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PubMed2026

The trypanosome flagellum as model for parasitology, cell biology and ciliopathies.

Cilia and flagella exhibit widely conserved structures and functions across species. In humans, defects in these organelles are responsible for diseases called ciliopathies and many model organisms are used to study them. In this review, we will discuss one of them, the parasite Trypanosoma brucei, which is particularly well-suited to investigate general aspects of cilia and flagella, such as construction or protein localisation. Its flagellum remains present throughout the cell cycle, offering the opportunity to monitor flagellum maintenance and assembly within the same cell. This model organism is very convenient for flagellum live imaging as well as expansion microscopy and ultrastructural studies, including focused ion beam - scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). Efficient tools exist to manipulate the genome, including endogenous tagging, inducible expression system, RNA interference and CRISPR-Cas9 approaches. Here, we review original contributions from studies in trypanosome to our understanding of flagellum construction and intraflagellar transport, as well as the impact of gene mutations in some ciliopathies.

Flagella↗
PubMed2026

Artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Laos: a therapeutic efficacy study coupled with genomic and in vitro phenotypic analyses.

BACKGROUND: Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) have played a crucial role in decreasing the impact of malaria worldwide. Since 2005, artemether-lumefantrine (AL) has been the main first-line treatment for uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in Laos. Herein, we aimed to study the efficacy of AL in the context of malaria elimination in Laos. METHODS: Between Aug 1, 2019, and June 11, 2023, AL efficacy was evaluated in four provinces of southern Laos: Attapeu, Champassack, Salavan, and Savannakhet. Adults and children (aged 1-60 years) with microscopically confirmed P falciparum malaria received oral AL twice a day for 3 days, with follow-up on days 7, 14, 21, and 28. The primary outcome was PCR-adjusted adequate clinical and parasitological response (ACPR) by day 28. Resistance to dihydroartemisinin (DHA) and lumefantrine (LM) was assessed by an in vitro phenotypic analysis, and mutations in P falciparum kelch13 (pfkelch13), P falciparum multidrug resistance 1 (pfmdr1), P falciparum plasmepsin 2 (pfpm2), and P falciparum chloroquine resistant transporter (pfcrt) were characterised in parasites collected from enrolled patients. Safety outcomes included the frequency and nature of adverse events and serious adverse events. FINDINGS: A total of 198 patients (median age 16 years [IQR 10-28]; 124 [63%] male and 74 [37%] female) were initially enrolled, of whom three were lost to follow-up, resulting in 195 patients who received the 3-day AL regimen. At day 28, the PCR-adjusted ACPR was 96% (95% CI 92-98), with a treatment failure rate of 2% (1-5) and a reinfection rate of 2% (1-5). Among the four PCR-confirmed recrudescent isolates, one showed markedly reduced LM susceptibility (LM 50% inhibitory concentration [IC50] 59·9 nM, 2·5 times higher than the median IC50 of other isolates) and high artemisinin resistance in vitro (ring-stage survival survival rate 35·8%), which was associated with the pfkelch13 R539T mutation and day-3 microscopy-positive parasitaemia. Among 190 isolates with successfully determined pfkelch13 sequencing, nine (5%) carried the pfkelch13 mutation R539T and 43 (23%) carried the C580Y mutation, and both were associated with day-3 microscopy-positive parasitaemia (p=0·044). No amplification of pfmdr1 or pfpm2, nor any mutations in pfmdr1 and pfcrt, were associated with treatment failure. INTERPRETATION: Our findings indicate the potential emergence of LM resistance in Laos. Although AL remains efficacious, vigilance for decreasing efficacy and close monitoring of LM efficacy should be considered to support the country's goal of eliminating malaria by 2030. Importantly, none of the known pfmdr1 or pfcrt haplotypes were uniquely associated with treatment failure, including the isolate with the highest LM IC50, underscoring the need to identify reliable molecular markers for LM resistance. FUNDING: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Global Fund.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Recent advances in Strongyloides screening, diagnostics, therapeutics, and management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Strongyloidiasis affects an estimated 30-100 million people globally and can have life-threatening consequences in immunocompromised hosts, yet it remains underdiagnosed due to limited access and performance of available diagnostics. Novel assays and anthelmintics may reshape screening, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention for at-risk populations. RECENT FINDINGS: Advances in molecular diagnostics coupled with robust stool extraction methods have supplanted traditional parasitologic methods in settings where nucleic acid amplification is feasible. Transition from standard immunoglobulin G (IgG)-based immunoassays to the new IgG- and IgG4-based rapid diagnostic tests using recombinant Strongyloides stercoralis nematode immunodominant E antigen (NIE) and/or S. stercoralis immunoreactive antigen (SsIR) has facilitated serologic screening at the point of care. The World Health Organization now conditionally recommends community-wide ivermectin mass drug administration in highly endemic settings. Regarding new treatment options, moxidectin is noninferior to ivermectin with 93-94% cure rates and a longer half-life, while emodepside shows 80-90% predicted cure rates in early trials and offers a mechanistically distinct option. Understanding of immunosuppressed populations at risk for hyperinfection has expanded, prompting updated screening recommendations. SUMMARY: Serologic and molecular tools are improving screening and diagnosis, and moxidectin and emodepside may broaden treatment options, but data in severe disease and special populations remain limited. Priorities include harmonized screening algorithms and prospective studies in high-risk groups.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

STRONGYLID COINFECTIONS IN SYMPATRIC CHIMPANZEES AND GORILLAS FROM THE REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO REVEALED BY FECAL METAGENOMICS.

Soil-transmitted strongylid nematodes are common intestinal parasites of African great apes, yet most surveys have relied on microscopy or targeted PCR assays that are limited in taxonomic breadth and comparability across hosts. I reanalyzed 46 publicly available shotgun fecal metagenomes from sympatric central chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes; n = 18) and western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla; n = 28) in the Goualougo Triangle, Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Republic of the Congo, to test whether host species structures genus-level strongylid community composition and relative read signal. Non-host reads were classified against a custom strongylid-focused database targeting 4 genera repeatedly reported from African apes: Ancylostoma, Necator, Oesophagostomum, and Trichostrongylus. All 4 focal genera were detected in every library under baseline filtering, and multi-genus detection remained robust under increasingly stringent read-count thresholds. However, host species differed strongly in community composition. Chimpanzee libraries had relatively even genus-level profiles, whereas gorilla libraries were consistently Necator-dominated. Gorillas also had substantially higher relative strongylid read abundance. The results show that shotgun metagenomic reanalysis can recover host-structured strongylid community signals from wildlife samples and can complement targeted parasitological surveys in conservation and One Health surveillance.

Animals↗
PubMed2025

Strategies for mitigating emerging artemisinin-based antimalarial drug resistance in Rwanda: a promising approach for managing therapies in malaria-endemic countries.

Malaria treatment failures associated with reduced efficacy of chloroquine (CQ) and amodiaquine (AQ) antimalarial drugs emerged in Rwanda during the 1980s, prompting the policy shift towards adopting artemisinin-based combination therapies in 2006 as an alternative. However, recent findings from malaria surveillance and therapeutic efficacy studies have revealed a countrywide increase in antimalarial drug resistance. Particularly, artemether-lumefantrine (AL) efficacy has significantly decreased, probably due to the emergence of Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) genomic mutations. To mitigate the current drug resistance, Rwanda has adopted targeted multiple first-line therapies. Through the national malaria control program, antimalarial drugs were deployed in accordance with the reported resistance profile. A significant rise in Pfkelch13 mutations, particularly A675V associated with AL resistance, was mainly reported in the western region; therefore, artesunate-pyronaridine was recommended. Dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine was considered in eastern and central regions, where R561H mutations were predominant. On the contrary, AL was maintained in the southern region, where the prevalence of the R561H mutation was low. Insights from this data-driven model will inform its extension to other malaria-endemic countries facing emerging Pf genetic diversity.

Antimalarials↗