title: Development of a quantitative flow cytometry-based assay to assess infection by Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites.
abstract: The human malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum causes the most deadly parasitic disease worldwide, necessitating the development of interventions that block infection. Yet, preclinical assays to measure inhibition of infection date from the 1980s and are based on microscopy. Here, we describe the development of a simple flow cytometric assay that can be used to quantitatively assess P. falciparum sporozoite infection in vitro in low and medium throughput. We demonstrate the utility of this assay for assessing both drug inhibition of infection and measuring efficacy of antibodies in blocking parasite infection. This methodology will aid in assessing functional antibody responses to vaccination and novel drugs that prevent mosquito-to-man transmission of malaria.
authors.affiliation: Seattle Biomedical Research Institute, Seattle, WA, United States.
authors.forename: Alexis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kaushansky
authors.forename: Nastaran
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rezakhani
authors.forename: Henning
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Stefan H I
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Kappe
mesh_terms: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000494:pharmacology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015638:Cytochalasin D / Q000494:pharmacology; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / Q000379:methods; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods*; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D034101:Sporozoites / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000913:Antibodies, Protozoan; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000962:Antimalarials; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan; D015638:Cytochalasin D