Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute
Impactful malaria science, and the trailblazers leading the fight. A podcast from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute.
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The Skin-Contact Malaria Test That Could Revolutionize Diagnostics
11/12/2024
The Skin-Contact Malaria Test That Could Revolutionize Diagnostics
Using lasers and ultrasound, the ‘cytophone’ detects a key byproduct of all malaria parasites. Transcript Among the most commonly used malaria diagnostic tests is the rapid diagnostic test (RDT), which detects malaria antigens from a drop of blood. Whilst RDTs are small and cheap, they're invasive and new strains of the parasite have evolved that can escape RDT diagnosis. Now, engineers have developed new diagnostic technology – a cytophone – which doesn’t require a blood draw. About the size of a desktop printer, the cytophone uses lasers and ultrasound to detect infected red blood cells in the vein on a patient’s hand or forearm. The cytophone works by detecting hemozoin, a byproduct of all malaria parasites from their consumption of hemoglobin for energy. When hemozoin absorbs a certain amount of the laser energy, it heats up and expands, generating ultrasound waves that indicate malaria infection within the red blood cell. In a trial of 20 adults in Cameroon with symptomatic malaria, the cytophone prototype performed as well as current point-of-care diagnostic methods. Source 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: First Reference Genome Sequence of P. vivax from Ethiopia (with Jane Carlton, Delenasaw Yewhalaw, and Francisco Callejas Hernandez)
10/29/2024
EXTENDED: First Reference Genome Sequence of P. vivax from Ethiopia (with Jane Carlton, Delenasaw Yewhalaw, and Francisco Callejas Hernandez)
Today, how DNA from a single patient in Ethiopia can shed light on the big picture of malaria. Why is Plasmodium vivax significant in malaria research, especially in Ethiopia? How does genomic sequencing contribute to understanding and controlling malaria? How are advances in sequencing technology influencing malaria research? With Jane Carlton, Delenasaw Yewhalaw, and Francisco Callejas Hernandez 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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How Comparative Genomics Can Help Find the Best Treatments for Malaria
10/15/2024
How Comparative Genomics Can Help Find the Best Treatments for Malaria
'Comparative genomics' helps identify genes that can serve as targets for future drugs and vaccines. Transcript Not all parasites are alike. Genetic mutations mean that malaria parasites evolve differently in different regions – and even within the same region. One species thought to be particularly genetically diverse is Plasmodium vivax. It’s the second most common species of malaria, found in South East Asia, South America, and some parts of Africa. In Ethiopia, 20% of malaria cases are thought to be caused by P. vivax. In a new paper, scientists made a ‘reference genome’ from a sample of P. vivax in Ethiopia. They collected blood from an infected patient, extracted the DNA, and ‘read’ its fragments to form the parasite genome. This allows scientists to compare P. vivax samples across regions – and understand their similarities and differences. Importantly, this study of ‘comparative genomics’ ie comparing genomes will help identify the genes that stay the same – the conserved genes – and those which are different - the unique genes -which could serve as targets for future drugs and vaccines. Source 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 Surprising Advantage of Transmission-Blocking Vaccines (with Ilinca Ciubotariu, Qixin He and Giovanna Carpi)
10/01/2024
EXTENDED: The Surprising Advantage of Transmission-Blocking Vaccines (with Ilinca Ciubotariu, Qixin He and Giovanna Carpi)
The World Health Organisation has recommended two licenced malaria vaccines. Those vaccines have been a long time coming - but are they the best? In this extended episode of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute, we ask: Why is developing a malaria vaccine so challenging? How does antigen variation play affect the effectiveness of malaria vaccines? What are transmission-blocking vaccines (TBVs), and why haven't they gained much interest despite their potential? With Ilinca Ciubotariu, Qixin He and Giovanna Carpi. 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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Transmission-Blocking Antigens Show Low Variation, Making Them a Reliable Vaccine Target Across Countries
09/17/2024
Transmission-Blocking Antigens Show Low Variation, Making Them a Reliable Vaccine Target Across Countries
A key challenge in developing a malaria vaccine is choosing which stage to target. Transcript A key challenge in developing a malaria vaccine is choosing which stage of the infection to target. You can target the parasite when it enters the body, multiplies in the liver and the blood, or is in the sexual stage, preparing to be picked up by a mosquito. Along with selecting the right vaccine target, it’s also important to consider how these targets naturally vary in the population. To identify the optimal target, researchers examined the genetic and structural variation of ten antigens in over 1,000 samples of malaria parasites from six African countries. Interestingly, antigens involved in human infection showed the most genetic and structural variation across countries. Transmission-blocking antigens—ones that induce antibodies in humans that disrupt the parasite’s development in the mosquito, thus preventing further transmission —were more conserved across regions. This makes transmission-blocking antigens excellent targets as standalone or multi-stage vaccines to prevent onward transmission to other people. Source 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: World Mosquito Day - Gene Drives and CRISPR Technology
08/30/2024
EXTENDED: World Mosquito Day - Gene Drives and CRISPR Technology
We share a special episode of our podcast to mark World Mosqutio Day. World Mosquito Day, observed annually on August 20th, commemorates British doctor Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria to humans. More than a century later, major advancements like genetically modifying mosquitoes—AKA gene drives—have the potential to reduce malaria cases and deaths dramatically, but not without hurdles. 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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Gene Drives: A Sharper Tool for the Malaria Toolkit?
