treatment Mitigates Experimental Cerebral Malaria by Reducing Parasitemia, Dampening Inflammation, and Lessening the Cytotoxicity of T Cells. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2020; 206:118-131. [PMID: 33239419 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2000779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cytokine responses to malaria play important roles in both protective immunity development and pathogenesis. Although the roles of cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-12, IFN-γ, and IL-10 in immunity and pathogenesis to the blood stage malaria are largely known, the role of IL-4 remains less understood. IL-4 targets many cell types and induces multiple effects, including cell proliferation, gene expression, protection from apoptosis, and immune regulation. Accordingly, IL-4 has been exploited as a therapeutic for several inflammatory diseases. Malaria caused by Plasmodium falciparum manifests in many organ-specific fatal pathologies, including cerebral malaria (CM), driven by a high parasite load, leading to parasite sequestration in organs and consequent excessive inflammatory responses and endothelial damage. We investigated the therapeutic potential of IL-4 against fatal malaria in Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected C57BL/6J mice, an experimental CM model. IL-4 treatment significantly reduced parasitemia, CM pathology, and mortality. The therapeutic effect of IL-4 is mediated through multiple mechanisms, including enhanced parasite clearance mediated by upregulation of phagocytic receptors and increased IgM production, and decreased brain inflammatory responses, including reduced chemokine (CXCL10) production, reduced chemokine receptor (CXCR3) and adhesion molecule (LFA-1) expression by T cells, and downregulation of cytotoxic T cell lytic potential. IL-4 treatment markedly reduced the infiltration of CD8+ T cells and brain pathology. STAT6, PI3K-Akt-NF-κB, and Src signaling mediated the cellular and molecular events that contributed to the IL-4-dependent decrease in parasitemia. Overall, our results provide mechanistic insights into how IL-4 treatment mitigates experimental CM and have implications in developing treatment strategies for organ-specific fatal malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianzhu Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033; and
| | - Ramesh P Thylur
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033; and
| | - Kiran K Dayanand
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033; and
| | - Kishore Punnath
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033; and
| | - Christopher C Norbury
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033
| | - D Channe Gowda
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, The Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, Hershey, PA 17033; and
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30
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Lajqi T, Pöschl J, Frommhold D, Hudalla H. The Role of Microbiota in Neutrophil Regulation and Adaptation in Newborns. Front Immunol 2020; 11:568685. [PMID: 33133082 PMCID: PMC7550463 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.568685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Newborns are highly susceptible to infections and mainly rely on innate immune functions. Reduced reactivity, delayed activation and subsequent failure to resolve inflammation however makes the neonatal immune system a very volatile line of defense. Perinatal microbiota, nutrition and different extra-uterine factors are critical elements that define long-term outcomes and shape the immune system during the neonatal period. Neutrophils are first responders and represent a vital component of the immune system in newborns. They have long been regarded as merely executive immune cells, however this notion is beginning to shift. Neutrophils are shaped by their surrounding and adaptive elements have been described. The role of “innate immune memory” and the main triangle connection microbiome—neutrophil—adaptation will be discussed in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trim Lajqi
- Heidelberg University Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Pöschl
- Heidelberg University Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - David Frommhold
- Klinik für Kinderheilkunde und Jugendmedizin, Memmingen, Germany
| | - Hannes Hudalla
- Heidelberg University Children's Hospital, Department of Neonatology, Heidelberg, Germany
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31
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Pamplona A, Silva-Santos B. γδ T cells in malaria: a double-edged sword. FEBS J 2020; 288:1118-1129. [PMID: 32710527 PMCID: PMC7983992 DOI: 10.1111/febs.15494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Malaria remains a devastating global health problem, resulting in many annual deaths due to the complications of severe malaria. However, in endemic regions, individuals can acquire ‘clinical immunity’ to malaria, characterized by a decrease in severe malaria episodes and an increase of asymptomatic Plasmodium falciparum infections. Recently, it has been reported that tolerance to ‘clinical malaria’ and reduced disease severity correlates with a decrease in the numbers of circulating Vγ9Vδ2 T cells, the major subset of γδ T cells in the human peripheral blood. This is particularly interesting as this population typically undergoes dramatic expansions during acute Plasmodium infections and was previously shown to play antiparasitic functions. Thus, regulated γδ T‐cell responses may be critical to balance immune protection with severe pathology, particularly as both seem to rely on the same pro‐inflammatory cytokines, most notably TNF and IFN‐γ. This has been clearly demonstrated in mouse models of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) based on Plasmodium berghei ANKA infection. Furthermore, our recent studies suggest that the natural course of Plasmodium infection, mimicked in mice through mosquito bite or sporozoite inoculation, includes a major pathogenic component in ECM that depends on γδ T cells and IFN‐γ production in the asymptomatic liver stage, where parasite virulence is seemingly set and determines pathology in the subsequent blood stage. Here, we discuss these and other recent advances in our understanding of the complex—protective versus pathogenic—functions of γδ T cells in malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Pamplona
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Bruno Silva-Santos
- Instituto de Medicina Molecular João Lobo Antunes, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
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32
