Molecular monitoring of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> resistance to artemisinin in Tanzania (Publications)
combination therapies (ACTs) are recommended for use against uncomplicated malaria in areas of multi-drug resistant malaria, such as sub-Saharan Africa. However, their long-term usefulness in these high [...] Tanzania, supporting the Ministry of Health's decision to adopt artemether+lumefantrine as first-line malaria treatment. The findings recommend further studies to assess PfATPase6 mutations in sentinel sites
<em>Plasmodium falciparum</em>-infected erythrocytes: agglutination by diverse Kenyan plasma is associated with severe disease and young host age (Publications)
compared. The results show that the AF of isolates causing severe malaria were significantly higher than those of isolates causing mild malaria; and AF decreased significantly with the increasing age of the [...] falciparum-infected red blood cells are potentially important targets of naturally acquired immunity to malaria. Natural infections induce agglutinating antibodies specific to the VSA variants expressed by the
An assay to probe <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> growth, transmission stage formation and early gametocyte development (Publications)
proliferation to sexual differentiation initiates the production of the gametocyte, which is the malaria parasite stage required for human-to-mosquito transmission. This protocol describes an assay designed [...] s on asexual replication, sexual conversion and early gametocyte development in the major human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Synchronized asexually replicating parasites are induced for gametocyte [...] transmission-blocking compounds and to further investigate the mechanism...
The temporal dynamics and infectiousness of subpatent <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> infections in relation to parasite density (Publications)
transmission and whether they need to be detected and targeted to achieve malaria elimination. In this study we analyse a range of malaria datasets to quantify the density, detectability, course of infection [...] Malaria infections occurring below the limit of detection of standard diagnostics are common in all endemic settings. However, key questions remain surrounding their contribution to sustaining transmission
Comparison of diagnostic methods for the detection and quantification of the four sympatric <em>Plasmodium</em> species in field samples from Papua... (Publications)
Plasmodium infections is essential for malaria morbidity and mortality reduction in tropical areas. Despite great advantages of light microscopy (LM) for malaria diagnosis, its limited sensitivity is a [...] P. malariae and P. ovale. P. falciparum and P. vivax prevalence by qPCR was 40.9% and 65.7% respectively. This compares to 43.8% and 73.2% by nPCR and 47.1% and 67.5% by PCR_LDR_FMA. P. malariae and P [...] LM was lower for all four species, being 25.4% for P. falciparum, 54.9% for P....
R. Geigy Award 2020 goes to Tobias Schindler (News)
https://www.swisstph.ch/en/news/news-detail/news/r-geigy-award-2020-goes-to-tobias-schindler
controlled malaria infection. The test individuals were injected with infectious malaria pathogens, or so-called sporozoites. They were then treated for the disease immediately after the malaria parasites [...] diseases is not common in Africa, as patients with a fever are still routinely treated only for malaria. Together with partners from the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI), Tobias Schindler, Postdoctoral [...] Collaborator at Swiss TPH, has developed a molecular diagnostic platform for the...
New Vector Control Interventions (Page)
https://www.swisstph.ch/en/about/eph/vector-biology/new-vector-control-interventions
odour-based 'push-pull' malaria vector control strategy in reducing human-vector contact. Sci Rep . 2023;13:11197. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38463-5 Georgiades M et al. Hearing of malaria mosquitoes is modulated [...] Access (ViALLIN MUsAcc) Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs), or bed nets, are the mainstay of malaria control. However, more than 50% of people living in endemic areas are currently unprotected because [...] expected lifespan. The aim of this project is to develop a digital tool...
Parasite Chemotherapy (Page)
https://www.swisstph.ch/en/about/mpi/parasite-chemotherapy
African trypanosomes and malaria) and molecular approaches to drug action and resistance. The PCU works closely with product development partnerships such as the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), DNDi or [...] 20 years of experience in assay development and drug efficacy testing for the causative agents of malaria (Plasmodium spp.), African sleeping sickness (Trypanosoma brucei), Chagas disease (T. cruzi), le [...] clinical candidates, including fexinidazole for human African trypanosomiasis...
Antimalarial pantothenamide metabolites target acetyl-coenzyme A biosynthesis in <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> (Publications)
enzymes in the sensitivity of the malaria parasites to pantothenamides. These pantothenamide compounds with a new mode of action may have potential as drugs against malaria parasites. [...] Malaria eradication is critically dependent on new therapeutics that target resistant Plasmodium parasites and block transmission of the disease. Here, we report that pantothenamide bioisosteres were active
Design, synthesis, and biological and crystallographic evaluation of novel inhibitors of <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> enoyl-ACP-reductase... (Publications)
Malaria, a disease of worldwide significance, is responsible for over one million deaths annually. The liver-stage of Plasmodium's life cycle is the first, obligatory, but clinically silent step in malaria [...] development and has been regarded as a potential antimalarial target for the development of drugs for malaria prophylaxis and liver-stage eradication. In this paper, new coumarin-based triclosan analogues are