Purification Methodology for Viable and Infective Plasmodium vivax Gametocytes That Is Compatible with Transmission-Blocking Assays

Significant progress toward the control of malaria has been achieved, especially regarding Plasmodium falciparum infections. However, the unique biology of Plasmodium vivax hampers current control strategies. The early appearance of P. vivax gameto-cytes in the peripheral blood and the impossibility of culturing this parasite are major drawbacks. Using blood samples from 40 P. vivax-infected patients, we describe here a methodology to purify viable gametocytes and further infect anophelines. This method opens new avenues to validate transmission-blocking strategies. In a scenario of malaria elimination, strategies based on trans-mission control, rapid diagnosis, effective vaccines, and specific drugs are vital. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment with effec-tive drugs have led to a considerable decrease in the number of cases of falciparum malaria worldwide (1). However, the control and elimination of Plasmodium vivax still constitute a great chal-lenge due to specific features of the organism, including gameto-cytes on peripheral blood early during infection (2), occurrence of a dormant stage in the liver (hypnozoite), and the emergence of drug-resistant forms (3, 4). The development of transmission-blocking molecules to reduce transmission is crucial for malari