Adaptation of the Plasmodium falciparum FCB strain for in vitro and in vivo analysis in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus)

Abstract The asexual blood stages of the Plasmodium falciparum parasite are responsible for inducing the clinical symptoms and the most severe presentations of malaria infection that causes frequent mortality and morbidity in tropical and subtropical areas of the world, making the blood stages of infection a key target of new malaria treatment and prevention strategies. Progress towards the development of more effective treatment and prevention strategies has been hindered by the limited availability of infection models that permit the sequential analysis of blood stage parasites in vitro followed by in vivo analysis to confirm therapeutic benefits. To advance a model for in vitro and in vivo analysis of blood stage parasites, we examined nine laboratory strains of P. falciparum to determine which strains could adapt to growth in vivo in splenectomized squirrel monkeys ( Saimiri sciureus ). Only one of the nine laboratory strains tested, the FCB strain, adapted to in vivo growth. Morphological analysis show that the adapted ring-stage parasites have a different morphology from original parasites cultured in vitro , and more often they were found to localize at the edge of the infected red blood cell. No remarkable differences were observed for both trophozoites and schizonts. The adapted strain can be cultured back in vitro similar to the original parasite, indicating that the adapted parasite can develop both in vitro and in vivo . This squirrel monkey-adapted P. falciparum parasite is expected to be suitable and is advantageous for the research and development of vaccines and antimalarial drugs.