Last Updated: 02/10/2025
Blantyre Retinal Analysis to Investigate NeuroVascular Immunity and Endothelial Weakening in Cerebral Malaria
Objectives
The objectives of this study are to
- identify subgroups in Cerebral malaria (CM) by combining Optical coherence tomography (OCT) with clinical data including transcranial Doppler and MRI of the brain.;
- establish whether these groups have distinct immunological profiles and seek to identify differences in outcomes of death, brain injury or full recovery; and
- characterize tissue-level host immune responses in diseased vs. unaffected retina using advanced imaging of labelled protein and RNA targets in post-mortem eye tissue.
Cerebral malaria (CM), a severe manifestation of Plasmodium infection, remains a major health challenge, with most deaths in African children. Despite advances in anti-malarial therapies some children do not respond, resulting in a fatal outcome. Deleterious effects on the brain appear to continue even after effective killing of parasites. Due to shared embryological origins, the retina provides an excellent model for the brain in CM. Retinal studies have highlighted pathophysiological processes in CM during life that are mirrored in post-mortem brain samples. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is non- invasive and provides high-resolution cross-sectional imaging through the retina. Research has shown characteristic findings on OCT in CM. By identifying clinically-recognisable patient subgroups and cellular processes central to CM pathogenesis this study plan to pave the way to targeted adjunctive treatments.
Basic Science
Diagnostics
Enabling Technologies & Assays
Genetics and Genomics
Immunology
Vulnerable Populations
Jan 2025 — Jan 2028
