Protein discovery sparks hope for malaria vaccine.An international team of researchers reports finding a protein, PfEMP1, on the surface of red blood cells Red blood cells Cells that carry hemoglobin (the molecule that transports oxygen) and help remove wastes from tissues throughout the body. Mentioned in: Bone Marrow Transplantation red blood cells in young children infected with severe malaria, a major cause of morbidity and mortality Morbidity and Mortality can refer to:
PfEMP1 is not found in other forms of malaria or in older people. Like other variant surface antigens, it enables infected cells to remain in the blood stream and reproduce, rather than being removed by the spleen spleen, soft, purplish-red organ that lies under the diaphragm on the left side of the abdominal cavity. The spleen acts as a filter against foreign organisms that infect the bloodstream, and also filters out old red blood cells from the bloodstream and decomposes . The report was published 3 May 2004 in The Journal of Experimental Medicine The Journal of Experimental Medicine is an academic journal that publishes research papers and commentaries in the biomedical area. Topics covered include immunology, inflammation, infectious disease, hematopoiesis, cancer, stem cells and vascular biology. . |
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