Methylene blue treatment of fatal cerebral malaria and identification of potential blood biomarkers
Issued Date
2025-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20411723
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105023073197
Journal Title
Nature Communications
Volume
16
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Nature Communications Vol.16 No.1 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Hang J.W., Leong Y.W., Narang V., Sunyakumthorn P., Im-Erbsin R., Foo S., Lum J., Lee B., Brown A.E., Rénia L., Turner G.D.H., Wassmer S.C., Lombardini E.D., Russell B., Malleret B. Methylene blue treatment of fatal cerebral malaria and identification of potential blood biomarkers. Nature Communications Vol.16 No.1 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41467-025-65552-y Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/113388
Title
Methylene blue treatment of fatal cerebral malaria and identification of potential blood biomarkers
Author's Affiliation
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Mahidol University
Nagasaki University
NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
School of Biological Sciences
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Thailand
A-Star, Singapore Immunology Network
A-Star, Infectious Disease Lab
Mahidol University
Nagasaki University
NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine
Nuffield Department of Medicine
Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine
School of Biological Sciences
Mahidol Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit
Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences, Thailand
A-Star, Singapore Immunology Network
A-Star, Infectious Disease Lab
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe complication caused by Plasmodium falciparum infection, leading to persistent neurological impairments in survivors. To understand the complex mechanisms and investigate advanced diagnostic and treatment strategies targeting human CM, we utilize Plasmodium coatneyi-infected male rhesus macaques, a non-human primate model closely resembling P. falciparum infection in humans. Through differential gene expression analysis, our study demonstrates methylene blue’s efficacy in reversing the detrimental effects of infection on the brainstem. Furthermore, by comparing our brainstem dataset from P. coatneyi-infected Macaca mulatta with two additional transcriptomic datasets (P. coatneyi-infected M. mulatta blood and P. falciparum-infected human blood), we identify nine genes associated with CM severity. Most of these genes are expressed in neutrophils, indicating their potential as blood biomarkers for diagnosing P. falciparum-induced fatal CM. This research highlights the necessity for new CM treatments and reveals promising biomarkers that could improve diagnosis and prognosis in affected individuals.