Detecting the path of infection of malaria

Scientists at the Sanger Institute in Cambridge (UK) have discovered a way to penetrate red blood cells of malaria-causing parasites, promising to help develop effective vaccines.

>>>Successfully tested the vaccine against malaria

In many malaria-causing parasites, Plasmodium falciparum is the most deadly and dangerous type thanks to its ability to avoid and deceive the immune system. It may lurk in our bodies for 5 minutes after being infected by mosquitoes, before infecting red blood cells and starting to reproduce. Recently, the research team discovered basigin , a surface receptor of red blood cells, and PfRh5, a protein on malaria parasites, which are two important factors in the infection process. This finding opens up the prospect of developing a vaccine to help prevent PfRh5's attack on the immune system. "We can absolutely prevent parasites from getting into red blood cells using a variety of methods, such as using antibodies that affect infection ," said Dr. Julian Rayner.

There is currently no vaccine for malaria in the world, although large-scale tests show that the most advanced vaccine RTS and S can reduce the risk of malaria.