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Tag: Dennis Kyle

The influence of oviposition status on measures of transmission potential in malaria-infected mosquitoes depends on sugar availability

Donna Huber on May 23, 2024

Background: Like other oviparous organisms, the gonotrophic cycle of mosquitoes is not complete until they have selected a suitable habitat to oviposit. In addition to the evolutionary constraints associated with selective oviposition behavior, the physiological demands relative to an organism’s oviposition status also influence their nutrient requirement from the environment. Yet, studies that measure transmission potential …

Extended blood stage sensitivity profiles of Plasmodium cynomolgi to doxycycline and tafenoquine, as a model for Plasmodium vivax

Donna Huber on April 8, 2024

Testing Plasmodium vivax antimicrobial sensitivity is limited to ex vivo schizont maturation assays, which preclude determining the IC50s of delayed action antimalarials such as doxycycline. Using Plasmodium cynomolgi as a model for P. vivax, we determined the physiologically significant delayed death effect induced by doxycycline [IC50(96 h), 1,401 ± 607 nM]. As expected, IC50(96 h) to chloroquine (20.4 nM), piperaquine (12.6 µM), and …

Two CTEGD faculty members receive Creative Research Awards

Donna Huber on April 4, 2024

Jessica Kissinger and Dennis Kyle received the Lamar Dodd Creative Research Award during UGA’s Honors Week. The award recognizes established investigators whose overall scholarly body of work has had a major impact on the field of study and has established the investigator’s international reputation as a leader in the field. Jessica Kissinger, Distinguished Research Professor …

In Vitro Antimalarial Activity of Trichothecenes against Liver and Blood Stages of Plasmodium Species

Donna Huber on January 23, 2024

Trichothecenes (TCNs) are a large group of tricyclic sesquiterpenoid mycotoxins that have intriguing structural features and remarkable biological activities. Herein, we focused on three TCNs (anguidine, verrucarin A, and verrucarol) and their ability to target both the blood and liver stages of Plasmodium species, the parasite responsible for malaria. Anguidine and verrucarin A were found to be …

Blood meals from ‘dead-end’ vertebrate hosts enhance transmission potential of malaria-infected mosquitoes

Donna Huber on November 30, 2023

Ingestion of an additional blood meal(s) by a hematophagic insect can accelerate development of several vector-borne parasites and pathogens. Most studies, however, offer blood from the same vertebrate host species as the original challenge (for e.g., human for primary and additional blood meals). Here, we show a second blood meal from bovine and canine hosts …

UGA researchers received prestigious grant to develop malaria drug

Donna Huber on October 12, 2023

by Amy Horton   New compound targets P. vivax, source of recent U.S. infections Two University of Georgia researchers have been awarded approximately $770,000 from the Global Health Initiative Technology (GHIT) Fund to develop a new drug to kill the dormant liver stages of Plasmodium vivax, the most widespread of the malaria parasites. This amount …

Shotgun Kinetic Target-Guided Synthesis Approach Enables the Discovery of Small-Molecule Inhibitors against Pathogenic Free-Living Amoeba Glucokinases

Donna Huber on October 11, 2023

Pathogenic free-living amoebae (pFLA) can cause life-threatening central nervous system (CNS) infections and warrant the investigation of new chemical agents to combat the rise of infection from these pathogens. Naegleria fowleri glucokinase (NfGlck), a key metabolic enzyme involved in generating glucose-6-phosphate, was previously identified as a potential target due to its limited sequence similarity with human Glck …

Characterization of the extracellular vesicles, ultrastructural morphology, and intercellular interactions of multiple clinical isolates of the brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri

Donna Huber on September 27, 2023

Introduction: As global temperatures rise to unprecedented historic levels, so too do the latitudes of habitable niches for the pathogenic free-living amoeba, Naegleria fowleri. This opportunistic parasite causes a rare, but >97% fatal, neurological infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Despite its lethality, this parasite remains one of the most neglected and understudied parasitic protozoans. Methods: To better understand …