Growing Plasmodium vivax parasites in the lab long-term
Establishing strains and conditions for long-term P. vivax cultures
This project is developing reliable lab methods to grow the malaria parasite Plasmodium vivax so scientists can speed up the development of better treatments for people affected by P. vivax malaria.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Georgia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Athens, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11242088 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will build a continuous, high-yield lab culture for P. vivax by testing growth conditions and the parasite strains that best multiply in the lab. They will focus on the asexual stages that cause illness and on triggers that make the parasite produce gametocytes, the forms that spread to mosquitoes. The team will use young red blood cells (reticulocytes) and lessons from a related monkey malaria parasite, P. cynomolgi, to overcome past barriers to long-term growth. Work will be carried out at the University of Georgia and aims to create a dependable tool for drug and vaccine testing.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is primarily a lab project, but if human involvement is needed it would likely seek blood donors or people who recently had P. vivax infection to provide reticulocyte-containing blood samples.
Not a fit: People with other types of malaria (for example P. falciparum) or those without a link to P. vivax are unlikely to see direct benefit from this work in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could speed development of new drugs and vaccines for P. vivax malaria by giving scientists a dependable way to test treatments in the lab.
How similar studies have performed: Long-term continuous culture of P. vivax has historically been very difficult, though related parasite P. cynomolgi has shown promise and the team reports encouraging preliminary results.
Where this research is happening
Athens, United States
- University of Georgia — Athens, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Joyner, Chester J. — University of Georgia
- Study coordinator: Joyner, Chester J.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.