With many studies related to malaria surfacing out of late, we probably don’t know which one would indeed be implemented. In another trial, scientists from the Edinburgh University have located distinct strains of malaria parasites that lead to severe forms of the disease.
The team found that a protein apparently played a key role in most serious types of malaria. Drugs and antibodies striking this protein seemed to work in impeding the activity of the pathogens. The substance was found to have glue-like attributes that made it cling to red blood cells. This subsequently led to formations of fatal lumps that created a barrier to normal blood flow.
“We hope this discovery will inform new treatments or vaccines to block the formation of rosettes and so prevent many life-threatening cases of malaria,” commented Professor Alexandra Rowe School of Biological Sciences.
Moreover, these clumps or rosettes seemed to have the potential of causing life-threatening illnesses such as brain damage, coma and more. Essentially, the investigators found that the surface proteins of the strains capable of forming rosettes apparently had some weak points similar to some other variants.
This is likely to make the protein a potential target for vaccines and medications. It is mostly the rosette-forming malarial parasites that make the disease close to fatal. Therefore, the analysts studied such pathogens to locate their apparent weakness.
Reportedly, this kind of malaria is responsible for 10 to 20% of the death cases seen in terms of the condition. The study is published in the journal, PLoS Pathogens.