Discovery may aid vaccine design for common form of malaria

A form of malaria common in India, Southeast Asia and South America attacks human red blood cells by clamping down on the cells with a pair of proteins, new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has revealed. The study provides details that will help scientists design better vaccines and drug treatments for the strain, Plasmodium vivax. “More people live at risk of infection by this strain of malaria than any other,” said senior author Niraj Tolia, PhD, assistant professor of molecular microbiology and of biochemistry and molecular biophysics. “We now are using what we have learned to create vaccines tailored to stop the infectious process by preventing the parasite from attaching to red blood cells.” The finding appeared Jan. 9 in PLOS Pathogens. The World Health Organization estimates there were more than 200 million malaria cases in 2012. The deadliest form of malaria, Plasmodium falciparum, is most prevalent in Africa....