AUTHOR=Minkah Nana K. , Schafer Carola , Kappe Stefan H. I. 

TITLE=Humanized Mouse Models for the Study of Human Malaria Parasite Biology, Pathogenesis, and Immunity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2018

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2018.00807

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2018.00807

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=Malaria parasite infection continues to inflict extensive morbidity and mortality in resource poor countries. The insufficiently understood parasite biology, continuously evolving drug resistance and the lack of an effective vaccine necessitate intensive research on human malaria parasites that can inform the development of new intervention tools. Humanized mouse models for malaria research have been greatly improved over the last decade and enable the direct study of human malaria parasites in vivo in the laboratory. Nevertheless, no small animal model to date has been reported on that can be used to maintain the complete life cycles of Plasmodium parasites that infect humans. The ultimate goal is to develop humanized mouse systems in which a Plasmodium infection closely reproduces all stages of a parasite infection in humans, including pre-erythrocytic infection, blood stage infection and its associated pathology, transmission as well as the human immune response to infection. Here we discuss the humanized mouse models currently available and the future directions that should be taken in order to develop next generation models for human malaria parasite research.