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4. Bruce Russell

Professor Bruce Russell

Current research:

Malaria      Cryptosporidium     

Vivax Malaria (or Relapsing Malaria) is the most widely distributed, difficult to diagnose and treat cause of human malaria. 

Our laboratory focuses in of the biology of the parasite Plasmodium vivax (the cause of vivax malaria) and how we can kill it using therapeutics or vaccinations.

To do this we have developed key ex vivo tools and methods to examine P. vivax drug susceptibility and reticulocyte invasion. These methods are optimised for use in malaria endemic regions. We also utilise a continuous culture of P. cynomolgi (an excellent model of P. vivax) to study the molecular mechanisms underlying P. vivax pathobiology.

In addition to vivax malaria we also contend research into the biology and epidemiology of protozoal parasites of importance to human health in New Zealand.

Key laboratory activities

1. MALARIA

• Developing effective medical products (antimalarials and antiprotozoal drugs) and research tools (diagnostic and surveillance) for resource poor locations with the view to control vector borne diseases such as malaria and dengue; as well as other parasitic diseases of importance to human health.

• Better understanding the pathobiology, antimalarial sensitivity profiles and Epidemiology of Plasmodium vivax and other important primate malarias (P. cynomolgi, P. knowlesi and P. coatneyi)

• Detailed studies of the biomechanical, cytoadhesive and nanostructure changes to red blood cell pre and post Plasmodium spp. infection

2. CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS (Team Leader Dr Remy Muhsin)

• Fundamental biology of Cryptosporidium spp.
• Cryptosporidiosis drug discovery and development 

Parasitology Lab 2021

Current group members

 Post Doctoral Staff

Postgraduate students

Recent publications (2019-2024)

• • Antiparasitic effect of peptoids againstCryptosporidium parvum

    2024-07-19 | preprint
    • • DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.16.603782
    Source: Crossref

• • Functional and immunological mapping of domains of the reticulocyte binding protein, <i>Plasmodium vivax</i> PvRBP2aThe Journal of Infectious Diseases

    2024-03-05 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae111
      • Part of ISSN: 0022-1899
      • Part of ISSN: 1537-6613
    Source: Bruce Russell

• • Comparative efficacy and safety of anti-cryptosporidial agents: An<i>in vitro</i>study on Nitazoxanide, HFL, KDU731, and Paromomycin against<i>Cryptosporidium parvum</i>

    2024-02 | preprint
    • • PPR: PPR804261
      • DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.09.579383
    Source: Bruce Russell via Europe PubMed Central

• • Extended blood stage sensitivity profiles of<i>Plasmodium vivax</i>to doxycycline and tafenoquine using<i>Plasmodium cynomolgi</i>as a model

    2024-02 | preprint
    • • PPR: PPR811947
      • DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.23.581752
    Source: Bruce Russell via Europe PubMed Central

• • Dientamoeba fragilis associated with microbiome diversity changes in acute gastroenteritis patients.Parasitology international

    2023-07 | journal-article
    • • PMID: 37482266
      • DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2023.102788
    Source: Bruce Russell via Europe PubMed Central

• • Favorable Preclinical Pharmacological Profile of a Novel Antimalarial Pyrrolizidinylmethyl Derivative of 4-amino-7-chloroquinoline with Potent In Vitro and In Vivo Activities.Biomolecules

    2023-05 | journal-article
    • • PMID: 37238706
      • PMC: PMC10216263
      • DOI: 10.3390/biom13050836
    Source: Bruce Russell via Europe PubMed Central

• • Integrative genetic manipulation of Plasmodium cynomolgi reveals MultiDrug Resistance-1 Y976F associated with increased in vitro susceptibility to mefloquine.

    2022-12-01 | other
    • • DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac469
    Source: Crossref

• • Evolving perspectives on rosetting in malariaTrends in Parasitology

    2022-10 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2022.08.001
    Source: Crossref

• • Erythrocyte tropism of malarial parasites: The reticulocyte appealFrontiers in Microbiology

    2022 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.1022828
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85141567047
      • Part of ISSN: 1664302X
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Geographical distribution and genetic diversity of Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 1a correlates with patient antigenicityPLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

    2022 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PNTD.0010492
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85134361281
      • Part of ISSN: 19352735 19352727
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Improving in vitro continuous cultivation of Plasmodium cynomolgi, a model for P. vivaxParasitology International

