Genetic study of host-parasite interactions associated with susceptibility in Malaria

Malaria remains the most important parasitic disease worldwide due to its high morbidity and mortality and its wide distribution in tropical regions of the world. In Brazil, the disease is mainly caused by Plasmodium vivax and more than 99% of cases occur in the Legal Amazon region. Genetic components of the parasite and the host can influence the course of the infection, such as the presence of a polymorphism that inhibits the expression of the Duffy antigen, a molecule used as the traditional route of entry of P. vivax into erythrocytes. Furthermore, there are still several gaps in knowledge regarding the impact of other human deficiencies, such as G6PD enzyme deficiency in vivax malaria. For this purpose, blood samples and epidemiological and clinical data from 300 participants in studies conducted in the Juruá Region (State of Acre) between 2013 and 2021 will be used. In addition, a new collection will be carried out in the region in 2025, totaling 600 participants who will be included in the analysis. For the sequencing of the ACKR1 and G6PD genes, third-generation sequencing technology will be used with the use of a portable platform from Oxford Nanopore Technology, the MinION. The parasitemia of infected individuals will be assessed by qPCR and the levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines will be measured by flow cytometry. The results obtained will contribute not only to the understanding of components that can influence susceptibility to the disease, but also to the prediction of the efficacy of new methodologies for the control and treatment of vivax malaria.

Project details

Genetics and Genomics
P. vivax

Dec 2024 — Nov 2026

Brazil