Microbiota, a Third Player in the Host-Plasmodium Affair.

Microbiota, a Third Player in the Host-Plasmodium Affair.
Trends Parasitol. 2019 Nov 28;:
Authors: Mukherjee D, Chora ÂF, Mota MM
Abstract
Plasmodium, the causative agent of malaria, is responsible for more than 200 million new infections and 400 000 deaths yearly. While in recent years the influence of the microbiota in homeostasis and a wide variety of disorders has taken center stage, its contribution during malaria infections has only now started to emerge. The few published studies suggest two distinct but complementary directions. Plasmodium infections can cause significant alterations in host (at least gut) microbiota, and host gut microbiota can influence the clinical outcome of malaria infections. In this opinion article, we highlight the most fundamental unanswered questions in the field that will, hopefully, point future research directions towards unveiling key mechanistic insights of the Plasmodium-host-microbiota axis.
PMID: 31787522 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

Source: Trends in Parasitology - November 27, 2019 Category: Parasitology Authors: Mukherjee D, Chora ÂF, Mota MM Tags: Trends Parasitol Source Type: research