Mechanisms Contributing to Persistence in Protozoan Parasites

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 August 2023) | Viewed by 1986

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Pacific University, Hillsboro, OR 97123, USA
Interests: Leishmania; protozoan parasites

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Pacific University, Hillsboro, OR 97123, USA
Interests: molecular biology; cell biology; metabolism; host–pathogen interaction; Leishmania; Trypanosoma
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Protozoan parasites cause significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. Many of these pathogens establish infections within the vertebrate host that are quiescent or dormant, enabling them to evade host immune responses and rendering them less susceptible to drug treatment. The focus of this Special Edition is to discuss the underlying mechanisms contributing to protozoan parasite persistence in the vertebrate host. We invite authors to submit original research articles, as well as topical reviews, which focus on protozoan parasite persistence. Contributions in the following areas are particularly encouraged:

  • The identification of host factors or host–parasite interactions which support parasite persistence and survival;
  • Metabolic and cellular reprogramming in protozoan parasites leading to persister phenotypes;
  • Novel in vivo and in vitro models that examine parasite quiescence or dormancy.

The goal of this Special Issue is to highlight the latest research and bring new perspectives to this emerging field. 

Prof. Dr. Sigrid C. Roberts
Dr. Nicola Carter
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • protozoan parasites
  • host-parasite interaction
  • parasite persistence
  • parasite quiescence or dormancy

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

15 pages, 808 KiB  
Review
Transfection Models to Investigate Plasmodium vivax-Type Dormant Liver Stage Parasites
by Annemarie Voorberg-van der Wel, Anne-Marie Zeeman and Clemens H. M. Kocken
Pathogens 2023, 12(9), 1070; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12091070 - 22 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1451
Abstract
Plasmodium vivax causes the second highest number of malaria morbidity and mortality cases in humans. Several biological traits of this parasite species, including the formation of dormant stages (hypnozoites) that persist inside the liver for prolonged periods of time, present an obstacle for [...] Read more.
Plasmodium vivax causes the second highest number of malaria morbidity and mortality cases in humans. Several biological traits of this parasite species, including the formation of dormant stages (hypnozoites) that persist inside the liver for prolonged periods of time, present an obstacle for intervention measures and create a barrier for the elimination of malaria. Research into the biology of hypnozoites requires efficient systems for parasite transmission, liver stage cultivation and genetic modification. However, P. vivax research is hampered by the lack of an in vitro blood stage culture system, rendering it reliant on in vivo-derived, mainly patient, material for transmission and liver stage culture. This has also resulted in limited capability for genetic modification, creating a bottleneck in investigations into the mechanisms underlying the persistence of the parasite inside the liver. This bottleneck can be overcome through optimal use of the closely related and experimentally more amenable nonhuman primate (NHP) parasite, Plasmodium cynomolgi, as a model system. In this review, we discuss the genetic modification tools and liver stage cultivation platforms available for studying P. vivax persistent stages and highlight how their combined use may advance our understanding of hypnozoite biology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mechanisms Contributing to Persistence in Protozoan Parasites)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop