Host Immune and Metabolic Determinants of Sexual Conversion in Plasmodium Parasites IMMETASEX

NCT ID: NCT06064591

Last Updated: 2024-02-01

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

Get a concise snapshot of the trial, including recruitment status, study phase, enrollment targets, and key timeline milestones.

Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Total Enrollment

430 participants

Study Classification

OBSERVATIONAL

Study Start Date

2023-12-13

Study Completion Date

2026-12-31

Brief Summary

Review the sponsor-provided synopsis that highlights what the study is about and why it is being conducted.

Understanding the sexual conversion of the malaria parasite is essential to interrupt malaria transmission. A new tool is developed that, based on expression analysis of sexual stage biomarkers, will estimate sexual conversion rates in natural infections.

Detailed Description

Dive into the extended narrative that explains the scientific background, objectives, and procedures in greater depth.

Understanding the sexual conversion of the malaria parasite is essential to interrupt malaria transmission. At each replicating cycle within erythrocytes, a proportion of asexual parasites converts into non-replicative sexual stages, which are the only forms able to infect mosquitos. The rate at which sexual stages are produced, is known as basal sexual conversion rate. Changes in the host immune and metabolic environment associated with the development of malaria disease, such as depletion of lysophosphatidylcholine in plasma, have been associated with increased sexual conversion rates in vitro. It is hypothesised that immune and metabolite factors that are altered during malaria infection induce sexual conversion in Plasmodium falciparum parasites. In this project, a new tool is developed that, based on expression analysis of sexual stage biomarkers, will estimate sexual conversion rates in natural infections. The aim is to identify immune factors and metabolites that induce sexual conversion using in-house developed sexual conversion assays, and experimental mosquito infections. Finally, transcriptional mechanisms are explored driving parasite sexual conversion in the host environment during disease using single-cell RNA-sequencing approaches. This research will provide essential knowledge on the factors that affect sexual conversion in the host and potentially inform novel strategies to interrupt transmission.

Conditions

See the medical conditions and disease areas that this research is targeting or investigating.

Severe Malaria Uncomplicated Malaria Asyptomatic Plasmodium Infection

Study Design

Understand how the trial is structured, including allocation methods, masking strategies, primary purpose, and other design elements.

Observational Model Type

COHORT

Study Time Perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Study Groups

Review each arm or cohort in the study, along with the interventions and objectives associated with them.

Pilot study Belgium Patients

Patients (P. falciparum-infected)

No intervention 6 ml of venous blood sampled at one time point

No interventions assigned to this group

Pilot study Belgium Controls

Control non-infected individuals No intervention 6 ml of venous blood sampled at one time point

No interventions assigned to this group

Work package 1 Burkina Faso Asymptomatic

Asymptomatic (P. falciparum-infected) No intervention Venous blood sample (maximum of 8 ml) at 1 time point. 300µl of finger prick blood at four follow-up visits 24, and 48 and 72h and day 10 after the enrollment.

No interventions assigned to this group

Work package 1 Burkina Faso uncomplicated patients

uncomplicated patients (P. falciparum-infected) No intervention Venous blood sample (maximum of 8 ml) at 1 time point.

No interventions assigned to this group

Work package 1 Burkina Faso Controls

Control non-infected individuals No intervention Venous blood sample (maximum of 8 ml) at 1 time point.

No interventions assigned to this group

Work package 2 Mozambique Uncomplicated malaria patients

Uncomplicated malaria patients No intervention Venous blood sample (maximum of 6 ml) at 1 time point.

No interventions assigned to this group

Work package 2 Mozambique Severe malaria patients

Severe malaria patients No intervention Venous blood sample (maximum of 6 ml) at 1 time point.

No interventions assigned to this group

Eligibility Criteria

Check the participation requirements, including inclusion and exclusion rules, age limits, and whether healthy volunteers are accepted.

Inclusion Criteria

* Age: ≥ 1 year
* Willing and able to provide written informed consent (or assent for minors with written informed consent by parent(s) and/or guardian(s).

