Method for screening compounds for their ability to increase rigidity of red blood cells infected by a protozoan parasite of the genus plasmodium and application thereof

摘要

The invention relates to a method for screening compounds for their ability to increase rigidity of red blood cells (RBCs) infected by a protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium and in particular by Plasmodium falciparum. Said method comprises the following steps:a) culturing RBCs infected by said parasite and, optionally and separately culturing uninfected RBCs, each culture being carried out both in the presence and in the absence of a compound to be tested for its ability to increase rigidity of infected RBCs (iRBCs) and;b) measuring the deformability of one or several iRBCs cultured in the presence of said compound and of one or several iRBCs cultured in the absence of said compound; and,c) optionally, measuring the deformability of one or several uninfected RBCs cultured in the presence of said compound, and one or several uninfected RBCs cultured in the absence of said compound,wherein a decrease by at least 5%, preferably at least 10% and more preferably at least 15%, of the deformability of iRBCs cultured in the presence of a compound in comparison with the deformability of iRBCs cultured in the absence of the same compound is indicative that said compound is able to increase rigidity of iRBCs.;The invention also relates to the application of said method, for the selection of compounds which selectively interact with iRBCs or selectively interact with ring-iRBCs and are suitable to increase their rigidity.