Title:Extracellular Vesicles Derived from Plasmodium-infected Hosts as
Stimuli of “Trained” Innate Immunity
Volume: 30
Issue: 39
Author(s): Jin-Guang Chen, Yun-Ting Du, Chang-Hui Guan, Hua-Yu Fan, Yang-Ai Liu, Ting Wang, Xin Li and Guang Chen*
Affiliation:
- Department of Dermatology, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou University,
Taizhou, 318000, China
Keywords:
Plasmodium, extracellular vesicle, innate immune cells, stimuli, malaria, RNA.
Abstract: Although the burden of malaria has been successfully controlled globally, this
disease remains a major public health issue. To date, neither existing drugs nor vaccines
against malaria are sufficient in eliminating malaria worldwide. To achieve the eradication
of malaria by 2040, effective interventions targeting all Plasmodium species are urgently
needed. As the cornerstone of vaccine design, immune memory serves a significant
role in the host's defense against Plasmodium infections. It has long been considered
that innate immunity is non-specific and lacks immunologic memory. However, emerging
evidence has suggested that innate immunity can be trained following exposure of
the body to infectious agents, such as Plasmodium or its products, which, in turn, promotes
the onset of a type of memory in innate immune cells. The above “trained” innate
immune cells, whose phenotype is modified in response to epigenetic modifications,
metabolic recombination, or cytokine secretion, exhibit differential pathophysiology after
the exposure of the body to a pathogen. In addition, Plasmodium-infected red blood cells
and other host cells can secrete exosomes that contain conserved parasite-specific information,
such as proteins, RNA, non-coding RNA molecules, and nucleic acids. These
molecules can act as stimuli for promoting the establishment of “trained” innate immunity
against malaria, thereby altering the onset and progression of the parasitic disease. A
deeper understanding of the role of exosomes in the development of “trained” innate immunity
during Plasmodium infection could provide novel therapeutic and prevention
strategies against malaria infections.
