What Makes Malaria Stick

Scientists at Melbourne's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research have used genetic tests to discover a group of proteins that help the malaria parasite infect red blood cells. The eight proteins produce a glue-like substance that causes the blood cells to stick to the blood vessels, preventing their transport to the spleen and elimination by the immune system. They hope to use the proteins as future drug targets. "If we block the stickiness we essentially block the virulence or the capacity of the parasite to cause disease," researcher Alan Cowman said.