08/13/2024
Gene Drives: A Sharper Tool for the Malaria Toolkit?
People often talk about the 'malaria toolkit' - how might gene drives fit? Transcript When people talk about malaria, they often mention the 'malaria toolkit' – a set of tools, like bed nets and indoor residual spraying, that are available to help curb the spread of disease. In the past, these tools were trusty go-to's – thanks to their efficacy, scalability and cost. Like the antimalarial drugs used to prevent and treat the disease, they’re primarily aimed at protecting individuals. Yet, a new technology called gene drives – which releases and spreads genetically modified mosquitoes that can't transmit the disease – aims to protect whole communities. How might they fit into the toolkit? Dr Damaris Matoka-Muhia of the Kenya Medical Research Institute considers gene drives a potentially sustainable, long-term and cost-effective solution for malaria – especially as resistance dulls other tools. And in Kenya, there are regulations in place to support gene drive implementation. The National Biosafety Authority, already used for GM crops like cotton can be leveraged, ready to roll out this innovation in the future. Source 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: CRISPR and Consent (Gene Drives Part I - with Anthony James and John Connolly)
07/30/2024
EXTENDED: CRISPR and Consent (Gene Drives Part I - with Anthony James and John Connolly)
Gene drives are a novel way of genetically editing the mosquitoes that transmit malaria. They have the potential to dramatically reduce cases and deaths. But the technology they’re based on is new and requires new thinking on regulation. In this first episode of our two-part focus on gene drives, we ask how drives work – examining the CRISPR technology behind them – and explore the hurdles for their release, including the risks, regulations and questions of consent. With Professor Anthony James (University of California, Irvine) and Dr John Connolly (Target Malaria) 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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How Can We Tell Gene Drives Work?
07/16/2024
How Can We Tell Gene Drives Work?
Gene drives are a promising tool for malaria control - how can we tell they actually work? Transcript 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. Source 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: How Climate Change Could Lead To Faster, More Intense Malaria Transmission (with Alex Eapen)
07/02/2024
EXTENDED: How Climate Change Could Lead To Faster, More Intense Malaria Transmission (with Alex Eapen)
Temperature, rainfall, and humidity determine malaria transmission - but climate change is altering each one of those variables. What might this mean for cases of the disease? With Alex Eapen, from the ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) in Chennai, India. 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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Increase in Temperature Associated With Decrease in Incubation Period
06/18/2024
Increase in Temperature Associated With Decrease in Incubation Period
Researchers compare the temperature of mosquito breeding spots with a decade early to examine its impact on malaria transmission. Transcript The effects of climate change on malaria are becoming clearer. Anopheles stephensi – an urban form of the malaria mosquito – is changing its geography, moving from Southeast Asia to parts of Africa and India. To investigate the link between temperature and malaria, between 2021 and 2022 researchers in Chennai, India placed data loggers that recorded temperature – and the daily range of temperature - in both indoor and outdoor settings. They took those measurements and compared them to ten years earlier, from 2012 to 2013. The daily temperature range of indoor asbestos structures increased from 4.3 to 12.6 degrees Celsius — compared to a marginal increase in other structures. Importantly, an increase in temperature was associated with a decrease in the incubation period – that's the time it takes for the parasite to develop in the mosquito. With invasive mosquito species entering new areas, combined with the shorter time it takes to transmit, it's becoming more clear that rising temperatures will lead to an increase in malaria cases in certain areas – and that preparation will be key. Source 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: Investigating PfHDAC1 – The Essential Malaria Protein Behind Human Sickness (with Abhishek Kanyal and Krishanpal Karmodiya)
05/29/2024
EXTENDED: Investigating PfHDAC1 – The Essential Malaria Protein Behind Human Sickness (with Abhishek Kanyal and Krishanpal Karmodiya)
A single protein helps malaria parasites develop in the blood and cause disease symptoms. Could inhibiting this essential protein help curb the spread of disease? With Abhishek Kanyal and Krishanpal Karmodiya. 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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Blood-Stage Protein Identified as Key Target for Antimalarial Drugs
05/21/2024
Blood-Stage Protein Identified as Key Target for Antimalarial Drugs
