Severe Malaria Pathogenesis Team
Benoît Gamain Lab
According to the latest WHO’s World Malaria Report there were a total of 228 million cases of malaria in 2018 leading to 405 000 deaths, mostly children under five years of age, principally associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection occurring in sub-saharan Africa. The most severe forms of malaria are caused by the parasite P. falciparum, whose virulence is associated with an immune evasion strategy based on antigenic variation and parasite-encoded erythrocyte surface adhesins during blood stage infection. These surface molecules cause infected erythrocytes (IEs) sequestration from blood circulation by binding to endothelial cells surface receptors within micro-vessels of various tissues. The IEs tissue tropism may have fatal consequences to the host depending on the delicacy of the sequestering organ, such as the brain or the placenta.
According to the latest WHO’s World Malaria Report there were a total of 228 million cases of malaria in 2018 leading to 405 000 deaths, mostly children under five years of age, principally associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection occurring in sub-saharan Africa. The most severe forms of malaria are caused by the parasite P. falciparum, whose virulence is associated with an immune evasion strategy based on antigenic variation and parasite-encoded erythrocyte surface adhesins during blood stage infection. These surface molecules cause infected erythrocytes (IEs) sequestration from blood circulation by binding to endothelial cells surface receptors within micro-vessels of various tissues. The IEs tissue tropism may have fatal consequences to the host depending on the delicacy of the sequestering organ, such as the brain or the placenta.
The severe malaria pathogenesis team research efforts focus on the identification and the deciphering of the molecular interactions associated to P. falciparum infected erythrocytes (PEs) sequestration during placental malaria (PM) as well as cerebral malaria. Understanding the functional characteristics of parasite adhesion processes at the molecular level will provide a rational basis for accelerating vaccine and therapeutic developments to inhibit IEs sequestration. Our research leads to the development of the 1st candidate vaccine for PM, a VAR2CSA based vaccine. A Phase Ia/Ib clinical trial (PRIMALVAC project) was conducted in France and Burkina Faso.
The severe malaria pathogenesis team research efforts focus on the identification and the deciphering of the molecular interactions associated to P. falciparum infected erythrocytes (PEs) sequestration during placental malaria (PM) as well as cerebral malaria. Understanding the functional characteristics of parasite adhesion processes at the molecular level will provide a rational basis for accelerating vaccine and therapeutic developments to inhibit IEs sequestration. Our research leads to the development of the 1st candidate vaccine for PM, a VAR2CSA based vaccine. A Phase Ia/Ib clinical trial (PRIMALVAC project) was conducted in France and Burkina Faso.
