EXTENDED: From River Blindness to Malaria Control – The Ivermectin Story (with Carlos Chaccour and Joseph Mwangangi)
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
In Kwale, Kenya, where bed nets alone can’t stop malaria, researchers are testing ivermectin – a drug long used to treat parasitic infections – as a new way to kill mosquitoes. Trials show a 26% drop in malaria cases and added benefits against other mosquito-borne diseases, suggesting ivermectin could be a scalable, community-driven tool in the fight against insecticide resistance. With Carlos Chaccour (researcher at the Navarra Center for International Development) and Joseph Mwangangi (scientist at KEMRI) About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns...
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Ivermectin’s Potential in the Fight Against Malaria
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.
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EXTENDED: The Turning Point – What Drives Malaria to Become Severe? (with Mark Travassos, Mahamadou Ali Thera and Rafal Sobota)
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
Focusing on patients in Mali, researchers examine why some children develop life-threatening complications like cerebral malaria or severe malarial anemia. With Mark Travassos (University of Maryland School of Medicine), Mahamadou Ali Thera (University of Science Techniques and Technologies of Bamako), and Rafal Sobota (Northwestern University). About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.
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What Severe Malaria Cases Have In Common
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
Although severe malaria presents in different clinical forms – such as cerebral malaria or severe malarial anemia – a new study reveals that all severe cases have one thing in common: a shared inflammatory signature Transcript Whilst most cases of malaria are mild, some take a dangerous turn. In severe cases, the malaria parasite can overwhelm the body, disrupting the blood-brain barrier and leading to cerebral malaria, or destroying so many red blood cells that it triggers life-threatening anemia. Now, a new study has taken a closer look at this progression – from uncomplicated malaria...
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EXTENDED: Curing the Mosquito – Bed Nets That Target Parasites (with Alexandra Probst)
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
Dr. Alexandra Probst discusses a breakthrough in malaria prevention: bed nets coated with anti-parasitic drugs that stop transmission by curing infected mosquitoes. With Alexandra Probst, former graduate student at Harvard University. About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.
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Bed Nets That Target Parasites, Not Just Mosquitoes
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
How next-generation bed nets could stop malaria by killing the parasites inside mosquitoes, not just the mosquitoes themselves. Transcript Bed nets have long been a cornerstone of vector control. Coated with insecticide, they serve a dual purpose: preventing bites and killing mosquitoes. But what if those nets could do more – not only kill the mosquitoes, but for those they don’t kill because of increasing insecticide resistance, at least kill the parasites hidden inside them? Researchers assembled a library of antiparasitic compounds active against the form of the parasite in the mosquito...
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EXTENDED: Why Malaria Vaccines May Work Better in Some Places Than Others (with Lemu Golassa)
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
The extent to which malaria vaccines reduce cases and deaths is a key consideration. But there’s another factor, too. with Dr. Lemu Golassa, Head of Medical Parasitology at Addis Ababa University. About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.
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Mismatch Between Malaria Vaccines and Local Parasite Strains in Ethiopia
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
A recent study in Ethiopia reveals that local malaria parasite strains differ genetically from those targeted by current vaccines, potentially reducing their effectiveness. Transcript The recent introduction of two malaria vaccines in sub-Saharan Africa represents a major success in global health, and the culmination of decades of research and development. The two jabs – RTS,S and R21 – target a protein on the surface of the malaria parasite as it enters the skin, called the circumsporozoite protein, or CSP. The vaccines are based on a specific form of CSP. The challenge is that there are...
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Malaria Advocacy on Capitol Hill: Funding, Research, and Global Impact
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
The podcast explores the importance of advocacy for malaria research and control. It follows over 120 advocates gathering in Washington, DC, as part of the ‘United to Beat Malaria’ campaign, urging Congress to continue supporting global malaria efforts. Key topics include: The US President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI), founded in 2005, which provides bed nets, test kits, and treatments to combat malaria The role of global partnerships, including the Global Fund, in distributing resources efficiently. How Uganda’s malaria response is supported by international funding for the...
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EXTENDED: AI-Driven Malaria Control – Neural Networks and the Task-Shifting of Vector Surveillance (with Soumya Acharya and Sunny Patel)
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
With a shortage of entomologists in malaria-endemic regions, could AI fill the gap? We explore VectorCam, an offline tool powered by a Convolutional Neural Network that aims to support local vector surveillance. with Dr. Soumya Acharya and Sunny Patel of Johns Hopkins University. About The Podcast The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.
info_outlineGene drives are a promising tool for malaria control - how can we tell they actually work?
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Gene drives are a promising new tool for malaria control. They involve releasing genetically modified mosquitoes into the wild – mosquitoes engineered to halt the parasites from developing inside the insects, or that cause the mosquitoes to die. These GM mosquitoes are then released into new habitats. Over time and across multiple generations, the gene drive spreads, reducing malaria transmission. That’s the theory. But one fundamental question remains: how can we tell they actually work? Experts say there are three distinct measures of gene drive efficacy. First, smaller-scale trials of releases should emphasize genetic efficacy, measuring the spread and frequency of the gene drive across time and space. Then, examine entomological efficacy by measuring the density of mosquitoes or the number of parasites they carry. Finally, consider the epidemiological data, by measuring the number of malaria cases in the areas where the gene drive has been released. This approach aims to ensure that the ‘causal pathway’ of gene drives effectively reduces cases and deaths.
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Considerations for first field trials of low-threshold gene drive for malaria vector control
About The Podcast
The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.