Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026
12:48
Isolation and Analysis of Brain-sequestered Leukocytes from Plasmodium berghei ANKA-infected Mice
Published on: January 2, 2013
Cell vesiculation and immunopathology: implications in cerebral malaria
Nicolas Coltel1, Valéry Combes, Samuel C Wassmer
1CNRS UMR 6020-Immunopathology Group, Faculty of Medicine-IFR48, 27, bd. Jean Moulin, F-13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France.
Microbes and Infection
|July 11, 2006
Summary
Microparticles, cell membrane fragments, are released during physiological and disrupted conditions. This review explores their role in microorganism-driven diseases, particularly cerebral malaria.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Pathophysiology
- Immunology
Background:
- Microparticles are plasma membrane fragments released under physiological and pathological conditions.
- These fragments retain characteristics of their parent cells.
- Their role in disease pathogenesis is often underestimated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the production and biological significance of microparticles.
- To explore the potential role of microparticles in microorganism-driven diseases.
- To focus on the involvement of microparticles in cerebral malaria.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on microparticle production and function.
- Analysis of data on microparticle involvement in infectious diseases.
- Specific focus on research related to cerebral malaria.
Main Results:
- Microparticles are generated under both normal and disrupted homeostasis.
- They reflect the physiological state of their cell of origin.
- Their specific role in the pathogenesis of infectious diseases, including cerebral malaria, is an area of ongoing research.
Conclusions:
- Microparticles are significant biological entities with diverse origins.
- Their underappreciated role in disease pathogenesis warrants further investigation.
- Understanding microparticle involvement in cerebral malaria could offer new therapeutic insights.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Malaria
Malaria pathogenesis in humans reflects a delicate interplay between parasite biology and host response. Clinical illness reflects a host’s immune response to the parasite’s asexual replication cycle, which is often asymptomatic in individuals with partial immunity. From the parasite's perspective, transmission between mosquito and human with minimal host pathology is evolutionarily advantageous. Among the six Plasmodium species infecting humans, P. falciparum and P. vivax dominate in global...
01:26Encephalitis ll: Pathophysiology
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma caused by direct viral invasion or immune-mediated mechanisms triggered by infections or tumors. Both processes lead to neuronal injury, disrupted neurotransmission, and diverse neurological symptoms, often with overlapping clinical and pathological features.Autoimmune EncephalitisIn autoimmune encephalitis, antibodies target neuronal antigens on cell surfaces, synapses, or within neurons. A key example is anti-NMDAR encephalitis, which can...
01:19Encephalitis l: Introduction
Encephalitis is inflammation of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections or autoimmune processes. It presents with neuropsychiatric features such as fever, altered mental status, behavioral changes, cognitive dysfunction, seizures, focal deficits, and sometimes autonomic instability. In some cases, the meninges are also involved, resulting in meningoencephalitis.Infectious CausesInfectious encephalitis is most commonly viral but can also result from bacterial, fungal, or parasitic...
01:22Cerebral Edema ll: Pathophysiology
Vasogenic edema is a major form of cerebral edema characterized by abnormal accumulation of fluid in the brain’s extracellular space due to disruption of the blood–brain barrier (BBB). The BBB is a specialized structure composed of endothelial cells connected by tight junctions, supported by astrocytic endfeet and a basement membrane. Under normal conditions, it tightly regulates the movement of ions, proteins, and solutes between the bloodstream and brain parenchyma. When this barrier loses...
01:18Viral Meningitis
Viral meningitis is the most common form of meningitis and is often referred to as aseptic meningitis to indicate the absence of bacterial involvement. It is generally milder than bacterial meningitis, with symptoms including fever, headache, stiff neck, drowsiness, nausea, photophobia, and vomiting. Rarely, more severe manifestations or death may occur. Common causative agents include enteroviruses, particularly coxsackie A and B viruses and echoviruses, all members of the Enterovirus genus...
01:26Bacterial Meningitis II: Pathophysiology
Bacterial meningitis typically begins when pathogens such as Neisseria meningitidis and Streptococcus pneumoniae colonize the nasopharynx and invade the bloodstream. This process is facilitated by bacterial virulence factors, such as polysaccharide capsules, which resist phagocytosis and complement-mediated killing. Less commonly, bacteria reach the central nervous system via contiguous spread from infections like otitis media or sinusitis, through congenital or acquired dural defects, or...