Publications by authors named "Oscar B Akide Ndunge"

Cerebral malaria (CM), a potentially fatal encephalopathy caused primarily by infection with Plasmodium falciparum, results in long-term adverse neuro-psychiatric sequelae. Neural cell injury contributes to the neurological deficits observed in CM. Abnormal regulation of tau, an axonal protein pathologically associated with the formation of neurofibrillary lesions in neurodegenerative diseases, has been linked to inflammation and cerebral microvascular compromise and has been reported in human and experimental CM (ECM).

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Reorganization of host red blood cells by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum enables their sequestration via attachment to the microvasculature. This artificially increases the dwelling time of the infected red blood cells within inner organs such as the brain, which can lead to cerebral malaria. Cerebral malaria is the deadliest complication patients infected with P.

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Importance: There is clinical equipoise for COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) use in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.

Objective: To determine the safety and efficacy of CCP compared with placebo in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 receiving noninvasive supplemental oxygen.

Design, Setting, And Participants: CONTAIN COVID-19, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of CCP in hospitalized adults with COVID-19, was conducted at 21 US hospitals from April 17, 2020, to March 15, 2021.

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Endothelins were discovered more than thirty years ago as potent vasoactive compounds. Beyond their well-documented cardiovascular properties, however, the contributions of the endothelin pathway have been demonstrated in several neuroinflammatory processes and the peptides have been reported as clinically relevant biomarkers in neurodegenerative diseases. Several studies report that endothelin-1 significantly contributes to the progression of neuroinflammatory processes, particularly during infections in the central nervous system (CNS), and is associated with a loss of endothelial integrity at the blood brain barrier level.

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is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease (CD). CD is a persistent, lifelong infection affecting many organs, most notably the heart, where it may result in acute myocarditis and chronic cardiomyopathy. The pathological features include myocardial inflammation and fibrosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study investigates the effects of endothelin-1 (ET-1) on vascular dysfunction in a malaria model using C57BL/6 mice infected with Plasmodium berghei NK65, which typically does not cause experimental cerebral malaria (ECM).
  • ET-1 treatment of PbN-infected mice resulted in neurological impairments and increased mortality, producing symptoms similar to those seen in ECM, while saline-treated PbN mice remained unaffected.
  • The results reveal that ET-1 induces significant changes in brain microvasculature, including vessel constriction and blood-brain barrier leakage, indicating its potential role in the development of ECM-related vascular complications.
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Plasmodium falciparum infection causes a wide spectrum of diseases, including cerebral malaria, a potentially life-threatening encephalopathy. Vasculopathy is thought to contribute to cerebral malaria pathogenesis. The vasoactive compound endothelin-1, a key participant in many inflammatory processes, likely mediates vascular and cognitive dysfunctions in cerebral malaria.

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Background: Plasmodium falciparum-parasitized red blood cells (RBCs) are equipped with protective antioxidant enzymes and heat shock proteins (HSPs). The latter are only considered to protect against thermal stress. Important issues are poorly explored: first, it is insufficiently known how both systems are expressed in relation to the parasite developmental stage; secondly, it is unknown whether P.

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Heterozygous thalassemia and sickle cell disease produce mild hematological symptoms but provide protection against malaria mortality and severe malaria symptoms. Two explanations for resistance are considered in the literature - impaired growth of the parasite or enhanced removal by the host immune cells. A critical overview of studies that connect malaria resistance with impaired intra-erythrocytic growth is presented.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Oscar B Akide Ndunge"

  • Oscar B Akide Ndunge's research focuses on the neurological impacts of infectious diseases, particularly cerebral malaria, investigating the underlying mechanisms of neuroinflammation and cognitive dysfunction associated with Plasmodium falciparum infections.
  • His recent work demonstrates a correlation between anti-tau immunotherapy and improvements in microgliosis and cognitive functions in cerebral malaria models, highlighting the potential for targeting neurodegenerative pathways in treating infectious complications.
  • Ndunge has also explored the role of endothelins in neuroinflammatory diseases, contributing to the understanding of vascular dysfunction in conditions like cerebral malaria, with implications for developing therapeutic strategies against neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disorders.