LONDON, July 7:
Scientists have identified a protein that allows malaria parasites to invade red blood cells, and could be targeted to stop the spread of the deadly infection.
The finding paves the way for developing new drugs that can treat drug resistant malaria.
When malaria parasites invade red blood cells, they form an internal compartment in which they replicate many times before bursting out of the cell and infecting more cells.
In order to escape red blood cells, the parasites have to break through both the internal compartment and the cell membrane using various proteins and enzymes.
Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in the UK have identified a key protein involved in this process.
Disrupting this protein reduces the efficiency of parasite escape, slowing down the rate of infection. “The parasite sits in its internal compartment inside the cell, surrounded by lots of proteins, a bit like a baby surrounded by amniotic fluid,” said Mike Blackman, Group Leader at the Francis Crick Institute.
“We focused on the most common protein, known as SERA5, assuming that it probably has an important role since there is so much of it,” said Blackman. (PTI)
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