Sign in Subscribe
Antigens

Breakthrough in Malaria Research: New Diagnostic Tool for Detecting Transmission-Competent Individuals

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Researchers from Imperial College London have made a significant breakthrough in the fight against malaria, developing a new diagnostic tool that can detect individuals who are capable of transmitting the disease to mosquitoes. According to the researchers, only sexual parasite forms, called gametocytes, which activate into gametes upon mosquito uptake or blood sampling are responsible for transmission. The new tool, a nanozyme-based immunoassay, can identify the female gametocyte activation antigen G377, which is released during gametogenesis, allowing for the detection of transmission-competent individuals.

Key Takeaways:

  • The researchers developed a nanozyme-based immunoassay to detect the female gametocyte activation antigen G377, which is released during gametogenesis.
  • Initial validation of the nanozyme assay with cultured parasites demonstrated that levels of G377 were higher in supernatants of activated versus nonactivated cultures and those treated with transmission blocking drugs.
  • Patient samples from a clinical transmission-focused trial were used, including those receiving treatment with the gametocytocidal drug primaquine (PQ) that sterilizes gametocytes and blocks transmission.
  • PQ-treated patient samples showed significantly lower signals of G377 2 days after treatment, consistent with an inability of PQ-treated gametocytes to activate and release antigen upon blood sampling.
  • This study serves as a pathfinder for field transmission rapid diagnostics to detect transmission-competent individuals, which could help revive malaria elimination strategies.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal ACS Nano.
  • The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Imperial College London, led by Adrian Najer, including Tabasom Haghighi, Marta Broto, Farah A. Dahalan, Alisje Churchyard, Sabrina Yahiya, Mufuliat T. Famodиму, Mark Tunnicliff, Aida Abdelwahed, Mayumi Tachibana, Tomoko Ishino, Yaw Aniweh, Gordon A. Awandare, Almahamoudou Mahamar, and Leen N. Vanhe.

Statistics:

  • The nanozyme-based immunoassay was developed to detect the female gametocyte activation antigen G377, which is released during gametogenesis.
  • Patient samples from a clinical transmission-focused trial were used in the study, including those receiving treatment with primaquine (PQ) that sterilizes gametocytes and blocks transmission.
  • PQ-treated patient samples showed significantly lower signals of G377 2 days after treatment (92.4% reduction).
  • The study was conducted by a team of 13 researchers from Imperial College London.
  • The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal ACS Nano.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Findings on Malaria Reported by Researchers at Imperial College London (Evaluation of Malaria Parasite Transmission Competency Using a Nanozyme-Based Immunodiagnostic Targeting Female Gamete Antigen Release). Malaria Weekly. October 20, 2025; p 19.
  • ACS Nano. Evaluation of Malaria Parasite Transmission Competency Using a Nanozyme-Based Immunodiagnostic Targeting Female Gamete Antigen Release. 2025.
  • Imperial College London. Department of Materials, Department of Bioengineering and Institute of Biomedical Engineering.

Read more