Global Malaria News

In a study that could lead to a new vaccine against malaria, researchers have found antibodies that trigger a 'kill switch' in malarial cells, causing them to self-destruct.

New research from entomologists clears a potential obstacle to using CRISPR-Cas9 'gene drive' technology to control mosquito-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever and Zika.

Mosquito-transmitted diseases such as malaria, dengue and yellow fever are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths every year. A new low-cost imaging system could make it easier to track mosquito species that carry disease, enabling a more timely and targeted response.

The parasite causing the most severe form of human malaria uses proteins to make red blood cells sticky, making it harder for the immune system to destroy it and leading to potentially fatal blood clots. New research has identified how the parasite may control this process.

There are large parts of the DNA that are not used for making proteins. This is called 'junk DNA', because its function remained unclear for a long time. However, a certain type of junk DNA that is found in mosquitoes and which repeats itself dozens of times, known as 'satellite DNA', has now been shown to play an essential role in the early development of mosquito embryos.

Malaria is a leading killer of children worldwide, and new drugs are needed. New research reports encouraging early clinical results with a new compound.

Researchers estimate 20% of the malaria risk in deforestation hot spots is driven by the international trade of exports including: coffee, timber, soybean, cocoa, wood products, palm oil, tobacco, beef and cotton. The results of the study can be used for more demand-side approaches to mitigating malaria incidence by focusing on regulating malaria-impacted global supply chains.

A novel class of antimalarial compounds that can effectively kill malaria parasites has been developed. In preclinical testing, the compounds were effective against different species of malaria parasites, including the deadly Plasmodium falciparum, and at multiple stages of the parasite lifecycle. The compounds could overcome existing issues of parasite drug resistance. The researchers hope that drugs based on these early compounds will soon enter phase 1 clinical trials.

Malaria parasites can sense a molecule produced by approaching immune cells and then use it to protect themselves from destruction, according to new findings.

An innovative -- and inexpensive -- technique targets mosquito larvae where they live.

Scientists have made a major breakthrough in understanding how the parasite that causes malaria is able to multiply at such an alarming rate, which could be a vital clue in discovering how it has evolved, and how it can be stopped. For the first time, scientists have shown how certain molecules play an essential role in the rapid reproduction of parasite cells, which cause this deadly disease.

Scientists have identified a key molecule involved in the development of cerebral malaria, a deadly form of the tropical disease. The study identifies a potential drug target and way forward toward alleviating this condition for which few targeted treatments are available.

Thread-like parasitic worms cause millions of cases of canine heartworm each year, and more than 100 million cases of lymphatic filariasis, also known as elephantiasis, in humans. New research shows that ramping up the immune response of mosquitoes blocked their ability to transmit these harmful parasites.

Researchers have established how sugar is taken up by the malaria parasite, a discovery with the potential to improve the development of antimalarial drugs.

A rare, African-specific variant of the TP53 gene called P47S causes iron accumulation in macrophages and other cell types and is associated with poorer response to bacterial infections, along with markers of iron overload in African Americans. Macrophage iron accumulation disrupts their function, resulting in more severe bacterial infections.

3D microvessels have been created to observe how red blood cells transit ultra-small blood vessels. They squeeze single-file through microvessels to bring oxygen and nutrients. Red cells burdened with malaria stall, blocking the blood vessel. The platform is expected to have other uses in studies of how microvascular damage occurs in diabetes and sickle cell anemia. They might be further developed to supply blood circulation to organ repair patches or to 3D printed transplants.