Host-Parasite Interactions during Malaria Transmission
A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2021) | Viewed by 10819
Special Issue Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Malaria is still a major global cause for morbidity and mortality. Malaria parasites have evolved together with humans and mosquitoes to create a system where humans can develop symptoms but still survive in enough numbers to keep spreading the disease. Plasmodium falciparum is responsible for most of the deaths due to malaria, and it has the ability to invade red blood cells through many different receptors. This is a challenge when trying to create a vaccine, something that is urgently needed because of increasing resistance to medications. Which antigens to use in a vaccine is under investigation, but so far there has not been one single antigen that has given satisfying data from a protection point of view, even if antibodies were formed. The process of parasite invasion is fast, but during the approximately 48-hour life cycle of P. falciparum, new proteins are expressed on the surface of the red blood cell and can adhere both to other red blood cells and endothelial cells. How natural immunity is formed is still under investigation, but it is clear that antibodies are of importance, as well as cellular responses. For this Special Issue of Pathogens, we invite you to submit a review or research article related to the interaction between the malaria parasites and the human host. We look forward to your contributions.
Potential topics include but are not limited to:
- Invasion of red blood cells
- Interaction of infected red blood cells with other human cells
- Immune responses in malaria
- Vaccine development
Assoc. Prof. Kristina E. M. Persson
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- Malaria Plasmodium
- Falciparum
- Invasion
- Red blood cells
- Immunity
- Antibodies