A poorly studied malaria protein could serve as a key drug target to help combat the growing problem of resistance. Transcript A poorly studied malaria protein – Plasmodium falciparum histone deacetylase 1 – could serve as a key drug target to help combat the growing problem of resistance. The protein helps regulate the ‘intraerythrocytic’ stage of the parasite: a 48-hour cycle in which the parasite invades, replicates, and bursts free from red blood cells, causing disease symptoms. By making this protein fluorescent, researchers found that it is associated with a range of major biological functions that help the parasite progress through this stage, particularly during the ‘trophozoite’ (or mature) stage. When PfHDAC1 was overexpressed, the number of malaria parasites increased – along with the expression of other genes responsible for parasite development. Dihydroartemisinin—a key antimalarial drug—ordinarily interferes with these biological processes, but overexpression of the protein leads to reduced sensitivity and resistance. This research reveals more about the parasite lifecycle in the human body and suggests a new drug target against it. Source 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: What Sickle Cell Disease Reveals About Malaria and Human Evolution
04/23/2024
EXTENDED: What Sickle Cell Disease Reveals About Malaria and Human Evolution
How sickle cell disease can be a blessing and a curse. And why we need equity in genomic research and to diversify the genomes we sequence. With Ambroise Wonkam (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.
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The Malaria Legacy of Sickle Cell Disease
04/09/2024
The Malaria Legacy of Sickle Cell Disease
Malaria is one of humanity’s oldest diseases – and one with which we have evolved. Transcript Malaria is one of humanity’s oldest diseases – and one with which we have evolved. Over time, it’s put selective pressure on our genome to respond better to its infection. Sickle cell disease is one example. It causes a defect in hemoglobin – transforming red blood cells into a banana or sickle shape – reducing the amount of oxygen transported to the body’s cells. The mutation has been around for more than 20,000 years – and is thought to originate near present-day Cameroon. But in one of the many evolutionary twists, under the right conditions, sickle cell disease can protect humans from malaria, because it makes it harder for malaria parasites to infect red blood cells. Possessing one copy is an asset, providing resistance to severe malaria, but if two copies of the mutation appear, it is a liability, leading to premature death. The evolutionary relationship between malaria endemicity and sickle cell disease is evident geographically. This complex, genetic legacy is the focus of an upcoming talk by Ambroise Wonkam at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute’s World Malaria Day symposium on April 25th. Source 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: From Lab to Legislature – Meet the Scientists Taking on Capitol Hill in the Fight Against Malaria
03/26/2024
EXTENDED: From Lab to Legislature – Meet the Scientists Taking on Capitol Hill in the Fight Against Malaria
On the steps of Capitol Hill, we meet the scientists bringing their scientific battle against malaria into the world of political advocacy. They join a 100+ group of advocates lobbying their members of Congress to fund critical interventions against malaria – becoming ‘malaria champions’ as well. We ask: Why have they decided to join the world of political advocacy? How are they using their expertise to strengthen the champion’s efforts? What scientific message do they have to share? With David Sullivan (Johns Hopkins University), Tracey Lamb and Jenna Reed (University of Utah) and Louisa Messenger (University of Las Nevas Nevada) 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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Advocacy on Capitol Hill: Uniting Scientific Research and Policy in the Fight Against Malaria
03/11/2024
Advocacy on Capitol Hill: Uniting Scientific Research and Policy in the Fight Against Malaria
Malaria champions from 43 states gather in Washington D.C. to lobby their members of Congress about malaria. Transcript The malaria community is diverse. Some work on the parasites, others the mosquito. Others still focus on public health. The battle is being waged on the bench and the field. But there's another community fighting the disease on a different frontline: in the corridors and offices of Capitol Hill. This week, ‘malaria champions’ from 43 states gather in Washington DC for the annual ‘United to Beat Malaria’ conference. And this year, there’s a focus on how critical scientific research is to the fight. JHMRI’s David Sullivan reiterated that sound policy must be based on sound science. By communicating the science, scientists can help explain the significance of malaria and define policy problems – and solutions – more clearly. Because, despite reductions in cases and deaths, significant, interconnected challenges remain, including drug and insecticide resistance, the need to strengthen health systems, and the looming threat of climate change. With the United States government being the largest government donor to malaria efforts, the champions hope that by persuading their representatives to continue the fight, they can be part of the solution. Source 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: Odisha's Innovative Approach to Controlling Malaria in Hard-to-Reach Villages (with Praveen Sahu and Jane Carlton)
02/27/2024
EXTENDED: Odisha's Innovative Approach to Controlling Malaria in Hard-to-Reach Villages (with Praveen Sahu and Jane Carlton)
