Erythroid cells and malaria parasites: it's a match!

International audienceThis review outlines recent discoveries on the infection of erythroid cells by Plasmodium parasites, focusing on the molecular interactions governing the tropism of parasites for their host cell and the implications of this tropism for parasite biology and erythroid cell maturation. Recent findings Although most studies about the interactions of Plasmodium parasites and their host cell focused on the deadliest human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, and the erythrocyte, there is increasing evidence that several Plasmodium species, including P. falciparum, also develop within erythroid precursors. These interactions likely modify the remodeling of the host cell by the parasite and affect the maturation of erythroblast and reticulocytes. Summary A better understanding of the remodeling of immature erythroid cells by Plasmodium parasites will have important implications for the development of antimalarial drugs or vaccines. In addition, deciphering how Plasmodium parasites interfere with erythropoiesis will provide new insights on how these parasites contribute to anemia in malaria patients

Host Cell Remodeling by Plasmodium falciparum Sexual Stages

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Vaginal cervicoisthmic cerclage for cervical incompetence in pregnant women: Fernandez’s technique in 8 steps

Video objective: To demonstrate that surgical technique of vaginal cervicoisthmic cerclage must be performed in women with history of cervical incompetence with more than two late miscarriages before 24 weeks or premature deliveries before 28 weeks and after prior failure of preventive Mc Donald cerclage. In this video, the authors describe the complete procedure in 8 steps to standardize and facilitate the procedure in a simple and safe way during pregnancy. Design: Step-by-step video demonstration of the surgical technique.Setting: Tertiary Center for University Hospital

Densification behaviour and three-dimensional printing of Y2O3 ceramic powder by selective laser sintering

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Plasmodium falciparum gametocyte-infected erythrocytes do not adhere to human primary erythroblasts

Abstract Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes, the sexual stages responsible for malaria parasite transmission, develop in the human bone marrow parenchyma in proximity to the erythroblastic islands. Yet, mechanisms underlying gametocytes interactions with these islands are unknown. Here, we have investigated whether gametocyte-infected erythrocytes (GIE) adhere to erythroid precursors, and whether a putative adhesion may be mediated by a mechanism similar to the adhesion of erythrocytes infected with P. falciparum asexual stages to uninfected erythrocytes. Cell-cell adhesion assays with human primary erythroblasts or erythroid cell lines revealed that immature GIE do not specifically adhere to erythroid precursors. To determine whether adhesion may be dependent on binding of STEVOR proteins to Glycophorin C on the surface of erythroid cells, we used clonal lines and transgenic parasites that overexpress specific STEVOR proteins known to bind to Glycophorin C in asexual stages. Our results indicate that GIE overexpressing STEVOR do not specifically adhere to erythroblasts, in agreement with our observation that the STEVOR adhesive domain is not exposed at the surface of GIE

A chemically stable fluorescent mimic of dihydroartemisinin, artemether, and arteether with conserved bioactivity and specificity shows high pharmacological relevance to the antimalarial drugs

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Activation of erythrocyte permeability enhances drug uptake by malaria sexual parasites

The article presents the results of an empirical study on the current framework conditions for civil society organizations in Austria. The results are linked to findings on how authoritarian governments deal with civil society. The research shows that along with the current government’s gradual process towards right-wing populism and authoritarianism, the general political climate has changed with regard to civil society, possibilities of political participation, and the public financing of civil society organizations. The findings are linked to the concept of civil society capture and reflect the overall wave of autocratization discussed by other authors. The analysis of the gradual process of the development of authoritarian politics in a relatively stable and developed democracy reveals the relevance of the findings for current tendencies in many other countries

Plasmodium falciparum sexual parasites develop in human erythroblasts and affect erythropoiesis

International audiencePlasmodium falciparum gametocytes, the sexual stages responsible for malaria parasites transmission from humans to mosquitoes, are key targets for malaria elimination. Immature gametocytes develop in the human bone marrow parenchyma, where they accumulate around erythroblastic islands. Notably though, the interactions between gametocytes and this hematopoietic niche have not been investigated. Here we identify late erythroblasts as a new host cell for P.falciparum sexual stages and show that gametocytes can fully develop inside these nucleated cells in vitro and in vivo, leading to infectious mature gametocytes within reticulocytes. Strikingly, we found that infection of erythroblasts by gametocytes and parasite-derived extracellular vesicles delay the erythroid differentiation, thereby allowing gametocyte maturation to coincide with the release of their host cell from the bone marrow. Taken together, our findings highlight new mechanisms that are pivotal for the maintenance of immature gametocytes in the bone marrow, and provide further insights on how Plasmodium parasites interfere with erythropoiesis and contribute to anemia in malaria patients

Concert mondial de linguistique française

Cet ouvrage collectif est un hommage rendu à Franck Neveu, éminent spécialiste et professeur de sciences du langage, dont l’originalité de la pensée et la richesse de l’apport scientifique marqueront durablement les recherches actuelles en linguistique. En linguistique et/ou en sciences du langage, car c’est là un débat ancien et toujours renouvelé. C’est en faveur de la deuxième dénomination que s’est résolument prononcé Franck Neveu, qui se positionne néanmoins, tout aussi résolument, comme linguiste. Ce volume collectif entend rendre hommage à cette ouverture d’esprit en réunissant des contributions d’auteurs de renom proches du dédicataire, qui explorent non seulement ses champs de spécialité comme la syntaxe, la sémantique et l’épistémologie des sciences du langage, mais également des disciplines avoisinantes comme la dialectologie ou la génétique des textes. Il trouve son unité autour des travaux de Franck Neveu et se veut être une contribution au rayonnement de la linguistique française que celui-ci défend et illustre. Avec ses contributions représentatives des recherches actuelles, cet ouvrage intéressera autant un public spécialisé qu’un public curieux de découvrir les sciences du langage.This collective work is a tribute to Franck Neveu, a leading expert and professor of language sciences, whose original thinking and extensive academic contribution will have a lasting impact on research in linguistics. In linguistics and/or in language sciences, because this is an old and constantly recurring debate. Franck Neveu resolutely pronounced himself in favour of the latter, although he positioned himself, equally resolutely, as a linguist. This collective volume pays tribute to this open-mindedness by bringing together contributions from renowned authors close to the dedicatee, who explore not only his areas of specialisation such as syntax, semantics and the epistemology of language sciences, but also neighbouring disciplines such as dialectology or text genetics. It has the work of Franck Neveu as its unifying theme and is intended to promote French linguistics, which he champions and illustrates. Thanks to its contributions which represent current research, this book will be of interest to both a specialist audience and one that is keen to learn about language sciences