| Grant number: | 16/07030-0 |
| Support Opportunities: | Regular Research Grants |
| Start date: | March 01, 2017 |
| End date: | February 28, 2019 |
| Field of knowledge: | Biological Sciences - Parasitology - Protozoology of Parasites |
| Principal Investigator: | Cláudio Romero Farias Marinho |
| Grantee: | Cláudio Romero Farias Marinho |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Associated researchers: | Rodrigo Medeiros Martorano ; Sabrina Epiphanio |
| Associated research grant(s): | 17/50181-2 - A novel approach to identify the specific antibody characteristics important for protection from malaria in pregnant women, AP.R SPRINT |
Abstract
Malaria in pregnancy is a major public health problem in countries where the disease is endemic, causing maternal and infant morbidity and mortality. It remains unclear why pregnant women are more susceptible to malaria. However, it is known that the placenta provides a favorable environment to the development of certain parasite subpopulations, triggering an intense inflammatory infiltrate that is associated with abortions, intrauterine growth retardation, premature births and low birth weight. Autophagy is an essential process for cell survival during stress, such as infections or cell exposure to microbial products. It also plays a role in the trophoblast response to stress agents in normal pregnancy, allowing these cells to adapt to a variety of insults usually found in pregnant women. Certain signaling molecules related to the immune system can regulate autophagy. Although in recent years many studies have defined the clinical manifestations of malaria during pregnancy, the cellular and molecular mechanisms associated with the inflammatory process are not yet fully understood. In this project, we intend to characterize the autophagic activity and its possible relationship to the inflammasome in human placentas infected with Plasmodium falciparum and also in a murine experimental model that mimics the human disease. This study will not only make an important contribution to a better understanding of placental malaria, but could also enable new studies directed to the development of new diagnostic methods and gestational malaria treatment. (AU)
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