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_outlineOne of the main ways of controlling malaria is to reduce mosquito populations through insecticides. But the mosquitoes are developing resistance, making most insecticides less effective. What if the answer lies beneath our feet?
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One of the main ways of controlling malaria is to reduce mosquito populations through insecticides. But the mosquitoes are developing resistance, making most insecticides less effective. We need new vector control interventions – what if the answer lies beneath our feet? Researchers from the Dimopoulos Group at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute have turned to an unexpected source of inspiration—soil. They’ve produced a natural biopesticide, derived from a type of bacteria found in soil called Chromobacterium. When you deliver this biopesticide through a sugar bait – which lures the mosquitoes to feed on it – it kills the mosquitoes, regardless of their resistance to insecticides. Additionally, at non-lethal doses, Chromobacterium can enhance the effectiveness of other insecticides, acting as a synergist, as well as making mosquitoes incapable of finding a human to feed on. These findings were first demonstrated in the lab, but have now been confirmed in enclosed field trials in Burkina Faso. It's hoped that this naturally-occurring insecticide could support vector control efforts to curb disease transmission.
Source
Chromobacterium biopesticide overcomes insecticide resistance in malaria vector mosquitoes (Science)
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.