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. 2012:2012:927148.
doi: 10.1155/2012/927148. Epub 2012 Mar 15.

Comparison and Optimization of Different Methods for the In Vitro Production of Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes

María Roncalés  1 , Jaume Vidal-Mas, Didier Leroy, Esperanza Herreros
Affiliations

Comparison and Optimization of Different Methods for the In Vitro Production of Plasmodium falciparum Gametocytes

María Roncalés et al. J Parasitol Res. 2012.

Abstract

The generation of sexually committed parasites (gametocytogenesis) is poorly understood in malaria. If the mechanisms regulating this process were elucidated, new opportunities for blocking malaria transmission could be revealed. Here we compare several methods described previously for the in vitro production of Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes. Our approach relies on the combination of several factors that we demonstrated as impacting on or being critical to gametocytogenesis. An improved method has been developed for the in vitro production of P. falciparum gametocytes as the first step toward obtaining adequate numbers of pure gametocytes for in vitro studies, such as, for example, the identification of transmission blocking drugs.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Time course of in vitro production of P. falciparum NF54 gametocytes. Percentage of total parasitemia (■) and percentage of gametocytes (▲) are represented.
Figure 2
Figure 2
In vitro P. falciparum gametocytes obtained with this optimized protocol. Gametocytes stages (maturity) based on the Carter description: stage I, stage II, stage III, stage IV, and stage V.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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