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DNA that controls the malaria parasite's disguise mechanism
January 04, 2006Professor Alan Cowman, Dr Brendan Crabb and their research teams at WEHI have identified how the most lethal malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, is able to disguise itself from the human immune system.
This discovery builds on the work published in the 9 April 2005 issue of the journal Cell, in which Professor Cowman and Dr Crabb reported that to avoid detection and destruction, the parasite controls expression of 60 key virulence genes, effectively disguising itself from the human host's immune system. The new discovery identifies the DNA sequence that is needed to switch these genes on and off.
With this greater understanding of the parasite's disguise-switching mechanism, scientists will now attempt to identify the activating proteins that enable the parasite's 60 disguises to be switched.
Further along the way, research will concentrate on the design of a drug candidate molecule that will, in effect, freeze the parasite's capability to change its disguise.
With the parasite thereby converted into a stable and unchanging target, the immune system of the human host should be able to raise an effective immune response against the recognised invader. This should lead to a steep reduction in the severity of the debilitating symptoms that usually accompany malarial infection.
Other members of the discovery team are Till Voss, Julie Healer, Allison Marty, Jennifer Thompson and Michael Duffy.
Research Australia
Further along the way, research will concentrate on the design of a drug candidate molecule that will, in effect, freeze the parasite's capability to change its disguise.
With the parasite thereby converted into a stable and unchanging target, the immune system of the human host should be able to raise an effective immune response against the recognised invader. This should lead to a steep reduction in the severity of the debilitating symptoms that usually accompany malarial infection.
Other members of the discovery team are Till Voss, Julie Healer, Allison Marty, Jennifer Thompson and Michael Duffy.
Research Australia
Malaria Parasite Current Events and Malaria Parasite News RSSSmall nanoparticles bring big improvement to medical imaging
If you're watching the complex processes in a living cell, it is easy to miss something important-especially if you are watching changes that take a long time to unfold and require high-spatial-resolution imaging.
PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative shares strategy for developing 'next-generation' malaria vaccines
Marking its tenth anniversary year, the PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative (MVI) today unveiled a new strategy that sets the stage for an aggressive push targeting the long-term goal of eliminating and eradicating malaria. Malaria is one of the world's deadliest infectious diseases, killing nearly 900,000 people a year, most of them children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Media availability: The role of biomedical research in malaria eradication
Although malaria has been controlled in many local and regional populations, the permanent elimination of malaria parasites throughout the world remains an elusive goal, and the disease continues to claim nearly one million lives each year.
UM School of Medicine researchers find extreme genetic variability in malaria parasite
Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) have charted the extreme genetic differences that occur over time in the most dangerous malaria parasite in the world.
New research confirms potential deadly nature of emerging new monkey malaria species in humans
Researchers in Malaysia have identified key laboratory and clinical features of an emerging new form of malaria infection.
Scientists report original source of malaria
Researchers have identified what they believe is the original source of malignant malaria: a parasite found in chimpanzees in equatorial Africa.
Unique immunization method provides insights about protective anti-malaria immune response
In this week's New England Journal of Medicine, scientists in Singapore, The Netherlands and France report that they have developed a novel immunization method that will induce fast and effective protection in humans against the life-threatening malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, which infects 350 to 500 million people world-wide and kills over one million people each year.
First genetically-engineered malaria vaccine to enter human trials
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists have created a weakened strain of the malaria parasite that will be used as a live vaccine against the disease.
Vaccine Blocks Malaria Transmission in Lab Experiments
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute have for the first time produced a malarial protein (Pfs48/45) in the proper conformation and quantity to generate a significant immune response in mice and non-human primates for use in a potential transmission-blocking vaccine.
Breakthrough in combating the side effects of Quinine
Discovered back in the 1600s quinine was the first effective treatment in the fight against malaria - and it continues to be a commonly used treatment against this devastating disease.
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