Latest Apicomplexa Stories

Scientists have developed a method of genetically manipulating large populations of mosquitoes, which could one day be used to significantly reduce the spread of the deadly malaria parasite to humans.The researchers found that after making specific genetic changes to a few mosquitoes, and then letting them breed, these genetic alterations could be spread through large mosquito populations in just a few generations.The system, known as a gene drive mechanism, was published online Wednesday in...

Scientists at Imperial College London and the University of Washington, Seattle, have taken an important step towards developing control measures for mosquitoes that transmit malariaScientists at Imperial College London and the University of Washington, Seattle, have taken an important step towards developing control measures for mosquitoes that transmit malaria. In today's study, published in Nature, researchers have demonstrated how some genetic changes can be introduced into large...

SHAWNEE, Kan., April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading experts from around the world came together today to share their latest research findings at the 6th Canine Vector Borne Disease (CVBD) forum in Nice, France and call for greater awareness of the dangers posed to animals and humans by these increasingly important diseases. "A number of the CVBDs cause real suffering and even death in dogs, and many CVBDs represent a zoonotic risk. It's vital that veterinarians and pet owners everywhere...

Monkeys infected with an emerging malaria strain are providing a reservoir for human disease in Southeast Asia, according to research published today. The Wellcome Trust funded study confirms that the species has not yet adapted to humans and that monkeys are the main source of infection.Malaria is a potentially deadly disease that kills over a million people each year. The disease is caused by malaria parasites, which are transmitted by infected mosquitoes and injected into the...

Fresh insight into the way the parasite that causes malaria reproduces could lead to new treatments to help curb the spread of the diseaseFresh insight into the way the parasite that causes malaria reproduces could lead to new treatments to help curb the spread of the disease.Scientists studying the disease have found that upsetting the parasite's reproductive strategy could prevent infections from transmitting from person to person.Researchers at the Universities of Edinburgh and Oxford...

Quinine should no longer be the drug of choice for treating severe malaria, according to an updated systematic review by Cochrane researchers. It is now evident that the antimalarial drug artesunate, which is derived from herbs used in Chinese medicine, is more effective at preventing death in patients with severe malaria.Severe malaria occurs when the disease affects the function of vital organs. It is associated with rarer cerebral malaria, which affects the brain and can lead to long-term...

In the run up to World Malaria Day on the 25th April 2011, BioMed Central's open access journal Malaria Journal takes a long hard look at the development of natural compounds for use in the fight against malaria.There are over 200 million cases of malaria each year with 85% of all cases being children under five years old and, according to the World Health Organisation, in 2009 malaria was responsible for 781,000 deaths worldwide. Low cost treatment is available, 100 million children a year...

Providing clues into why the severity of a common parasitic infection can vary greatly from person to person, a new Johns Hopkins study shows that each one of three strains of the cat-borne parasite Toxoplasma gondii sets off a unique reaction in the nerve cells it invades.Past research suggests that the parasite, estimated to infect 25 percent of people worldwide, can trigger or exacerbate psychotic symptoms and schizophrenia in genetically predisposed people.The findings of the new study,...

A group of researchers from EPFL's Global Health Institute (GHI) and Inserm (Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, the French government agency for biomedical research) has discovered that a class of chemotherapy drugs originally designed to inhibit key signaling pathways in cancer cells also kills the parasite that causes malaria. The discovery could quickly open up a whole new strategy for combating this deadly disease.The research, published online in the journal...

Malaria No More Presents: Hollywood Bites Back! Featuring Conan O'Brien, Elizabeth Banks, B.J. Novak, David Arquette and more on April 16th in Los Angeles Tickets Available through Ticketmaster NEW YORK, March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Some of today's hottest stars from television, film and music will take the stage at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE on April 16th at 7:30 p.m. for Hollywood Bites Back!, a night of comedy to benefit the nonprofit Malaria No More. Conan O'Brien,...