Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute

Dec 11 2024 78 ep. 4 mins 28
Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute Podcast artwork

Impactful malaria science, and the trailblazers leading the fight. A podcast from the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute.

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‘Big Push’ Needed to Turn Tide on Malaria – WHO

Dec 11 2024 1 mins  
The World Health Organization has today released its annual World Malaria Report. Here are the takeaways. Transcript The World Health Organization has today released its annual World Malaria Report. Here are the takeaways. Since the turn of the century, the global malaria community has averted over 2.2 billion malaria cases and 12.7 million deaths, with over a million deaths preven

EXTENDED: Listening to Malaria – How Lasers and Ultrasound Could Revolutionize Diagnosis (with Sunil Parikh, Vladimir Zharov and Yap Boum)

Nov 26 2024 11 mins  
An innovative, non-invasive diagnostic tool that could revolutionize malaria testing, with the potential to be built into wearable devices. In this extended episode of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute, we ask: What are the limitations of current malaria diagnostic methods? How is a 'cytophone' - and what makes it innovative? Why is the detection of hemozoin significant in malaria

The Skin-Contact Malaria Test That Could Revolutionize Diagnostics

Nov 12 2024 1 mins  
Using lasers and ultrasound, the ‘cytophone’ detects a key byproduct of all malaria parasites. Transcript Among the most commonly used malaria diagnostic tests is the rapid diagnostic test (RDT), which detects malaria antigens from a drop of blood. Whilst RDTs are small and cheap, they're invasive and new strains of the parasite have evolved that can escape RDT diagnosis. Now,

EXTENDED: First Reference Genome Sequence of P. vivax from Ethiopia (with Jane Carlton, Delenasaw Yewhalaw, and Francisco Callejas Hernandez)

Oct 29 2024 8 mins  
Today, how DNA from a single patient in Ethiopia can shed light on the big picture of malaria. Why is Plasmodium vivax significant in malaria research, especially in Ethiopia? How does genomic sequencing contribute to understanding and controlling malaria? How are advances in sequencing technology influencing malaria research? With Jane Carlton, Delenasaw Yewhalaw, and Francisco

How Comparative Genomics Can Help Find the Best Treatments for Malaria

Oct 15 2024 1 mins  
'Comparative genomics' helps identify genes that can serve as targets for future drugs and vaccines. Transcript Not all parasites are alike. Genetic mutations mean that malaria parasites evolve differently in different regions – and even within the same region. One species thought to be particularly genetically diverse is Plasmodium vivax. It’s the second most common species of

EXTENDED: The Surprising Advantage of Transmission-Blocking Vaccines (with Ilinca Ciubotariu, Qixin He and Giovanna Carpi)

Oct 01 2024 9 mins  
The World Health Organisation has recommended two licenced malaria vaccines. Those vaccines have been a long time coming - but are they the best? In this extended episode of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute, we ask: Why is developing a malaria vaccine so challenging? How does antigen variation play affect the effectiveness of malaria vaccines? What are transmission-blocking vaccin

Transmission-Blocking Antigens Show Low Variation, Making Them a Reliable Vaccine Target Across Countries

Sep 17 2024 1 mins  
A key challenge in developing a malaria vaccine is choosing which stage to target. Transcript A key challenge in developing a malaria vaccine is choosing which stage of the infection to target. You can target the parasite when it enters the body, multiplies in the liver and the blood, or is in the sexual stage, preparing to be picked up by a mosquito. Along with selecting the right

EXTENDED: World Mosquito Day - Gene Drives and CRISPR Technology

Aug 30 2024 13 mins  
We share a special episode of our podcast to mark World Mosqutio Day. World Mosquito Day, observed annually on August 20th, commemorates British doctor Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria to humans. More than a century later, major advancements like genetically modifying mosquitoes—AKA gene drives—have the potential to reduce ma

Gene Drives: A Sharper Tool for the Malaria Toolkit?

Aug 13 2024 1 mins  
People often talk about the 'malaria toolkit' - how might gene drives fit? Transcript When people talk about malaria, they often mention the 'malaria toolkit' – a set of tools, like bed nets and indoor residual spraying, that are available to help curb the spread of disease. In the past, these tools were trusty go-to's – thanks to their efficacy, scalability and cost. Like the

EXTENDED: CRISPR and Consent (Gene Drives Part I - with Anthony James and John Connolly)

Jul 30 2024 12 mins  
Gene drives are a novel way of genetically editing the mosquitoes that transmit malaria. They have the potential to dramatically reduce cases and deaths. But the technology they’re based on is new and requires new thinking on regulation. In this first episode of our two-part focus on gene drives, we ask how drives work – examining the CRISPR technology behind them – and expl