Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.
J Infect Dis. 2024 Jul 25;230(1):263-270. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiae191.
Pathogens such as Plasmodium, Babesia, and Theileria invade and multiply within host red blood cells, leading to the pathological consequences of malaria, babesiosis, and theileriosis. Establishing continuous in vitro culture systems and suitable animal models is crucial for studying these pathogens. This review spotlights the Babesia duncani in culture-in mouse (ICIM) model as a promising resource for advancing research on the biology, pathogenicity, and virulence of intraerythrocytic parasites. The model offers practical benefits, encompassing well-defined culture conditions, ease of manipulation, and a well-annotated genome. Moreover, B. duncani serves as a surrogate system for drug discovery, facilitating the evaluation of new antiparasitic drugs in vitro and in animals, elucidating their modes of action, and uncovering potential resistance mechanisms. The B. duncani ICIM model thus emerges as a multifaceted tool with profound implications, promising advancements in our understanding of parasitic biology and shaping the development of future therapies.
疟原虫、巴贝虫和泰勒虫等病原体在宿主的红细胞内入侵和繁殖，导致疟疾、巴贝斯虫病和泰勒虫病等病理后果。建立连续的体外培养系统和合适的动物模型对于研究这些病原体至关重要。本文重点介绍了在培养的鼠疟原虫（ICIM）模型中，巴贝虫属作为一种有前途的资源，可用于推进对红细胞内寄生虫的生物学、致病性和毒力的研究。该模型具有实际的优势，包括明确的培养条件、易于操作和注释良好的基因组。此外，巴贝虫属还可以作为药物发现的替代系统，便于在体外和动物中评估新的抗寄生虫药物，阐明其作用机制，并揭示潜在的耐药机制。因此，巴贝虫属 ICIM 模型是一种多方面的工具，具有深远的意义，有望增进我们对寄生虫生物学的理解，并为未来疗法的发展奠定基础。
