Contents
20 May 2020
Vol 12, Issue 544
Vol 12, Issue 544
Research Articles
- An open-label phase 1/2a trial of a genetically modified rodent malaria parasite for immunization against Plasmodium falciparum malaria
Clinical evaluation of genetically modified rodent malaria parasites for whole-sporozoite immunization against P. falciparum in healthy volunteers.
- A double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 1/2a trial of the genetically attenuated malaria vaccine PfSPZ-GA1
The genetically attenuated malaria vaccine PfSPZ-GA1 is safe, immunogenic, and has suboptimal protective efficacy in people.
- ATRAID regulates the action of nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates on bone
ATRAID is essential for responses to the commonly prescribed osteoporosis drugs nitrogen-containing bisphosphonates.
- Selective inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3α corrects pathophysiology in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome
Selective inhibition of GSK3α corrects diverse impairments in the Fmr1−/y mouse model of fragile X syndrome.
Research Resource
- AMELIE speeds Mendelian diagnosis by matching patient phenotype and genotype to primary literature
An automated pipeline parses primary literature about Mendelian diseases to rank patient candidate causative genes, thereby accelerating diagnosis.
Editors' Choice
- Targeting ASXL2 in macrophages: An antidote to adiposity?
Myeloid-specific Asxl2 deletion renders mice resistant to high-fat diet–induced obesity and related complications by regulating brown adipose tissue.
- In on the ground floor: T cells respond to α-synuclein in preclinical Parkinson’s disease
Analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells demonstrated that α-synuclein–specific T cells are active in preclinical and early Parkinson’s disease.
- Beware of monocytes bearing gifts
Monocytic myeloid-derived suppressor cells accumulate methylglyoxal, which inhibits their metabolic function and can be transferred to CD8+ T cells.
About The Cover
ONLINE COVER Protective Parasites. Conventional approaches have failed to yield a protective vaccine against malaria, a disease transmitted by mosquitos to millions of people each year. Two new studies tested vaccines made from genetically engineered malaria parasites. Reuling et al. immunized malaria-naïve adults with PbVac, a rodent-specific parasite that expresses the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein. Using P. falciparum attenuated by deletion of two genes, Roestenberg et al. similarly immunized malaria-naïve adults with PfSPZ-GA1. Both vaccines were immunogenic and appeared to be well tolerated, but controlled exposure of vaccinated volunteers to malaria-infected mosquitoes indicated suboptimal protection. Genetically engineered vaccines such as these could help in the fight against malaria. [CREDIT: WARWICK SLOSS/MINDEN PICTURES]
