Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34702263›Full record

ArticleMalaria journal2021

Network-driven analysis of human-Plasmodium falciparum interactome: processes for malaria drug discovery and extracting in silico targets.

Francis E Agamah, Delesa Damena, Michelle Skelton, Anita Ghansah, Gaston K Mazandu, Emile R Chimusa

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Malaria journal, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 11% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. In Silico Screening ofBiologics : targets & therapy · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Targeting theFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Francis E AgamahDivision of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Delesa DamenaDivision of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Michelle SkeltonComputational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Anita GhansahCollege of Health Sciences, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 581, Legon, Ghana.
Gaston K MazanduDivision of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. gmazandu@gmail.com.
Emile R ChimusaDivision of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa. emile.chimusa@uct.ac.za.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8846-2047
University of Cape Town · ZAAfrican Institute for Mathematical Sciences · ZAUniversity of Ghana · GH

Funding

Exploring Perspectives on Genomics and Sickle Cell Public Health InterventionsU01HG007459 · NHGRI · UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN · PI WONKAM, AMBROISE · 2013 to 2016
$622k
NHGRI NIH HHS U01 HG007459
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe emergence and spread of malaria drug resistance have resulted in the need to understand disease mechanisms and importantly identify essential targets and potential drug candidates. Malaria infection involves the complex interaction between the host and pathogen, thus, functional interactions between human and Plasmodium falciparum is essential to obtain a holistic view of the genetic architecture of malaria. Several functional interaction studies have extended the understanding of malaria disease and integrating such datasets would provide further insights towards understanding drug resistance and/or genetic resistance/susceptibility, disease pathogenesis, and drug discovery.

methodsThis study curated and analysed data including pathogen and host selective genes, host and pathogen protein sequence data, protein-protein interaction datasets, and drug data from literature and databases to perform human-host and P. falciparum network-based analysis. An integrative computational framework is presented that was developed and found to be reasonably accurate based on various evaluations, applications, and experimental evidence of outputs produced, from data-driven analysis.

resultsThis approach revealed 8 hub protein targets essential for parasite and human host-directed malaria drug therapy. In a semantic similarity approach, 26 potential repurposable drugs involved in regulating host immune response to inflammatory-driven disorders and/or inhibiting residual malaria infection that can be appropriated for malaria treatment. Further analysis of host-pathogen network shortest paths enabled the prediction of immune-related biological processes and pathways subverted by P. falciparum to increase its within-host survival.

conclusionsHost-pathogen network analysis reveals potential drug targets and biological processes and pathways subverted by P. falciparum to enhance its within malaria host survival. The results presented have implications for drug discovery and will inform experimental studies.

Indexed as

Drug DiscoveryProtein Interaction MappingAntimalarialsComputer SimulationDrug ResistanceHumansMalaria, FalciparumPlasmodium falciparumProtozoan ProteinsAntimalarialsProtozoan ProteinsDrug resistanceGene ontologyGenomicsMalariaMulti-omicsProtein–protein interaction

Identifiers

PMID34702263
PMCPMC8547565
OpenAlexW3210908047

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.