Wow what a ride it has been! Happy to report that our fabulous BIO-004 trial participants are well after not one but two malaria infections! We learned that heavy water tastes just like slightly sweet regular water (maybe less exciting than we had hoped for) and are so impressed with all participants who had their bone marrow test. Feeling pretty pleased that The New York Times has heard of our trial and features one of our participants in their article about human challenge models.
A quick scroll through the sample database this morning reveals that we have collected 6924 vials so far. Each with unique QR code, carefully processed and stored at ultra-low temperatures. Matteo, Katharina and Emily have already used some of these vials to analyse B and T cell dynamics over the course of first and second malaria infection and new data on the development of disease tolerance after a single malaria infection keeps pouring in from all sides. Cleaning up the clinical database comprising over 3000 columns is no small task either (thanks Andrew!). Understanding the mechanism of immune cell reprogramming requires many collaborations - including with Maria Bernabeu at EMBL Barcelona where Adam recently tried his luck at microfluidics. We truly believe that a mechanistic understanding of human malaria is possible if we are brave and innovative - and that’s what we argue in our latest opinion article.
We are also beyond excited that Watipenge and Neelima have joined our team to complete their PhD. Full steam ahead folks! Third BIO-004 malaria infection is just around the corner! And this time we turn it up a notch with one group receiving Plasmodium vivax and one group P. falciparum…