Pilot:

-symptomatic for P. falciparum

-/Travel to P. falciparum endemic area within the last month

WP1:

* Resident in Nanoro district
* non-symptomatic individuals

WP2:

* Positive for P. falciparum infection via Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT)
* Age: ≥ 1 and ≤ 12 years
* Patients are included when suspected of the following conditions:

I. Severe malaria by infection with P. falciparum is defined in the presence of P. falciparum asexual parasitemia, and as one or more of the following:

1. Impaired consciousness: A Blantyre coma score \< 3 (when patients are ≤ 6 years) or Glasgow coma score \< 10 (when patients are ≥ 6 years).
2. Prostration: Generalized weakness so that the person is unable to sit, stand or walk without assistance.
3. Multiple convulsions: More than two episodes within 24 hours.
4. Clinical manifestation of respiratory distress (e.g., rapid, deep and labored breathing).
5. Diagnosis through exclusion: absence of an identified alternative cause.

II. Uncomplicated malaria by infection with P. falciparum is defined as a patient who presents with lethargic profile (e.g. fever) and a positive parasitological test for P. falciparum, but with no features of severe malaria.

Exclusion Criteria

* Delayed developmental status or history of chronic illness
* Participation in another study
* Previous malaria treatment or prophylaxis in the last week
* Inability or unwillingness of the parents or guardians to provide informed consent

WP1:

* Symptoms of malaria, as defined by presence of fever (body temperature \>37.5 °C or history of fever during the past 48 hours) with a positive RDT (RDT are performed always when there is presence of fever)
* Any plans to leave the study are in the coming 10 days

WP2:

* Severe anemia (will be determined via clinical examination), since blood samples can hardly be withdrawn, co-morbidities.

x Antimalarial drug treatment or other medication during the past week x If the patient had a meal within 4 hours before admission x Patients with acute meningitis (as clinically evaluated according to the local guidelines) x Patients with developmental delay or history of chronic illness x Vaccination during the past week
Minimum Eligible Age

1 Year

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

Meet the organizations funding or collaborating on the study and learn about their roles.

Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Mozambique

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role collaborator

Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro (CRUN), Burkina Faso

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role collaborator

Barcelona Institute for Global Health

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Leiden University Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

KU Leuven

OTHER

Sponsor Role collaborator

Institute of Tropical Medicine, Belgium

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

Identify the individual or organization who holds primary responsibility for the study information submitted to regulators.

Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

Learn about the lead researchers overseeing the trial and their institutional affiliations.

Anna Rosanas-Urgell, Prof

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

ITM

Locations

Explore where the study is taking place and check the recruitment status at each participating site.

Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp

Antwerp, , Belgium

Site Status RECRUITING

Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé - Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro

Nanoro, , Burkina Faso

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Instituto Nacional de Saúde (INS)

Maputo, , Mozambique

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Countries

Review the countries where the study has at least one active or historical site.

Belgium Burkina Faso Mozambique

Central Contacts

Reach out to these primary contacts for questions about participation or study logistics.

Vera EA Kühne, PhD

Role: CONTACT

+32(0)33455833

Facility Contacts

Find local site contact details for specific facilities participating in the trial.

Vera Kühne, PhD

Role: primary

Hamtandi M NATAMA, Prof

Role: primary

Paulo Arnaldo, PhD

Role: primary

Other Identifiers

Review additional registry numbers or institutional identifiers associated with this trial.

G067823N

Identifier Type: OTHER_GRANT

Identifier Source: secondary_id

IMMETASEX 1704/23

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

More Related Trials

Additional clinical trials that may be relevant based on similarity analysis.

Malaria Challenge in Healthy Volunteers
NCT01500980 COMPLETED PHASE1
Safety and Protective Efficacy of Pb(PfCS@UIS4)
NCT03138096 COMPLETED PHASE1/PHASE2
Malaria Vaccine for Children in Mali
NCT00740090 COMPLETED PHASE1