News (Scientific)

The secret of how the Dantu genetic blood variant helps to protect against malaria has been revealed for the first time. The team found that red blood cells in people with the rare Dantu blood variant have a higher surface tension that prevents them from being invaded by the world's deadliest malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum.

Researchers discovered that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can't grab hold of cell receptor ACE2 without a carbohydrate called heparan sulfate, which is also found on lung cell surfaces -- disrupting that interaction with a repurposed drug may help treat COVID-19.

West Nile virus spreads most efficiently in the US at temperatures between 24-25 degrees Celsius (75.2-77 degrees Fahrenheit), a new study shows.

Disease-spreading mosquitoes may be more likely to occupy areas impacted by human activities like pesticide use and habitat destruction, than they are areas less disturbed by humans, a recent study found.

An international study reveals how future climate change could affect malaria transmission in Africa over the next century.

Scientists have created the first cell atlas of mosquito immune cells, to understand how mosquitoes fight malaria and other infections. Researchers discovered new types of mosquito immune cells, including a rare cell type that could be involved in limiting malaria infection. The findings offer opportunities for uncovering novel ways to prevent mosquitoes from spreading the malaria parasite to humans and break the chain of malaria transmission.

Pregnant women from sub-Saharan Africa with malaria and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have a higher prevalence of anemia than pregnant women without infections, according to researchers. The findings may have implications for reducing the risk of death in pregnant women and preventing low birth weights and neurocognitive impairment in their children as a result of anemia.

New research into malaria suggests targeting enzymes from the human host, rather than from the pathogen itself, could offer effective treatment for a range of infectious diseases, including COVID-19.

Researchers have discovered another set of pore-like holes, or channels, traversing the membrane-bound sac that encloses the deadliest malaria parasite as it infects red blood cells. The channels enable the transport of lipids -- fat-like molecules -- between the blood cell and parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. The parasite draws lipids from the cell to sustain its growth and may also secrete other types of lipids to hijack cell functions to meet its needs.

Research shows that insecticide-treated mosquito nets, the mainstay in the global battle against malaria, are not providing the protection they once did - and scientists say that's a cause for serious concern in tropical and subtropical countries around the globe.

A new approach could illuminate a critical stage in the life cycle of one of the most common malaria parasites.

In a step toward better control of the mosquitoes that transmit malaria, researchers have mapped the patterns of insecticide resistance in Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes across Africa. The new study found that resistance to five mainstream insecticides increased dramatically between 2005 and 2017.

Clinicians should carefully monitor patients treated with chloroquine therapy, particularly elderly women and others at higher risk for heart rhythm abnormalities, investigators caution in new article.

New findings pave the way for a novel, next generation genetically attenuated parasite (GAP) vaccine against the deadliest form of malaria in humans.

Researchers working in rural Kenya have identified the most productive breeding habitats for mosquitoes that spread a range of untreatable viruses. Their findings point to more effective health interventions that focus on the purpose of water-holding containers.

An indoor residual spray made by combining a type of volcanic glass with water showed effective control of mosquitoes that carry malaria, according to a new study. The findings could be useful in reducing disease-carrying mosquito populations - and the risk of malaria - in Africa.

In a new study, researchers call attention to the emergence of mosquito-borne viral outbreaks in West Africa, such as dengue (DENV), chikungunya (CHIKV) and Zika (ZIKV) viruses.

Researchers have long known that all of the millions of malaria parasites within an infected person's body move through their cell cycle at the same time. They multiply in sync inside red blood cells, then burst out in unison every few days. But how the parasites keep time was unclear. Now, a study finds that malaria has its own internal clock that causes thousands of genes to ramp up and down at regular intervals.

The parasite that causes malaria has its own internal clock, explaining the disease's rhythmic fevers and opening new pathways for therapeutics.

Researchers have identified a microscopic 'ingredient' that can be added to a malaria vaccine for efficient protection against the deadly pathogen.