title: No more monkeying around: primate malaria model systems are key to understanding Plasmodium vivax liver-stage biology, hypnozoites, and relapses.
abstract: Plasmodium vivax is a human malaria parasite responsible for significant morbidity worldwide and potentially death. This parasite possesses formidable liver-stage biology that involves the formation of dormant parasites known as hypnozoites. Hypnozoites are capable of activating weeks, months, or years after a primary blood-stage infection causing relapsing bouts of illness. Elimination of this dormant parasitic reservoir will be critical for global malaria eradication. Although hypnozoites were first discovered in 1982, few advancements have been made to understand their composition and biology. Until recently, in vitro models did not exist to study these forms and studying them from human ex vivo samples was virtually impossible. Today, non-human primate (NHP) models and modern systems biology approaches are poised as tools to enable the in-depth study of P. vivax liver-stage biology, including hypnozoites and relapses. NHP liver-stage model systems for P. vivax and the related simian malaria species P. cynomolgi are discussed along with perspectives regarding metabolite biomarker discovery, putative roles of extracellular vesicles, and relapse immunobiology.
authors: Malaria Host-Pathogen Interaction Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Chester
authors: C
authors: Joyner
authors: Malaria Host-Pathogen Interaction Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Malaria Branch, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: John W
authors: JW
authors: Barnwell
authors: Malaria Host-Pathogen Interaction Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA ; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors: Mary R
authors: MR
authors: Galinski
keywords: P. cynomolgi; P. vivax; Plasmodium; dormancy; hypnozoite; liver; malaria; non-human primate animal models