Research Interests and M Phil Aims
My research areas are pathogenesis, clinical drugs development, drugs resistance, parasitology, and infectious diseases. I am particularly interested in malaria research, investigating host-parasites interactions aimed at identifying targets/strategies for novel malaria drug and vaccine development. Malaria, a disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, individuals in all continents are potentially at risk, but the burden of the disease is harboured by young children living in Sub-Saharan Africa. Malaria was responsible for ~619 000 deaths worldwide in 2022. The majority of these deaths are caused by Plasmodium falciparum.
Sequestration of P. falciparum infected erythrocytes in human brain microvasculature is the hallmark of cerebral malaria. Sequestration is mediated by the highly polymorphic surface antigen family PfEMP1 (P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1), encoded by var genes. PfEMP1 ligands expressing DC8 (IT4var19) and DC13 (HB3var03) are adhesion molecules that bind to a variety of host receptors to bring about sequestration. The identity of the key host receptors involved in cerebral malaria remains controversial, but may include endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1). Other host endothelial cell receptors such as C1q Binding Protein (C1QBP) may also play a role in sequestration in the brain, but this has rarely been studied.
My M Phil aims to investigate the hypothesis that C1QBP is an important host endothelial receptor for P. falciparum infected erythrocyte adhesion in cerebral malaria. This study will provide a better understanding of the pathophysiology of cerebral malaria and identify potential ligand-receptor interactions to develop new treatments with potential to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of children.
CV
2022 – present
- M Phil, Evolutionary Biology, Immunology and Infection Research – Darwin Trust of Edinburgh studentship, University of Edinburgh
2015 – 2016
- MPH, Epidemiology and diseases control – TDR scholar in implementation research at University of Ghana, School of Public Health, Legon, Accra
2000 – 2010
- MD, General Medicine – University of Sciences, Techniques and Technologies of Bamako, Mali
Publications
Diallo N, Akweongo P, Maya E, Aikins M, Sarfo B. Malar J. 2017 16(1):109. doi: 10.1186/s12936-017-1751-x. PMID: 28274262
Ouologuem DT, Dembele L, Dara A, Kone AK, Diallo N, Sangare CPO, Ballo FI, Dao F, Goita S, Haidara AS, Traore A, Niangaly AB, Dama S, Sissoko S, Sogore F, Dara JN, Barre YN, Daou A, Cisse F, Diakite O, Doumbia D, Koumare S, Fofana B, Tandina F, Sylla D, Sacko A, Coulibaly M, Tekete MM, Ouattara A, Djimde AA. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2022 ;66(12):e0100122. doi: 10.1128/aac.01001-22.PMID: 36321830
Ex Vivo Plasmodium malariae Culture Method for Antimalarial Drugs Screen in the Field.
Dembele L, Diallo N, Sogore F, Diarra B, Ballo FI, Daou A, Diakite O, Bare Y, Sangare CPO, Haidara AS, Diakite SAS, Niangaly A, Diakite M, Campo B, Awandare GA, Aniweh Y, Djimde AA. ACS Infect Dis. 2021;7(11):3025-3033. doi:10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00262. PMID: 34711047
Dembele L, Aniweh Y, Diallo N, Sogore F, Sangare CPO, Haidara AS, Traore A, Diakité SAS, Diakite M, Campo B, Awandare GA, Djimde AA.J Antimicrob Chemother. 2021 ;76(8):2079-2087. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkab133.PMID: 34021751
Beavogui AH, Diawara EY, Cherif MS, Delamou A, Diallo N, Traore A, Millimouno P, Camara D, Sylla MM, Toure AA, Diallo MS, Toure S, Togo A, Camara G, Kourouma K, Sagara I, Dicko A, Djimde A. J Parasitol. 2021 ;107(5):778-782. doi: 10.1645/19-199.PMID: 34581793
Beshir KB, Diallo N, Somé FA, Sombie S, Zongo I, Fofana B, Traore A, Dama S, Bamadio A, Traore OB, Coulibaly SA, Maurice OS, Diarra A, Kaboré JM, Kodio A, Togo AH, Dara N, Coulibaly M, Dao F, Nikiema F, Compaore YD, Kabore NT, Barry N, Soulama I, Sagara I, Sirima SB, Ouédraogo JB, Djimde A, Sutherland CJ. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2021 ;65(8):e0087321. doi: 10.1128/AAC.00873-21. PMID: 34060901
Kone A, Sissoko S, Fofana B, Sangare CO, Dembele D, Haidara AS, Diallo N, Coulibaly A, Traore A, Toure S, Haidara K, Sanogo K, Sagara I, Beshir KB, Gil JP, Doumbo OK, Djimde AA. Int J Infect Dis. 2020 ;95:399-405. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.03.082. PMID: 32320811
West African Network for Clinical Trials of Antimalarial Drugs (WANECAM). Lancet. 2018 ;391(10128):1378-1390. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(18)30291-5. PMID: 29606364
Beshir KB, Diallo N, Sutherland CJ.Sci Rep. 2018 Jul 4;8(1):10097. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-28179-2.PMID: 29973679
Maiga H, Lasry E, Diarra M, Sagara I, Bamadio A, Traore A, Coumare S, Bahonan S, Sangare B, Dicko Y, Diallo N, Tembely A, Traore D, Niangaly H, Dao F, Haidara A, Dicko A, Doumbo OK, Djimde AA. PLoS One. 2016;11(9):e0162718. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162718. PMID: 27662368
Maiga H, Lasry E, Diarra M, Sagara I, Bamadio A, Traore A, Coumare S, Bahonan S, Sangare B, Dicko Y, Diallo N, Tembely A, Traore D, Niangaly H, Dao F, Haidara A, Dicko A, Doumbo OK, Djimde AA.PLoS One. 2016 ;11(9):e0162718. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162718. PMID: 27662368
Ouattara A, Kone A, Adams M, Fofana B, Maiga AW, Hampton S, Coulibaly D, Thera MA, Diallo N, Dara A, Sagara I, Gil JP, Bjorkman A, Takala-Harrison S, Doumbo OK, Plowe CV, Djimde AA.Am J Trop Med Hyg. 2015 ;92(6):1202-6. doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.14-0605. PMID: 25918205
Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in Mali.
Ouologuem DT, Djimdé AA, Diallo N, Doumbo OK, Roos DS.J Parasitol. 2013 ;99(2):371-4. doi: 10.1645/GE-3239.1. PMID: 22924926
Kone A, Mu J, Maiga H, Beavogui AH, Yattara O, Sagara I, Tekete MM, Traore OB, Dara A, Dama S, Diallo N, Kodio A, Traoré A, Björkman A, Gil JP, Doumbo OK, Wellems TE, Djimde AA.J Infect Dis. 2013 ;207(3):520-7. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jis691. PMID: 23162138