Contribution of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Studies to the Understanding of Cerebral Malaria Pathogenesis
Alicia Comino Garcia-Munoz1, Isabelle Varlet1, Georges Emile Grau2
1Centre de Résonance Magnétique Biologique et Médicale (CRMBM) UMR 7339, Faculté des Sciences Médicales et Paramédicales la Timone, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS, 13055 Marseille, France.
Insights
Cerebral malaria (CM) is a deadly brain infection affecting young children. Advanced brain MRI in a mouse model (ECM) has significantly improved understanding of human CM pathology and identified key disease markers.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Infectious Diseases
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Cerebral malaria (CM), a severe form of Plasmodium falciparum infection, is a leading cause of death in children under five in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Neurological complications, including seizures and impaired consciousness, characterize CM, with high mortality rates if untreated.
- Limited access to advanced brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in endemic regions has historically hindered the study of CM pathophysiology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and critically discuss the contributions of in vivo MRI studies in the experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) mouse model.
- To highlight how ECM MRI findings have advanced the understanding of human CM pathogenesis and identified diagnostic markers.
Main Methods:
- Review of published in vivo MRI studies conducted on the murine model of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) since 2005.
- Comparison of findings from ECM MRI studies with advanced MRI studies in pediatric patients from endemic areas (published from 2013 onwards).
- Analysis of how ECM model studies have elucidated brain lesion formation and identified disease markers relevant to human CM.
Main Results:
- In vivo MRI studies in the ECM model have provided crucial insights into the mechanisms of brain damage in CM.
- ECM MRI findings have identified specific disease markers that have been subsequently validated in human pediatric CM patients.
- Advanced MRI techniques applied to the ECM model have bridged the gap in understanding CM pathophysiology where human studies were limited.
Conclusions:
- The ECM mouse model, studied using in vivo MRI, has been instrumental in unraveling the complex pathophysiology of cerebral malaria.
- MRI studies in ECM have significantly contributed to identifying biomarkers and understanding brain injury in human CM, aiding potential therapeutic strategies.
- Continued integration of advanced MRI in both experimental models and clinical settings is vital for combating cerebral malaria.
Abstract:
Cerebral malaria (CM), the most lethal clinical syndrome of Plasmodium falciparum infection, mostly affects children under 5 in sub-Saharan Africa. CM is characterized by seizures and impaired consciousness that lead to death in 15-20% of cases if treated quickly, but it is completely fatal when untreated. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an invaluable source of information on the pathophysiology of brain damage, but, due to limited access to scanners in endemic regions, only until very recently have case reports of CM patients studied with advanced MRI methods been published. The murine model of experimental cerebral malaria (ECM) shares many common features with the human disease and has been extensively used to study the pathogenic mechanisms of the neurological syndrome. In vivo MRI studies on this model, the first of which was published in 2005, have contributed to a better understanding of brain lesion formation in CM and identified disease markers that were confirmed by MRI studies published from 2013 onwards in pediatric patients from endemic areas. In this review, we recapitulate the main findings and critically discuss the contributions of MRI studies in the ECM model to the understanding of human CM.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Magnetic Resonance Imaging
01:21Imaging Studies for Cardiovascular System IV: CMRI