Malaria is a devastating disease, affecting 200 million people worldwide and causing more than 600 000 deaths each year. In the past decade, great inroads have been made in reducing the number of infections, primarily through the implementation of insecticide-laced bed nets, and also reducing the death rate with combination therapies. However the emergence of drug-resistant malaria is rendering these therapies less effective, and there is an urgent need to develop novel therapies to cure malaria.

The rate of the tick-borne parasitic disease babesiosis increased an average of 9% annually over a recent seven-year period in the United States, according to a new study.

On World Malaria Day, we are highlighting Dr. Peter Agre, Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and former Chair of the CHR, and his work to develop innovative malaria treatments, as well as his efforts to ensure that such treatments are accessible to the communities most in need. Through such work, Dr. Agre is helping to further the right to health.

Although the immediate side effects of antimalarial drugs are widely recognized, few studies were designed specifically to examine health problems that might occur or persist months or years after people stopped taking them.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease commonly transmitted by mosquitos. Symptoms include fever, chills, vomiting, headaches, abdominal pain, and rapid hea

Stanford Medicine researchers on the hunt for an elusive cardiac fibrosis drug were surprised when a malaria drug with ancient origins emerged as their top candidate.

The post Old drug, new discovery: Scientists find novel use for ancient malaria remedy  appeared first on Scope.

The program will be piloted in parts of Africa.

A parasite that causes the most common form of malaria is evolving to be undetectable by current tests. Some scientists want to zero in on compounds in patients’ breath instead.

VAR2CSA is the placental-malaria–specific member of the antigenically variant Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family. It is expressed on the surface of Plasmodium falciparum-infected host red blood cells and binds to specific chondroitin-4-sulfate chains of the placental proteoglycan receptor. The functional ∼310 kDa ectodomain of VAR2CSA is a multidomain protein that requires a minimum 12-mer chondroitin-4-sulfate molecule for specific, high affinity receptor binding. However, it is not known how the individual domains are organized and interact to create the receptor-binding surface, limiting efforts to exploit its potential as an effective vaccine or drug target. Using small angle X-ray scattering and single particle reconstruction from negative-stained electron micrographs of the ectodomain and multidomain constructs, we have determined the structural architecture of VAR2CSA. The relative locations of the domains creates two distinct pores that can each accommodate the 12-mer of chondroitin-4-sulfate, suggesting a model for receptor binding. This model has important implications for understanding cytoadherence of infected red blood cells and potentially provides a starting point for developing novel strategies to prevent and/or treat placental malaria.

The life cycle of malaria parasites in both their mammalian host and mosquito vector consists of multiple developmental stages that ensure proper replication and progeny survival. The transition between these stages is fueled by nutrients scavenged from the host and fed into specialized metabolic pathways of the parasite. One such pathway is used by Plasmodium falciparum, which causes the most severe form of human malaria, to synthesize its major phospholipids, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, and phosphatidylserine. Much is known about the enzymes involved in the synthesis of these phospholipids, and recent advances in genetic engineering, single-cell RNA-Seq analyses, and drug screening have provided new perspectives on the importance of some of these enzymes in parasite development and sexual differentiation and have identified targets for the development of new antimalarial drugs. This Minireview focuses on two phospholipid biosynthesis enzymes of P. falciparum that catalyze phosphoethanolamine transmethylation (PfPMT) and phosphatidylserine decarboxylation (PfPSD) during the blood stages of the parasite. We also discuss our current understanding of the biochemical, structural, and biological functions of these enzymes and highlight efforts to use them as antimalarial drug targets.

Jianhua Wang
Nov 4, 2020; 0:RA120.002375v1-mcp.RA120.002375
Research

Malaria elimination is still pending on the development of novel tools that rely on a deep understanding of parasite biology. Proteins of all living cells undergo a myriad number of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) that are critical to multifarious life processes. An extensive proteome-wide dissection revealed a fine PTM map of most proteins in both Plasmodium falciparum, the causative agent of severe malaria, and the infected red blood cells. More than two-thirds of proteins of the parasite and its host cell underwent extensive and dynamic modification throughout the erythrocytic developmental stage. PTMs critically modulate the virulence factors involved in the host-parasite interaction and pathogenesis. Furthermore, P. falciparum stabilized the supporting proteins of erythrocyte origin by selective de-modification. Collectively, our multiple omic analyses, apart from having furthered a deep understanding of the systems biology of P. falciparum and malaria pathogenesis, provide a valuable resource for mining new antimalarial targets.

