TY - JOUR
T1 - Of mice and women: rodent models of placental malaria
AU - Hviid, Lars
AU - Marinho, Claudio R F
AU - Staalsoe, Trine
AU - Penha-Gonçalves, Carlos
N1 - Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
PY - 2010/8
Y1 - 2010/8
N2 - Pregnant women are at increased malaria risk. The infections are characterized by placental accumulation of infected erythrocytes (IEs) with adverse consequences for mother and baby. Placental IE sequestration in the intervillous space is mediated by variant surface antigens (VSAs) selectively expressed in placental malaria (PM) and specific for chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). In Plasmodium falciparum, these VSAPM appear largely synonymous with the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family variant VAR2CSA. As rodent malaria parasites do not possess PfEMP1 homologs, the usefulness of experimental mouse PM models remains controversial. However, many features of murine and human PM are similar, including involvement of VSAs analogous to PfEMP1. It thus appears that rodent model studies can further the understanding of VSA-dependent malaria pathogenesis and immunity.
AB - Pregnant women are at increased malaria risk. The infections are characterized by placental accumulation of infected erythrocytes (IEs) with adverse consequences for mother and baby. Placental IE sequestration in the intervillous space is mediated by variant surface antigens (VSAs) selectively expressed in placental malaria (PM) and specific for chondroitin sulfate A (CSA). In Plasmodium falciparum, these VSAPM appear largely synonymous with the P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) family variant VAR2CSA. As rodent malaria parasites do not possess PfEMP1 homologs, the usefulness of experimental mouse PM models remains controversial. However, many features of murine and human PM are similar, including involvement of VSAs analogous to PfEMP1. It thus appears that rodent model studies can further the understanding of VSA-dependent malaria pathogenesis and immunity.
U2 - 10.1016/j.pt.2010.04.010
DO - 10.1016/j.pt.2010.04.010
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 20605743
SN - 1471-4922
VL - 26
SP - 412
EP - 419
JO - Trends in Parasitology
JF - Trends in Parasitology
IS - 8
ER -