    2022 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102589
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85129697618
      • Part of ISSN: 18730329 13835769
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Rosetting Responses of Plasmodium-infected Erythrocytes to AntimalarialsAmerican Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene

    2022 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.21-1229
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85132787165
      • Part of ISSN: 14761645 00029637
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Ultrastructural characterization of host-parasite interactions of Plasmodium coatneyi in rhesus macaquesParasitology

    2022 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1017/S0031182021001669
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85116938149
      • Part of ISSN: 14698161 00311820
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • A chimeric plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein antibody recognizes and blocks erythrocytic P. cynomolgi berok merozoites in vitroInfection and Immunity

    2021 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1128/IAI.00645-20
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85100279594
      • Part of ISSN: 10985522 00199567
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Evaluation of splenic accumulation and colocalization of immature reticulocytes and Plasmodium vivax in asymptomatic malaria: A prospective human splenectomy studyPLoS Medicine

    2021 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003632
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85106956605
      • Part of ISSN: 15491676 15491277
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Hidden biomass of intact malaria parasites in the human spleenNew England Journal of Medicine

    2021 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1056/NEJMc2023884
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85106887981
      • Part of ISSN: 15334406 00284793
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Longitudinal ex vivo and molecular trends of chloroquine and piperaquine activity against Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax before and after introduction of artemisinin-based combination therapy in Papua, IndonesiaInternational Journal for Parasitology: Drugs and Drug Resistance

    2021 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2021.06.002
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85108966380
      • Part of ISSN: 22113207
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Plasmodium falciparum rosetting protects schizonts against artemisinineBioMedicine

    2021 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2021.103680
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85118578088
      • Part of ISSN: 23523964
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Plasmodium vivax binds host CD98hc (SLC3A2) to enter immature red blood cellsNature Microbiology

    2021 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1038/s41564-021-00939-3
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85111121161
      • Part of ISSN: 20585276
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Probing the distinct chemosensitivity of Plasmodium vivax liver stage parasites and demonstration of 8-aminoquinoline radical cure activity in vitroResearchSquare

    2021 | other
    • • DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-185180
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85145764988
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Probing the distinct chemosensitivity of Plasmodium vivax liver stage parasites and demonstration of 8-aminoquinoline radical cure activity in vitroScientific Reports

    2021 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99152-9
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85116550155
      • Part of ISSN: 20452322
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Genetic diversity and neutral selection in Plasmodium vivax erythrocyte binding protein correlates with patient antigenicityPLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases

    2020 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008202
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85087818951
      • Part of ISSN: 19352735 19352727
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Plasmodium-infected erythrocytes induce secretion of IGFBP7 to form type ii rosettes and escape phagocytosiseLife

    2020 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.7554/eLife.51546
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85081069101
      • Part of ISBN: 2050084X
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Rosettes integrity protects Plasmodium vivax of being phagocytizedScientific Reports

    2020 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73713-w
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85092149493
      • Part of ISSN: 20452322
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Inhibition of parasite invasion by monoclonal antibody against epidermal growth factor-like domain of Plasmodium vivax merozoite surface protein 1 paralogScientific Reports

    2019-12 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-40321-2
      • Part of ISSN: 2045-2322
    Source: Bruce Russell

• • Sticking for a Cause: The Falciparum Malaria Parasites Cytoadherence ParadigmFrontiers in Immunology

    2019-06-27 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2019.01444
      • Part of ISSN: 1664-3224
    Source: Bruce Russell

• • Hepatic spheroids used as an in vitro model to study malaria relapseBiomaterials

    2019 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1016/J.BIOMATERIALS.2019.05.032
      • WOSUID: WOS:000475994500018
    Source: Web of Science Researcher Profile Sync

• • In vitro antimalarial evaluations and cytotoxicity investigations of carica papaya leaves and carpaineNatural Product Communications

    2019 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1177/1934578X1901400110
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85063565633
      • Part of ISBN: 15559475 1934578X
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Robust continuous in vitro culture of the Plasmodium cynomolgi erythrocytic stagesNature Communications

    2019 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11332-4
      • EID: 2-s2.0-85070687044
      • Part of ISBN: 20411723
    Source: Bruce Russell via Scopus - Elsevier

• • Structural basis for inhibition of Plasmodium vivax invasion by a broadly neutralizing vaccine-induced human antibodyNature Microbiology

    2019 | journal-article
    • • DOI: 10.1038/S41564-019-0462-1
      • WOSUID: WOS:000482228400012
    Source: Web of Science Researcher Profile Sync