Malaria

To interrupt reproduction of the malaria parasite in the mosquito gut, Greg Garcia and Sheetij Dutta of Walter Reed Army Institute of Research seek to identify and block a gametocyte stage receptor for xanthreunic acid, which is known to trigger the differentiation of gametocytes, an essential step in the life-cycle of the malaria parasite.

Matthew Fuchter and collaborators at Imperial College London in the United Kingdom proposes to test whether a novel chemical produced in some fungus species can control enzymes that control immune escape mechanisms in malaria parasites. If successful, this approach may not only force the parasite to present many surface proteins that are normally absent and stimulate a powerful immune response, but could also directly kill malaria parasites.

Abani Nag and Amiya Hati of Vivekananda International Health Centre in India will test the hypothesis that ultrasound measurements of the liver and spleen, as well as functional liver enzyme tests, will to help differentiate cases of relapse versus re-infection of malaria, leading to more appropriate treatment and drug therapies.

Lena Hulden of the University of Helsinki in Finland will test the hypothesis that saliva from newly emerging mosquitoes activates dormant P. vivax parasites in the liver. By robust statistical analysis of the timing of P. vivax outbreaks, as well as molecular analysis of mosquito saliva, Hulden hopes to eventually identify the trigger for these relapses in hopes of controlling outbreaks.

Hongshen Ma of the University of British Columbia in Canada will develop an inexpensive hand-held device consisting of a series of funnels of decreasing size that will separate healthy red-blood cells, which can easily squeeze through openings, from malaria-parasite infected blood cells which become more rigid. A simple integrated optical sensor would then count stained cells in these various stages to determine the state of infection and inform treatment options.

Ronald Quinn of Griffith University's Eskitis Institute in Australia and colleagues are seeking to discover chemical fragments drawn from a variety of natural sources that bind to proteins expressed by the malaria parasite in its latent stage and the tuberculosis microorganism. In their Phase I and Phase II research, the team is working on identifying compounds that target proteins involved in key metabolic and energy pathways of latency as the basis for new drug therapies.

Paul Gilson of Macfarlane Burnet Institute for Medical Research and Public Health in Australia will study the function of a newly discovered malaria parasite mechanism that exports proteins into host red blood cells in an effort to develop compounds that block this transfer and inhibit parasite growth.

Simon Foote of the Menzies Research Institute at the University of Tasmania in Australia will use "forward genetic screening" approaches identify mutations that confer resistance after exposure to malaria parasites. The team will use this powerful information to develop drug therapies that target the human host and mimic these protective genetic effects.

Bryan Greenhouse of the University of California, San Francisco, will design a series of microsatellites, short DNA repeats which have variable lengths in different parasites, to track individual parasites in two regions close to malaria elimination. If successful, this approach will provide insight into parasite transmission networks and help to guide future malaria eradication efforts.

Philip J. Shaw of Thailand's National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology will seek to identify potential drug targets and vaccine antigens in the malaria parasite using a novel technology to reduce specific gene expression. By fusing a natural genetic "riboswitch" onto gene targets, the team will attempt to attenuate gene expression and thereby determine gene function.