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Clinical Investigation Study to Evaluate the Consistency and Reproducibility of Two Consecutive Mosquito Feeding Assays

Completed
Conditions
Malaria
Interventions
Other: Direct Skin Feeding Assay (DSFA)
Drug: Primaquine
Drug: Artemether/Lumefantrine
Registration Number
NCT04666350
Lead Sponsor
PATH
Brief Summary

The proposed trial design has been developed to assess the consistency and reproducibility of two consecutive direct skin feeding assays (DSFA) at 24-hour interval.

Detailed Description

The proposed trial design has been developed to assess the consistency and reproducibility of two consecutive direct skin feeding assays (DSFA) at 24-hour interval. The results will determine the type of pivotal trial design for a follow-on Phase 2b trial whose objective is to bridge the standard membrane feeding assay (SMFA) to the direct skin feeding assay (DSFA) and direct membrane feeding assay (DMFA) using a monoclonal antibody intervention, TB31F monoclonal antibody (mAb), which interrupts transmission from human to mosquito. The results from this experimental medicine study will inform whether the preferred "Before-After" trial design in which each human volunteer serves as their own internal control can be utilized for a follow-on Phase 2b trial.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
42
Inclusion Criteria
  • Provision of signed or thumb printed and dated informed consent form
  • Stated willingness to comply with all study procedures and availability for the duration of the study
  • Male or female aged between 18 years and 55 years inclusive.
  • Resident within the study area
  • In good general health as evidenced by medical history and clinical examination before entering the study Ability to take oral Coartem and low-dose primaquine anti-malarials upon conclusion of day 2 (2nd direct skin feed) and be willing to adhere to the medication regimen
  • For females, she must be of non-childbearing potential or use appropriate measures to prevent pregnancy for 30 days after receiving Coartem and primaquine. Non-childbearing potential means she is surgically sterilized or at least one year post-menopausal. Appropriate measures to prevent pregnancy include abstinence or adequate contraceptive precautions (i.e. intrauterine contraceptive device; oral contraceptives; diaphragm or condom in combination with contraceptive jelly, cream or foam; Norplant or Depo-Provera).
  • For males, he must be willing to ensure that he does not get his partner(s) pregnant for at least 3 months after treatment with primaquine. Appropriate measures to prevent pregnancy include abstinence or adequate contraceptive precautions in either the participant or the partner.
  • Positive for P. falciparum gametocytes as measured by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with cycle threshold (cT) value < 31.
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Exclusion Criteria

Presence of any signs or symptoms of malaria

  • Presence of contraindications to administration of Coartem and primaquine as indicated in the respective drug package inserts
  • History of severe allergic reactions to mosquito bites (other than pruritus and local swelling)
  • Pregnant (i.e. a positive pregnancy test)
  • Current or recent (within the preceding 2 weeks) use of antimalarial treatment
  • Current participation in a malaria vaccine study
  • Any other findings that the investigator feels would increase the risk of having an adverse outcome from participation in the trial.
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Study & Design

Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Study Design
Not specified
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Study VolunteersDirect Skin Feeding Assay (DSFA)Participants provided a blood sample on Day 1 for DMFA testing and then participated in the mosquito feeding assay. On Day 2 participants underwent a second DMFA and DSFA assay (within 24 hours of the first assays). Upon completion of Day 2 DSFA participants will receive one dose of primaquine and the first dose of a 3-day regiment of artemether/lumefantrine.
Study VolunteersPrimaquineParticipants provided a blood sample on Day 1 for DMFA testing and then participated in the mosquito feeding assay. On Day 2 participants underwent a second DMFA and DSFA assay (within 24 hours of the first assays). Upon completion of Day 2 DSFA participants will receive one dose of primaquine and the first dose of a 3-day regiment of artemether/lumefantrine.
Study VolunteersArtemether/LumefantrineParticipants provided a blood sample on Day 1 for DMFA testing and then participated in the mosquito feeding assay. On Day 2 participants underwent a second DMFA and DSFA assay (within 24 hours of the first assays). Upon completion of Day 2 DSFA participants will receive one dose of primaquine and the first dose of a 3-day regiment of artemether/lumefantrine.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Oocyst PrevalenceFeeding assays were performed on Day 1 and Day 2; Oocyst prevalence in surviving mosquitoes was assessed 9 days after feeding (Days 9 and 10).

Participants underwent feeding assays on two days, 24 hours apart (day 1 and Day 2). After feeding, mosquitoes were maintained in locked environmental chambers for 9 days to allow oocyst development.

An oocyst is a structure that develops on the outer wall of the infected mosquito's stomach that contains developing sporozoites.

Nine days after feeding mosquito midguts were dissected, stained with 1% mercurochrome and examined by optical microscopy. The number of oocysts in each midgut were recorded.

Oocyst prevalence is defined as the percentage of mosquitoes in a cup with at least one oocyst detected in the mid-gut among the surviving mosquitoes (in the same cup) that underwent the feeding assays.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Oocyst DensityFeeding assays were performed on Day 1 and Day 2; Oocyst density in surviving mosquitos was assessed 9 days after feeding (Days 9 and 10).

Participants underwent feeding assays on two days, 24 hours apart (Day 1 and Day 2). After feeding, mosquitoes were maintained in locked environmental chambers for 9 days to allow oocyst development.

An oocyst is a structure that develops on the outer wall of the infected mosquito's stomach that contains developing sporozoites.

Nine days after feeding mosquito midguts were dissected, stained with 1% mercurochrome and examined by optical microscopy. The number of oocysts in each midgut were recorded.

Oocyst density is defined as the mean number of oocysts detected in infected mosquitoes that underwent feeding assays on the same participant.

Sporozoite PrevalenceFeeding assays were performed on Day 1 and Day 2; Sporozoite prevalence in surviving mosquitoes was assessed 14 days after feeding (Days 14 and 15).

Participants underwent feeding assays on two days, 24 hours apart (day 1 and Day 2). After feeding, mosquitoes were maintained in locked environmental chambers for 14 days to allow sporozoite development.

Sporozoites are the forms of the plasmodium that are liberated from the oocysts in the mosquito, accumulate in the salivary glands of the mosquito, and are transferred to humans when the mosquito feeds.

Fourteen days after feeding, salivary glands were dissected from live mosquitoes submerged in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) in order to visualize motile sporozoites by microscopy. Sporozoite prevalence was recorded.

Sporozoite prevalence is defined as the percentage of mosquitoes in a cup with at least one sporozoite detected in the salivary glands among the mosquitoes (in the same cup) that underwent feeding assays.

Sporozoite DensityDay 1 and Day 2

Sporozoite density is defined as the mean number of sporozoites detected in infected mosquitoes that underwent feeding assays.

Due to limitation on the state of the art, it was not possible to estimate the sporozoite density using the Optical Microscopy technique.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

KEMRI

🇰🇪

Kombewa, Kenya

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