Until recently, health workers were the only means to prevent and treat malaria in Odisha, India. In 2017, the state government tried a new strategy: pooling health resources into regional ‘malaria camps’. In this podcast, we ask: What is the current state of malaria in Odisha, India? What challenges does Odisha face in malaria control, especially in hard-to-reach areas? What inspired the Odisha government to introduce the concept of malaria camps? What makes this approach encouraging and potentially translatable to regions with higher malaria endemicity, such as Africa? With Praveen Sahu, Senior Researcher in Molecular Biology and Infectious Diseases, and Jane Carlton, Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. and Jane Carlton. 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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‘Malaria Camps’ to Control Malaria in Remote Parts of India
02/13/2024
‘Malaria Camps’ to Control Malaria in Remote Parts of India
Malaria in India has fallen in recent decades — but the risk is still high among hard-to-reach communities. A new study has evaluated the system of ‘malaria camps’ — in which health workers provide targeted interventions before the monsoon. Transcript Malaria in India has diminished in past decades — yet the risk is still high among hard-to-reach communities in forested areas that are isolated particularly during the monsoon season. To control the disease in these areas, the government has started a system of ‘malaria camps’, where health workers come to the villages to deliver key interventions, like mass screening and treatment, combined with education, intensified vector control, and maternal and child health visits. A new study has examined the effectiveness of these camps. In 15 villages in the state of Odisha nearly twenty-five hundred people were split into three arms, all receiving the malaria camps at different points. Tests were conducted at baseline and three follow-ups. The first group of villages received the malaria camps for the first time at the baseline visit and subsequently for the duration of the study. The second received the malaria camps for the first time after one year of routine malaria control strategies. The third group of villages was considered a control that had already received malaria camps before the study commenced. There was a statistically significant reduction in malaria parasite infection in study participants overall and for Arm A – the experimental group that received the intervention the longest. The researchers argue that this lower incidence – and the financial feasibility of the program – make malaria camps a promising tool for malaria control in remote areas of Odisha State – in pursuit of India’s goal of malaria elimination by 2030. Source 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: Behind the Scenes with a Documentary Crew Following the Malaria Vaccine from Trial to Approval (with Catherine Gale and Bill Moss)
01/30/2024
EXTENDED: Behind the Scenes with a Documentary Crew Following the Malaria Vaccine from Trial to Approval (with Catherine Gale and Bill Moss)
A new documentary tells a story of global scientific collaboration in the development of a new malaria vaccine, R21. Today, we take you behind the scenes with director and producer, Catherine Gale. In this podcast, we ask: Why are malaria vaccines gaining so much attention now? What was the serendipidous origin of the documentary? What are the key moments of the documentary? What is the role of collaboration in scientific discovery? With Catherine, Producer and Director at Wingspan Productions, and Bill Moss, a Deputy Director at the Johns Hopkins Malaria 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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Documentary Reveals Story of Malaria Vaccine's Creation
01/17/2024
Documentary Reveals Story of Malaria Vaccine's Creation
A new documentary from NOVA shines a light on the creation of R21, a new malaria vaccine. Transcript This month, a new documentary from NOVA shines a light on the creation of a new malaria vaccine. ‘The Battle to Beat Malaria’ tells the story of the development of R21 – from creation to WHO approval. Taking you behind the scenes in Oxford, UK, where the jab was developed as a PhD project, to the Serum Institute of India where millions of doses are prepared and stored. The documentary reveals the challenge of increasing the amount of protein that the vaccine creates, thereby the number of protective antibodies that the body creates. Of 142 vaccines developed, only a handful made it to clinical trials. And only two of those were approved for widespread use, R21 included. Through trial and error, the Oxford group eventually reached between 70 and 80% efficacy. Source 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: Rising Temperatures and Extreme Weather Events - The Impact of Climate Change on Malaria (With Martin Edlund and Courtney Murdock)
12/18/2023
EXTENDED: Rising Temperatures and Extreme Weather Events - The Impact of Climate Change on Malaria (With Martin Edlund and Courtney Murdock)
As COP28 emphasises the human cost of climate change, what will be the impact of rising temperatures and extreme weather events on malaria transmission? In this podcast, we ask: How was health represented this year at COP? What is the impact of rising temperatures on malaria? How will extreme weather events, like flooding, affect malaria prevalence? Why is health resilience so important in mitigating climate-related disruption? With Martin Edlund, CEO of Malaria No More and Courtney Murdock, Associate Professor at Cornell 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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Climate Change Threatens Malaria Progress – WHO Report
12/06/2023
Climate Change Threatens Malaria Progress – WHO Report
