Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknown
Malaria is the cause of 600.000 deaths annually. However, these deaths represent only a tiny fraction of total malaria cases. Repeated natural infections with the causative agent, Plasmodium sp. parasites, induce protection from severe disease but not sterile immunity. Thus, immunity to Plasmodium i...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.914598/full |
| _version_ | 1811339790151319552 |
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| author | Kai Pohl Kai Pohl Ian A. Cockburn |
| author_facet | Kai Pohl Kai Pohl Ian A. Cockburn |
| author_sort | Kai Pohl |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Malaria is the cause of 600.000 deaths annually. However, these deaths represent only a tiny fraction of total malaria cases. Repeated natural infections with the causative agent, Plasmodium sp. parasites, induce protection from severe disease but not sterile immunity. Thus, immunity to Plasmodium is incomplete. Conversely, immunization with attenuated sporozoite stage parasites can induce sterile immunity albeit after multiple vaccinations. These different outcomes are likely to be influenced strongly by the innate immune response to different stages of the parasite lifecycle. Even small numbers of sporozoites can induce a robust proinflammatory type I interferon response, which is believed to be driven by the sensing of parasite RNA. Moreover, induction of innate like gamma-delta cells contributes to the development of adaptive immune responses. Conversely, while blood stage parasites can induce a strong proinflammatory response, regulatory mechanisms are also triggered. In agreement with this, intact parasites are relatively weakly sensed by innate immune cells, but isolated parasite molecules, notably DNA and RNA can induce strong responses. Thus, the innate response to Plasmodium parasite likely represents a trade-off between strong pro-inflammatory responses that may potentiate immunity and regulatory processes that protect the host from cytokine storms that can induce life threatening illness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:31:48Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dc84ecd05dc34715aa8cae06d959f769 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T18:31:48Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj.art-dc84ecd05dc34715aa8cae06d959f7692022-12-22T02:35:02ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242022-08-011310.3389/fimmu.2022.914598914598Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknownKai Pohl0Kai Pohl1Ian A. Cockburn2Department of Infectious Diseases and Respiratory Medicine, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität Berlin, Berlin, GermanyDivision of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University Canberra, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaDivision of Immunology and Infectious Disease, John Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian National University Canberra, Canberra, ACT, AustraliaMalaria is the cause of 600.000 deaths annually. However, these deaths represent only a tiny fraction of total malaria cases. Repeated natural infections with the causative agent, Plasmodium sp. parasites, induce protection from severe disease but not sterile immunity. Thus, immunity to Plasmodium is incomplete. Conversely, immunization with attenuated sporozoite stage parasites can induce sterile immunity albeit after multiple vaccinations. These different outcomes are likely to be influenced strongly by the innate immune response to different stages of the parasite lifecycle. Even small numbers of sporozoites can induce a robust proinflammatory type I interferon response, which is believed to be driven by the sensing of parasite RNA. Moreover, induction of innate like gamma-delta cells contributes to the development of adaptive immune responses. Conversely, while blood stage parasites can induce a strong proinflammatory response, regulatory mechanisms are also triggered. In agreement with this, intact parasites are relatively weakly sensed by innate immune cells, but isolated parasite molecules, notably DNA and RNA can induce strong responses. Thus, the innate response to Plasmodium parasite likely represents a trade-off between strong pro-inflammatory responses that may potentiate immunity and regulatory processes that protect the host from cytokine storms that can induce life threatening illness.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.914598/fullmalariasporozoitesinnate immunityblood stagespattern recognition receptorspathogen-associated molecular patterns |
| spellingShingle | Kai Pohl Kai Pohl Ian A. Cockburn Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknown Frontiers in Immunology malaria sporozoites innate immunity blood stages pattern recognition receptors pathogen-associated molecular patterns |
| title | Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknown |
| title_full | Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknown |
| title_fullStr | Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknown |
| title_full_unstemmed | Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknown |
| title_short | Innate immunity to malaria: The good, the bad and the unknown |
| title_sort | innate immunity to malaria the good the bad and the unknown |
| topic | malaria sporozoites innate immunity blood stages pattern recognition receptors pathogen-associated molecular patterns |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2022.914598/full |
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