Cultivation of Plasmodium vivax

Trends Parasitol. 2008 Feb;24(2):85-8. doi: 10.1016/j.pt.2007.09.010. Epub 2008 Jan 3.

Abstract

Establishment of a continuous line of Plasmodium vivax parasite is crucial to understand the parasite's biology; however, this has not yet been achieved. Beginning in the 19th century, there were several efforts to cultivate this malaria parasite but without much success until the late 1980s. In addition, to date, only minor modifications of the methodology have been investigated, which has resulted in extending the cultivation period to around four weeks by supplying reticulocytes obtained from normal blood or rare hemochromatotic blood. However, the use of laboratory-produced erythroblasts to cultivate P. vivax enables maintenance of a continuous line of the parasite stably in the laboratory. Here, we summarize and compare the available methodologies and conditions for the in vitro cultivation of P. vivax.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Culture Media
  • Culture Techniques
  • Erythroblasts / parasitology
  • Erythrocytes / parasitology
  • Humans
  • Parasitology / methods*
  • Plasmodium vivax / growth & development*
  • Reticulocytes / parasitology

Substances

  • Culture Media