2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Stimulating the host innate immune response to fight the early stages of malaria infection
| Project/Area Number |
16K21233
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Research Field |
Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
Immunology
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| Research Institution | Nagasaki University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2016-04-01 – 2018-03-31
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| Keywords | Malaria / Pam2Cys / vaccine / antimalarial drug |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
We investigated a new approach to both protection from and treatment of malaria parasites that involves the direct stimulation of the host innate immune response through the administration of a Toll-Like Receptor-2 (TLR2) agonist. The activity of S-[2,3-bis(palmitoyloxy)propyl] cysteine (Pam2Cys) against the hepatocytic stages, erythrocytic stages and gametocytes of Plasmodium yoelii was investigated. PEG-Pam2Cys significantly reduces the numbers of malaria parasites in the livers of mice following challenge with sporozoites. We also show that treatment can clear parasites from the liver when administered subsequent to the establishment of infection. PEG-Pam2Cys can reduce the numbers of mosquitoes that are infected following blood feeding on gametocytaemic mice. These results suggest that this compound could represent a novel liver stage anti-malarial that can be used both for the clearance of parasites following exposure and for the prevention of the establishment of infection.
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| Free Research Field |
原虫学
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