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Schiess N, Villabona-Rueda A, Cottier KE, Huether K, Chipeta J, Stins MF. Pathophysiology and neurologic sequelae of cerebral malaria. Malar J 2020; 19:266. [PMID: 32703204 PMCID: PMC7376930 DOI: 10.1186/s12936-020-03336-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM), results from Plasmodium falciparum infection, and has a high mortality rate. CM survivors can retain life-long post CM sequelae, including seizures and neurocognitive deficits profoundly affecting their quality of life. As the Plasmodium parasite does not enter the brain, but resides inside erythrocytes and are confined to the lumen of the brain's vasculature, the neuropathogenesis leading to these neurologic sequelae is unclear and under-investigated. Interestingly, postmortem CM pathology differs in brain regions, such as the appearance of haemorragic punctae in white versus gray matter. Various host and parasite factors contribute to the risk of CM, including exposure at a young age, parasite- and host-related genetics, parasite sequestration and the extent of host inflammatory responses. Thus far, several proposed adjunctive treatments have not been successful in the treatment of CM but are highly needed. The region-specific CM neuro-pathogenesis leading to neurologic sequelae is intriguing, but not sufficiently addressed in research. More attention to this may lead to the development of effective adjunctive treatments to address CM neurologic sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicoline Schiess
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 600 N. Wolfe St., Meyer 6-113, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Andres Villabona-Rueda
- Malaria Research Institute, Dept Molecular Microbiology Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Karissa E Cottier
- Malaria Research Institute, Dept Molecular Microbiology Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,BioIVT, 1450 South Rolling Road, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | - James Chipeta
- Department of Paediatrics, University Teaching Hospital, Nationalist Road, Lusaka, Zambia
| | - Monique F Stins
- Malaria Research Institute, Dept Molecular Microbiology Immunology, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, 615 N Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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33
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Jensen AR, Adams Y, Hviid L. Cerebral Plasmodium falciparum malaria: The role of PfEMP1 in its pathogenesis and immunity, and PfEMP1-based vaccines to prevent it. Immunol Rev 2020; 293:230-252. [PMID: 31562653 PMCID: PMC6972667 DOI: 10.1111/imr.12807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Revised: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Malaria, a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium continues to be a major health problem worldwide. The unicellular Plasmodium-parasites have the unique capacity to infect and replicate within host erythrocytes. By expressing variant surface antigens Plasmodium falciparum has evolved to avoid protective immune responses; as a result in endemic areas anti-malaria immunity develops gradually over many years of multiple and repeated infections. We are studying the role of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) expressed by asexual stages of P. falciparum responsible for the pathogenicity of severe malaria. The immunopathology of falciparum malaria has been linked to cyto-adhesion of infected erythrocytes to specific host receptors. A greater appreciation of the PfEMP1 molecules important for the development of protective immunity and immunopathology is a prerequisite for the rational discovery and development of a safe and protective anti-disease malaria vaccine. Here we review the role of ICAM-1 and EPCR receptor adhering falciparum-parasites in the development of severe malaria; we discuss our current research to understand the factors involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria and the feasibility of developing a vaccine targeted specifically to prevent this disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Ramstedt Jensen
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and MicrobiologyFaculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Yvonne Adams
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and MicrobiologyFaculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Lars Hviid
- Centre for Medical Parasitology at Department of Immunology and MicrobiologyFaculty of Health and Medical SciencesUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Department of Infectious DiseasesRigshospitaletCopenhagenDenmark
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Mbagwu SI, Lannes N, Walch M, Filgueira L, Mantel PY. Human Microglia Respond to Malaria-Induced Extracellular Vesicles. Pathogens 2019; 9:pathogens9010021. [PMID: 31878288 PMCID: PMC7168629 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9010021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Revised: 12/16/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Microglia are the chief immune cells of the brain and have been reported to be activated in severe malaria. Their activation may drive towards neuroinflammation in cerebral malaria. Malaria-infected red blood cell derived-extracellular vesicles (MiREVs) are produced during the blood stage of malaria infection. They mediate intercellular communication and immune regulation, among other functions. During cerebral malaria, the breakdown of the blood–brain barrier can promote the migration of substances such as MiREVs from the periphery into the brain, targeting cells such as microglia. Microglia and extracellular vesicle interactions in different pathological conditions have been reported to induce neuroinflammation. Unlike in astrocytes, microglia–extracellular vesicle interaction has not yet been described in malaria infection. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to investigate the uptake of MiREVs by human microglia cells and their cytokine response. Human blood monocyte-derived microglia (MoMi) were generated from buffy coats of anonymous healthy donors using Ficoll-Paque density gradient centrifugation. The MiREVs were isolated from the Plasmodium falciparum cultures. They were purified by ultracentrifugation and labeled with PKH67 green fluorescent dye. The internalization of MiREVs by MoMi was observed after 4 h of co-incubation on coverslips placed in a 24-well plate at 37 °C using confocal microscopy. Cytokine-gene expression was investigated using rt-qPCR, following the stimulation of the MoMi cells with supernatants from the parasite cultures at 2, 4, and 24 h, respectively. MiREVs were internalized by the microglia and accumulated in the perinuclear region. MiREVs-treated cells increased gene expression of the inflammatory cytokine TNFα and reduced gene expression of the immune suppressive IL-10. Overall, the results indicate that MiREVs may act on microglia, which would contribute to enhanced inflammation in cerebral malaria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smart Ikechukwu Mbagwu
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Nnewi 435101, Nigeria
- Correspondence: (S.I.M.); (L.F.)
