Optimization of an in vitro system to study the exo-erythrocytic stage of the human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum

Abstract

Much research remains to be done in order to understand the Plasmodium-liver interaction process. While previous in vitro studies have focused on two-dimensional (2D) cell culture, it is becoming more evident to researchers that the context in which cells are grown plays a significant role in their proper functioning. It is with this in mind that we hypothesise that a higher parasitemia may be achievable in cells with a three-dimensional (3D) morphology, thus much effort has been dedicated to the fabrication and testing of materials that can support 3D cell growth. The objectives of this study are to develop a range of novel thermo-responsive, non-woven scaffolds, and to assess the growth potential on these of HC04 hepatocytes (Sattabongkot et al., 2006) which are able to support the complete development of the EE stage parasites P. falciparum and P. vivax. Ultimately, improved hepatocyte models may facilitate higher rates of parasitemia, leading to improved opportunities to study this infection process.