Oral Presentation Asia-Pacific Vaccine and Immunotherapy Congress 2026

Tackling AMR in protozoan parasites (#30)

Cevayir Coban 1 2 3
  1. Division of Malaria Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), University of Tokyo, JAPAN
  2. International Vaccine Design Center (VDesC), Institute of Medical Science (IMSUT), University of Tokyo, JAPAN
  3. The University of Tokyo Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), The University of Tokyo, JAPAN

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in pathogens including protozoan parasites (particularly for malaria and leishmaniasis) is a major challenge to global disease control. The emergence and spread of resistance to frontline antimalarial drugs, including artemisinin-based combination therapies, and to key antileishmanial treatments such as antimonials and miltefosine, threaten recent gains in disease reduction. AMR in Plasmodium and Leishmania is driven by parasite genetic adaptation, altered drug transport and metabolism, and host–pathogen interactions that promote persistence and immune evasion. In my talk I will focus on the current understanding of resistance mechanisms and discuss emerging strategies to combat AMR, host-directed interventions, and immune-based approaches such as vaccines.

  1. 1. Kavian N, Kobiyama K, Ishii KJ, Coban C. Vaccine adjuvants as stand-alone immunoprophylaxis in strategies for 100-day rapid responses to future pandemics. Int Immunol. 2025 Aug 30:dxaf053. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxaf053.
  2. 2. Kavian N, Kobiyama K, Ishii KJ, Coban C. Vaccine adjuvants as stand-alone immunoprophylaxis in strategies for 100-day rapid responses to future pandemics. Int Immunol. 2025 Aug 30:dxaf053. doi: 10.1093/intimm/dxaf053.
  3. 3. Alshaweesh J, Dash R, Lee MSJ, Kahyaoglu P, Erci E, Xu M, Matsuo-Dapaah J, Del Rosario Zorrilla C, Aykac K, Ekemen S, Kobiyama K, Ishii KJ, Coban C. MyD88 in osteoclast- and osteoblast-lineages differentially controls bone remodeling in homeostasis and malaria. Int Immunol. 2024
  4. 4. Lee MSJ et al. Acute malaria suppresses the B lymphocytic niche in the bone marrow through the alteration of CXCL12-abundant reticular cells. Int Immunology, 2024.
  5. 5. MSJ et al. B cell intrinsic TBK1 is essential for germinal center formation during infection and vaccination in mice. Journal of Experimental Medicine, 2022.
  6. 6. Coban C. The host targeting effect of chloroquine in malaria. Current Opinion Immunology, 2020.
  7. 7. Coban C, Lee MSJ, Ishii KJ. Tissue-specific immunopathology during malaria infection. Nature Reviews Immunology, 2018.
  8. 8. Lee MSJ et al. Plasmodium products persist in the bone marrow and promote chronic bone loss. Science Immunology, 2017.
  9. 9. Zhao H et al. Olfactory Plays a Key Role in Spatiotemporal Pathogenesis of Cerebral Malaria. Cell Host Microbe, 2014.