| | - Nils Lannes
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Michael Walch
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Luis Filgueira
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
- Correspondence: (S.I.M.); (L.F.)
| | - Pierre-Yves Mantel
- Anatomy Unit, Department of Oncology, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
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Antwi-Baffour S, Malibha-Pinchbeck M, Stratton D, Jorfi S, Lange S, Inal J. Plasma mEV levels in Ghanain malaria patients with low parasitaemia are higher than those of healthy controls, raising the potential for parasite markers in mEVs as diagnostic targets. J Extracell Vesicles 2019; 9:1697124. [PMID: 32002165 PMCID: PMC6968499 DOI: 10.1080/20013078.2019.1697124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This study sought to measure medium-sized extracellular vesicles (mEVs) in plasma, when patients have low Plasmodium falciparum early in infection. We aimed to define the relationship between plasma mEVs and: (i) parasitaemia, (ii) period from onset of malaria symptoms until seeking medical care (patient delay, PD), (iii) age and (iv) gender. In this cross-sectional study, n = 434 patients were analysed and Nanosight Tracking Analysis (NTA) used to quantify mEVs (vesicles of 150–500 nm diameter, isolated at 15,000 × g, β-tubulin-positive and staining for annexin V, but weak or negative for CD81). Overall plasma mEV levels (1.69 × 1010 mEVs mL−1) were 2.3-fold higher than for uninfected controls (0.51 × 1010 mEVs mL−1). Divided into four age groups, we found a bimodal distribution with 2.5- and 2.1-fold higher mEVs in infected children (<11 years old [yo]) (median:2.11 × 1010 mEVs mL−1) and the elderly (>45 yo) (median:1.92 × 1010 mEVs mL−1), respectively, compared to uninfected controls; parasite density varied similarly with age groups. There was a positive association between mEVs and parasite density (r = 0.587, p < 0.0001) and mEVs were strongly associated with PD (r = 0.919, p < 0.0001), but gender had no effect on plasma mEV levels (p = 0.667). Parasite density was also exponentially related to patient delay. Gender (p = 0.667) had no effect on plasma mEV levels. During periods of low parasitaemia (PD = 72h), mEVs were 0.93-fold greater than in uninfected controls. As 75% (49/65) of patients had low parasitaemia levels (20–500 parasites µL−1), close to the detection limits of microscopy of Giemsa-stained thick blood films (5–150 parasites µL−1), mEV quantification by NTA could potentially have early diagnostic value, and raises the potential of Pf markers in mEVs as early diagnostic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Antwi-Baffour
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Dan Stratton
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK
| | - Samireh Jorfi
- School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UK
| | - Sigrun Lange
- Department of Biomedical Science, Tissue Architecture and Regeneration Research Group, University of Westminster, London, UK
| | - Jameel Inal
- School of Human Sciences, London Metropolitan University, London, UK.,School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
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Human cerebral malaria: 2019 mini review. Rev Neurol (Paris) 2019; 175:445-450. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurol.2019.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2019] [Revised: 07/09/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Strategies for the use of Extracellular Vesicles for the Delivery of Therapeutics. J Neuroimmune Pharmacol 2019; 15:422-442. [PMID: 31456107 DOI: 10.1007/s11481-019-09873-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nanosized, membrane-bound vesicles released from eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells that can transport cargo containing DNA, RNA, lipids and proteins, between cells as a means of intercellular communication. Although EVs were initially considered to be cellular debris deprived of any essential biological functions, emerging literature highlights the critical roles of EVs in the context of intercellular signaling, maintenance of tissue homeostasis, modulation of immune responses, inflammation, cancer progression, angiogenesis, and coagulation under both physiological and pathological states. Based on the ability of EVs to shuttle proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, mRNAs, long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), microRNAs, chromosomal DNA, and mitochondrial DNA into target cells, the presence and content of EVs in biofluids have been exploited for biomarker research in the context of diagnosis, prognosis and treatment strategies. Additionally, owing to the characteristics of EVs such as stability in circulation, biocompatibility as well as low immunogenicity and toxicity, these vesicles have become attractive systems for the delivery of therapeutics. More recently, EVs are increasingly being exploited as conduits for delivery of therapeutics for anticancer strategies, immunomodulation, targeted drug delivery, tissue regeneration, and vaccination. In this review, we highlight and discuss the multiple strategies that are employed for the use of EVs as delivery vehicles for therapeutic agents, including the potential advantages and challenges involved. Graphical abstract.
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