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Tag: Sam Kurup

A suite of eight Toxoplasma gondii effectors cooperates to activate the non-canonical NF-κB pathway

Donna Huber on August 28, 2026

As a master of host-cell reprogramming, Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) tachyzoites manipulate diverse signaling networks to establish a niche permissive for long-term infection. While the parasite’s subversion of canonical NF-κB signaling (p65/p50) is well established, how infection impacts the non-canonical NF-κB pathway has been largely unexplored. Here, we report that T. gondii infection induces nuclear accumulation of the non-canonical …

Memory regulatory T cells reprogram into protective TFH cell-like effectors in recurrent malaria

Donna Huber on June 22, 2026

Although people living in malaria-endemic areas experience repeated infections with Plasmodium, the role of regulatory T (Treg) cells in recurrent malaria remains poorly understood. During a primary infection with Plasmodium, Treg cells suppress protective immunity by inhibiting germinal center (GC) reactions, thereby impeding the control of parasitemia. In contrast, memory Treg (mTreg) cells remaining after the clearance of initial Plasmodium infection …

In the News: Sam Kurup

Donna Huber on February 27, 2026

Dr. Sam Kurup started his career at UGA as a graduate student, and now he is an associate professor in the Department of Cellular Biology. Learn more about his journey from mentee to mentor in this Red & Black article.

Kurup wins prestigious PATH award for groundbreaking malaria research

Donna Huber on June 10, 2025

Assistant Professor Samarchith “Sam” Kurup is the first UGA researcher to receive the Burroughs Wellcome Fund’s Investigators in Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease (PATH) award. Kurup studies the parasites that cause malaria and how they penetrate the body’s defenses, which could lead to more effective therapeutics. (Photo by Lauren Corcino) Every year, malaria evades the immune …

Regulatory T cell memory: implications for malaria

Donna Huber on April 23, 2025

Regulatory T cells (Tregs) can persist as memory cells (mTregs) in both infectious and non-infectious settings. However, their functional behavior, phenotypic stability, and suppressive properties upon antigen re-exposure remain poorly understood. Emerging evidence suggests that mTregs exhibit enhanced proliferation and suppressive capacity upon re-encountering the same antigen, a feature that may be critical in recurrent …

Type I interferons induce guanylate-binding proteins and lysosomal defense in hepatocytes to control malaria

Donna Huber on March 25, 2025

Plasmodium parasites undergo development and replication within hepatocytes before infecting erythrocytes and initiating clinical malaria. Although type I interferons (IFNs) are known to hinder Plasmodium infection within the liver, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Here, we describe two IFN-I-driven hepatocyte antimicrobial programs controlling liver-stage malaria. First, oxidative defense by NADPH oxidases 2 and 4 triggers …

Hepatocytes and the art of killing Plasmodium softly

Donna Huber on May 6, 2024

  The Plasmodium parasites that cause malaria undergo asymptomatic development in the parenchymal cells of the liver, the hepatocytes, prior to infecting erythrocytes and causing clinical disease. Traditionally, hepatocytes have been perceived as passive bystanders that allow hepatotropic pathogens such as Plasmodium to develop relatively unchallenged. However, now there is emerging evidence suggesting that hepatocytes …

Inherently Reduced Expression of ASC Restricts Caspase-1 Processing in Hepatocytes and Promotes Plasmodium Infection

Donna Huber on December 27, 2023

  Inflammasome-mediated caspase-1 activation facilitates innate immune control of Plasmodium in the liver, thereby limiting the incidence and severity of clinical malaria. However, caspase-1 processing occurs incompletely in both mouse and human hepatocytes and precludes the generation of mature IL-1β or IL-18, unlike in other cells. Why this is so or how it impacts Plasmodium …

Generating Genetically Modified Plasmodium berghei Sporozoites

Donna Huber on May 5, 2023

Malaria is a deadly disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium and is transmitted through the bite of female Anopheles mosquitoes. The sporozoite stage of Plasmodium deposited by mosquitoes in the skin of vertebrate hosts undergoes a phase of mandatory development in the liver before initiating clinical malaria. We know little about the biology of Plasmodium …