The WHO launches its annual World Malaria Report at COP28, the UN's Climate Change Conference. Transcript The World Health Organization (WHO) has released its World Malaria Report for 2023 at the start of COP28, the UN’s Climate Change Conference. The headline figures are concerning. The WHO estimates that there were 249 million cases of malaria last year, resulting in 608000 deaths. These figures surpass pre-pandemic levels, with five countries bearing the brunt of this increase. This year, the report stressed the importance of climate change to malaria. Released at the start of COP, during its first-ever Health Day, it argues that extreme weather events, the frequency of which increase with global warming, could lead to unexpected outbreaks of malaria. In Pakistan, for example, there were an additional two million malaria cases as a result of flooding. Yet, looking beyond the raw numbers reveals a more nuanced reality. Malaria incidence – that’s the number of cases for every thousand people at risk – has fallen since the year 2000. But, despite averting over 2 billion cases globally, progress has stalled. Since 2015, malaria incidence has remained largely constant. We’re currently 55% off track of the WHO’s targets. Source 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 ‘Chemical Vaccine’ for Long-Lasting Malaria Prevention (with Theresa Shapiro)
11/27/2023
EXTENDED: The ‘Chemical Vaccine’ for Long-Lasting Malaria Prevention (with Theresa Shapiro)
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 and Division Director, Division of Clinical Pharmacology. 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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Turning Drugs Into Vaccines to Offer Longer-Term Protection Against Malaria
11/14/2023
Turning Drugs Into Vaccines to Offer Longer-Term Protection Against Malaria
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 the disease, the sheer scale of infection – with billions of parasites in the body – makes it likely that some of those parasites will be drug-resistant, leading to treatment failure. But, when you formulate the drugs differently, as nano-particles in a water-based solution, and inject them, like a vaccine, those same drugs can offer effective, long-lasting protection against the disease. This so-called ‘chemical vaccine’, based on the antimalarial drug atovaquone, has been shown in mice to effectively stop the infection and subsequently, the onward transmission of the parasites to mosquitoes. The long-term hope is that a single dose of the ‘chemical vaccine’ could offer long-term protection against malaria in endemic areas, and help combat the problems of dosing and drug resistance. Source 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: How Blood Spots are Mapping Artemisinin Resistance (with Didier Ménard)
10/23/2023
EXTENDED: How Blood Spots are Mapping Artemisinin Resistance (with Didier Ménard)
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 Strasbourg, and a visiting researcher at the Pasteur Institute. 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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Is Artemisinin Drug Resistance in Africa on the Rise?
10/09/2023
Is Artemisinin Drug Resistance in Africa on the Rise?
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. They looked for the rates of delayed parasite clearance in the three days following treatment – a key marker of partial drug resistance. They found a troubling pattern: delayed parasite clearance climbed from 0.4% in 2016 to 1.9% in 2017, followed by a marked increase to 4.2% in 2019. By isolating and sequencing parasitic DNA, they found that this trend was associated with the rise of a novel mutation to the Kelch13 region of the parasite, called R622I. Given the lack of alternative drugs, the emergence of resistance in Africa is concerning. Source 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: What Genomics Can Reveal about Malaria’s Recent US Appearance (with Jane Carlton)
09/25/2023
EXTENDED: What Genomics Can Reveal about Malaria’s Recent US Appearance (with Jane Carlton)
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? With Jane Carlton, Director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute: 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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Malaria Is Making a Comeback to the US. Why?
09/12/2023
Malaria Is Making a Comeback to the US. Why?
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 cases, the people who got the disease hadn’t traveled to any malaria-endemic regions. The transmission was local. It’s thought that other people carrying the parasites from abroad infected mosquitoes in the US – and that those mosquitoes went on to infect other people. The infections have been P. vivax — a less deadly strain often found in South East Asia--and now P. falciparum — the most common and most deadly species — appearing in Maryland. The risk to the general public is low. But it’s unclear whether this is a random event — or a sign of things to come. Some experts hypothesize that possibly climate change and warming temperatures are making more places more suitable for malaria-carrying mosquitos to thrive. Source 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: How Scientific Collaboration Across Three Continents Turned a Problem Into a Solution
08/28/2023
EXTENDED: How Scientific Collaboration Across Three Continents Turned a Problem Into a Solution
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 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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