Sally, a Labrador retriever, sniffs sock samples and then pauses on the sample worn by a child with malaria. (Durham University/Medical Detection Dogs/London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine)

[MSF] An alarming number of children suffering from severe malaria have been admitted to Aweil state hospital, where Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) runs the paediatric and maternity wards, in Northern Bahr El-Ghazal state, South Sudan, over the past three months. Malaria admissions to the children's ward began to increase in June and, by September, up to 400 children a week were being admitted to the paediatric department with severe malaria - more than double the numbers compared to September the

Title: Malaria Eradication Not Currently Possible: WHO
Category: Health News
Created: 8/23/2019 12:00:00 AM
Last Editorial Review: 8/26/2019 12:00:00 AM

The district health department of Gurugram is on alert to screen for dengue and malaria cases at the border, after increase in the number of cases. The

Mosquito-borne diseases like dengue, malaria and chikungunya are on the rise. The months of September, October and November often see an increase in

VESTA insecticide paint, applied to homes in vulnerable neighborhoods, kills iAedes aegypti/i mosquitos by 98% for at least a year, offering a potential

medlinkCardiac/medlink, antimalarial, and gastrointestinal therapies have fueled a 6% growth in India's pharmaceutical market in August. h2Indian

Nigeria has made history by launching a free malaria vaccine, offering hope to millions of children at risk in the country. The new R21 vaccine is a significant

Highlights: Researchers at JNU have discovered a novel chemical with strong transmission-blocking activity for

New study urges future dam projects to consider better disease control measures.

The post African dams linked to over one million malaria cases annually first appeared on International Water Management Institute (IWMI).

Using cancer drugs in malaria treatment can speed up the discovery process of new life-saving therapies for malaria, which is becoming increasingly drug-resistant.

The presence of multiple species of bacteria or a particular species of bacteria called 'Bacteroides' in the gut is associated with an elevated risk of

Residents of ancient Eastern Arabia seem to have acquired resistance to medlinkmalaria/medlink after the introduction of agriculture in the region approximately five thousand years ago.

New 'copy-paste' mechanism in genetics have been identified by researchers at EMBL's European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI) in a malaria parasite

Malaria transmission through blood transfusion poses fatal risks, especially for vulnerable populations like medlinkcancer/medlink patients, due to

A groundbreaking 3 medlinkmalaria vaccine/medlink (!--ref1--) is set to be administered to African babies, potentially paving the way for eradicating the disease within a decade.

According to research led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) in partnership with seven African centers, maternal antibodies transferred

Malaria claims more than 600,000 lives annually, and as temperatures rise, the disease's potential spread is expanding. Although certain medications can

Medicinal Labrador tea plant compounds were found to offer protective activity against the parasite responsible for medlinkmalaria/medlink (!--ref1--).

Drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Comic Relief has formed a five-year partnership to reduce the global malaria burden by 2030. Comic relief and GSK

1. Delhi reports record high chikungunya, malaria cases in 5 years  DNA India
2. Delhi Reports 5-Year Record High In Chikungunya, Malaria Cases  NDTV
3. Delhi sees 472 more dengue cases, total count at 4,533  Hindustan Times
4. 4,533 cases, 3 deaths due to Dengue reported in Delhi in 2024  ETHealthWorld
5. Delhi witnesses surge in Dengue cases: 472 cases in last week, 3 deaths this year so far  India TV News

The number of chikungunya cases in 2020 stood at 111, in 2021, there were 89 cases, in 2022, 48 cases, and in 2023, 65 cases.

Globally, 44 countries and one territory have now been certified as malaria-free

India has made remarkable strides in reducing malaria, with reported cases dropping over the years; however, there is a long journey ahead, with climate change raising the potential for malaria transmission in areas that have already achieved elimination

We need newer methods and drugs to kill these pathogens mycobacterium tuberculosis and plasmodium falciparum.

Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia represents Jigawa North in the Senate. In this interview, Hadejia dismisses reports that coronavirus killed 100 people in his senatorial district and speaks on the ‘deportation’ of 400 almajirai from Kano by Governor Ganduje to Jigawa.

The post MYSTERY DEATHS IN JIGAWA: Fasting, malaria, heat killing my people, not COVID-19 — Senator Hadeija appeared first on Vanguard News.

Why do iron supplements worsen malarial infection, the scientist at National Institutes of Health have found a possible explanation for this. They found

A long-standing mystery of how a protein displayed on the surface of malaria parasites called "TRAP" interacts with human host cells has now been found.

According to a 2017 WHO report, India ranks fourth in infections and deaths caused by malaria. Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease and children, pregnant women and travellers are more prone to the disease. The female Anopheles mosquito transfers Plasmodium parasites

Through sheer coincidence, two Smithsonian researchers at the National Zoological Park have discovered that 18 percent of the white-tailed deer population in the Eastern United […]

The post Smithsonian study reveals white-tailed deer in eastern U.S. are infected with a malaria parasite appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

As average annual temperatures increase, mosquitoes have also been on the move—up the mountains of the Hawaiian islands. Once a refuge for native birds susceptible […]

The post Scientists race to find genetic clues as malaria decimates rare Hawaiian honeycreepers appeared first on Smithsonian Insider.

Although the immediate side effects of antimalarial drugs are widely recognized, few studies were designed specifically to examine health problems that might occur or persist months or years after people stopped taking them.

Continuing economic development and public health measures are likely to outweigh the impact of climate change on malaria prevalence, according to new research. The research found that the prevalence of malaria has declined over the past century despite rising temperatures.