![Explaining Cerebral Malaria]()
In cerebral malaria, the Plasmodium falciparum parasite breaks down the blood-brain barrier and causes fatal brain swelling. But how the parasite causes disease in the brain is not well understood. In a study published online on October 26 in Cell Host & Microbe, lead author Anne Kessler, Ph.D., and colleagues describe a possible mechanism for disease pathogenesis. Using data from eye exams, blood work and MRIs of infected children, the researchers found that the parasites were most likely to cause cerebral malaria when infected red blood cells express parasite proteins that bound to host proteins vital for maintaining a healthy blood brain barrier. The severity of cerebral malaria also correlates with low platelet counts suggesting that both parasite proteins and host platelets work together to damage the host. Senior author Kami Kim, M.D., supervised this research while at Einstein and is now at the University of South Florida.
Posted on: Friday, November 17, 2017