Plasmodium Falciparum Parasite Development in Humanized Mice: Liver And Blood Stages

Abstract

Malaria is a parasitic disease due to which approximately half of the world’s population is at risk. There are 300–500 million cases of malaria each year, causing nearly one million deaths. Malaria disproportionately affects developing countries and marginalized or disadvantaged people, and can contribute to the downward spirals of poverty and social unrest. Although progress has been made in preventing and treating malaria, more effective, tolerable, and affordable therapies and vaccines are needed. In addition the continuing threat of drug resistance mandates further development of effective antimalarials. A small animal model for human malaria would fill an important gap that currently slows effective progress towards these important public health goals. Malaria parasites that are transmitted through the bites of infected mosquitoes and can cause the most harm to humans are Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. They exhibit a unique and mechanistically undefined human tropism, and animal models that recapitulate these parasitic life cycles do not exist. Humanized mice, which are immunodeficient animals containing human tissues or transgenes, have recently emerged as powerful tools to study a variety of human infectious diseases. Through xenotransplantation, attempts have been made to humanize each tissue compartment that P. falciparum and P. vivax require to complete their life cycle.