Despite being an ancient disease, malaria continues to be considered one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Among the species of Plasmodium capable of infecting humans, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vixax stand out. P. falciparum is the most studied one, it is the deadliest species, especially in the African continent, and it causes hundreds of thousands of deaths, in particular in children and pregnant women. Efforts are directed towards understanding the host-parasite relationship, aiming at the design of strategies that would allow, if not the elimination, the control of the disease. Despite several studies, there is only one vaccine targeted at P. falciparum currently in phase IV clinical trials. However, the need for several doses to induce immunity and its reduced effectiveness observed in phase III studies suggest that the development of the immunity is not complete.
P. vivax is the second most prevalent cause of malaria worldwide and the leading cause of malaria outside Africa. Complex biological features such as the ability to invade only reticulocytes, the occurrence of hypnozoites, and the ability to produce early gametocytes (before symptoms appear) make this species still a great challenge. Furthermore, little is known about how environmental factors (such as endemicity) and factors inherent to the parasite (such as genetic diversity) and the host would influence the establishment of a harmonic parasite-host relationship.
Another worrying factor in disease control is the speed with which parasite resistance to available antimalarials arises and spreads in endemic regions; much faster than the development of new drugs to treat the infection. Thus, understanding the dynamics of the host-parasite relationship in Plasmodium infections becomes essential to develop new strategies to fight the parasite or to improve the existing ones. In this way, studies involving animal models have been of great importance.
The aim of this Research Topic is to provide important information about the host-parasite relationship. We welcome the submission of reviews (including mini-reviews) as well as original research, methods, and perspectives articles on human and/or animal studies that cover, but are not limited to, the following subtopics:
- New antigenic molecules driving antimalarial immunity;
- Mechanisms/ factors regulating antimalarial immunity;
- Immunological mechanisms, molecules, and inflammatory mediators associated with the pathogenesis of infection;
- Mechanisms/factors mediating immune escape;
- Adjuvant therapies to treat severe malaria;
- Influence of microbiota and coinfections on the clinical course of malaria infection.
Despite being an ancient disease, malaria continues to be considered one of the most serious public health problems in the world. Among the species of Plasmodium capable of infecting humans, Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vixax stand out. P. falciparum is the most studied one, it is the deadliest species, especially in the African continent, and it causes hundreds of thousands of deaths, in particular in children and pregnant women. Efforts are directed towards understanding the host-parasite relationship, aiming at the design of strategies that would allow, if not the elimination, the control of the disease. Despite several studies, there is only one vaccine targeted at P. falciparum currently in phase IV clinical trials. However, the need for several doses to induce immunity and its reduced effectiveness observed in phase III studies suggest that the development of the immunity is not complete.
P. vivax is the second most prevalent cause of malaria worldwide and the leading cause of malaria outside Africa. Complex biological features such as the ability to invade only reticulocytes, the occurrence of hypnozoites, and the ability to produce early gametocytes (before symptoms appear) make this species still a great challenge. Furthermore, little is known about how environmental factors (such as endemicity) and factors inherent to the parasite (such as genetic diversity) and the host would influence the establishment of a harmonic parasite-host relationship.
Another worrying factor in disease control is the speed with which parasite resistance to available antimalarials arises and spreads in endemic regions; much faster than the development of new drugs to treat the infection. Thus, understanding the dynamics of the host-parasite relationship in Plasmodium infections becomes essential to develop new strategies to fight the parasite or to improve the existing ones. In this way, studies involving animal models have been of great importance.
The aim of this Research Topic is to provide important information about the host-parasite relationship. We welcome the submission of reviews (including mini-reviews) as well as original research, methods, and perspectives articles on human and/or animal studies that cover, but are not limited to, the following subtopics:
- New antigenic molecules driving antimalarial immunity;
- Mechanisms/ factors regulating antimalarial immunity;
- Immunological mechanisms, molecules, and inflammatory mediators associated with the pathogenesis of infection;
- Mechanisms/factors mediating immune escape;
- Adjuvant therapies to treat severe malaria;
- Influence of microbiota and coinfections on the clinical course of malaria infection.
