Improved Murine Model of Malaria Using Plasmodium falciparum Competent Strains and Non-Myelodepleted NOD-scid IL2Rγnull Mice Engrafted with Human Erythrocytes

Murine models of Plasmodium falciparum malaria may become crucial tools in drug discovery. Here we show that non-myelodepleted NOD-scid IL2R gamma(null) mice engrafted with human erythrocytes support an infectious burden up to tenfold higher than that supported by engrafted NOD-scid beta 2microglobulin(null) mice. The new model was validated for drug discovery and was used to assess the therapeutic efficacy of 4-pyridones, selective inhibitors of P. falciparum cytochrome bc(1).