Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute

An old malaria drug gets a new formulation. But how good is it – and will it drive resistance? In this podcast, we ask: What are the limitations of current malaria vaccines? What is the concept of long-acting injectable (LAI) drugs? What are the clinical and chemical properties of atovaquone that make it suitable for this purpose? With Theresa Shapiro, Professor, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine a...

How 'chemical vaccines' could offer long-term protection against malaria in endemic areas, and combat the problems of dosing and drug resistance. Transcript Drugs used to prevent and treat malaria are vital tools in the malaria toolkit – but they aren't perfect. When used to prevent malaria, people must remember to take them regularly, or they won't be as effective. And when they're used to treat...

Drug efficacy studies are revealing the spatial distribution of mutations causing artemisinin resistance - and it all starts with a drop of blood. In this podcast, we ask: What is artemisinin resistance? What are some of the key molecular markers underpinning it? How can we overcome it? With Didier Ménard, Director of the Institute of Parasitology and Tropical Diseases at the University of Strasbo...

Researchers examine the rise of artemisinin drug resistance in Eritrea - and search for its genetic basis. Transcript Artemisinin – a key antimalarial drug – and other drugs derived from it, are fast losing their effectiveness across South East Asia and increasingly in Africa, too. To investigate this, researchers conducted a review of drug efficacy studies in the East African country of Eritrea....

In 1951, malaria was eliminated from the US. But just this past summer, the parasite that causes the disease has re-infected local mosquitoes and caused a handful of cases of malaria in three US states. In this interview podcast, we ask: What should we make of these cases? Is the public possibly at risk of this once-eliminated disease? How can genomics help us to better understand what's happened?...

Malaria returns to the US for the first time in decades. We share what we know so far. Transcript Today, another reminder that infectious diseases respect no borders. Malaria, a disease that was once endemic globally, has returned to the US for the first time in two decades. A number of cases have been confirmed in Florida, Texas and, most recently, one in Maryland. Crucially, in each of those cas...

In 2013, on the outskirts of Madrid, GSK was gearing up to test new medicines against malaria. But they had a problem. In this month's podcast, we're joined by Janneth Rodrigues from GSK, Marcelo Jacobs-Lorena from Johns Hopkins University, and Etienne Bilgo from IRSS to share a story of collaboration that spans three continents, and which turned a headache into a success story. Source Delftia tsu...

A naturally occurring bacterium renders the mosquito a poor transmitter of the malaria parasite. Transcript Scientists often grow mosquitos in the laboratory and infect them with malaria parasites to test new drugs and explore vector control. Unexpectedly, in a lab run by GSK in Spain, mosquitoes gradually lost the ability to sustain parasite development. To unwind this mystery, GSK turned to Marc...

After decades of research, the world's first malaria vaccine is finally being rolled out in Africa. It's a landmark in malaria success – but will it deliver a public health victory? In this podcast, we reveal the elusive target of the malaria vaccine and unpack the complex story of its development.

To locate blood vessels and establish infection, malaria parasites alternate between two states of movement in the skin – fast and slow. Interestingly, this shift in state might be guided by a cell found on the walls of capillaries. Transcript Of the dozens of malaria parasites the mosquito injects, only a handful will make it. To survive, the parasite needs to forage around for a blood vessel, en...

Behavioral science is essential if the tools we develop in the lab are to generate impact in the field. So, in this episode, we take a break from malaria biology to delve deep into human psychology of malaria control. We explore the theory behind behavioral science and its implications for malaria control, and discuss a new tool from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs: the Malaria...

Bed nets are a staple tool in malaria control - b ut how do we make sure people actually use them? We discuss behavioral science, and the Malaria Behavior Survey from the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs. Transcript Bed nets are a staple tool in malaria control. They're reliable, effective, affordable and reusable. But how do we make sure people actually use them: sleep under one ev...

Without funding, there can be no malaria fight. No bed nets distributed, no homes sparayed with insecticide and no scientific research to develop new tools. For World Malaria Day 2023, we head to Washington D.C. to meet advocates in the U.S. who are passionate about rallying political support around the fight against malaria and raising the bar for the role young people play in global health advoc...

Malaria champions meet in Washington D.C. for the UN Foundation's 'United to Beat Malaria' Leadership Summit. Transcript In the centre of Washinton DC – just a five-minute walk from the White House – is a campaign at the forefront of malaria advocacy. The UN Foundation's 'United to Beat Malaria' campaign connects Americans with the global movement to end malaria. Every year, it briefs advocates fr...

An invasive mosquito species, Anopheles stephensi, is threatening to redefine malaria in Africa. In this episode, we speak to  Eric Ochomo  from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, and  Seth Irish  from the World Health Organization, about the rise of the Anopheles stephensi in Africa. We discuss why the mosquito is in Africa, what this means for malaria, and—more importantly—what can be done.

The migration of Anopheles stephensi , an invasive mosquito species, threatens to redefine malaria in Africa. Transcript Malaria in Africa is mainly rural, and peaks during the rainy season. The primary culprit is  Africa's main malaria vector: Anopheles gambiae. But another malaria vector – called Anopheles stephensi – is making its way into the continent from SE Asia. Anopheles stephensi can tra...

The malaria parasite is becoming increasingly resistant to the drugs we use against it. Caroline Simmons, a geneticist at the University of South Florida, is trying to understand what's driving this. By cr eating mutants of the parasite, and testing drugs against them, she's piecing together the complex puzzle of antimalarial drug resistance.

Drug resistance is on the rise, but genetics can help us understand what's driving it. Here, researchers identify a protein associated with resistance to artemisinin, a key malaria drug. Transcript Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACT) are considered the most effective method to treat malaria. Yet drug resistance to them is on the rise, spreading from Southeast Asia to Africa, becoming a r...

When Clive Shiff completed his entomology training, he was told that malaria was on its way out.  But as we know, the disease persisted, continuing to claim lives and livelihoods. In January's Malaria Minute Extended, we speak with Clive Shiff, Professor Emeritus at Johns Hopkins University, on the rise of the bed net and the importance of African leadership in the push for malaria eradication.

How can we account for malaria cases during the dry season, when mosquitoes are typically dormant? It turns out that trees might be the root of the problem... Transcript Malaria is often thought of as a seasonal disease. Transmission peaks during the rainy season – when standing water creates the ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive – and falls in the dry season when mosquitoes become dormant...

The malaria parasite has a lot of genes: over 5,000. But how does it know when to express certain genes versus others? A nd what purpose do these different genes serve in malaria virulence and transmission? We dive deep into the nucleus of the cell with Catherine Merrick of the University of Cambridge to find out. She reveals the role of epigenetics in malaria transmission and the discovery of a n...

A newly-discovered epigenetic marker may reveal how the parasite survives in the human host Transcript The malaria parasite is resilient, with thousands of genes that can be differentially expressed to evade the immune system. The expression of those genes is determined by environmental factors and controlled through 'epigenetic markers'. They turn the genes on or off – and give the parasite flexi...

In 2010, the NIH launched the ICEMRs, a global network of research centers focused on eliminating malaria. They track malaria over time - across the globe - to help inform government policy with the mission to move the needle toward a malaria-free world. Malaria is a spectacularly complex disease, and this mission is challenging. Here, we zoom in on the Southern and Central Africa ICEMR to learn m...

A special supplement in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene marks the global impact of the International Centers of Excellence for Malaria Research. Transcript Open the most recent edition of the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, and you'll find a Special Supplement. A series of papers to highlight the global impact of the ICEMRs, the International Centers of Exc...

Bed nets and insecticides are often used to combat malaria.  But how do we know that those tools work? Trials can indicate the effectiveness of these tools in a specific time and place - but what about in the real world?  With Jane Frances Namuganga, Project Coordinator, Infectious Diseases Research Collaboration (IDRC), Uganda.