New clues on malaria

The malaria parasite, called Plasmodium, is transmitted to humans by mosquito bites. More than 300 million people in the world have been affected. The parasite uses a specific protein to bind to blood cells and penetrate into them in order to replicate itself. Understanding the structure of the binding domain of this protein is an essential step in finding new medicines.

The binding domain (DBL) of the malaria parasite (Image credit: A. Sharma, copyright 2005 A. Sharma).

Further information:

• A key that opens cells to the deadly malaria parasite

• Ref. S.K. Singh et al., Nature 439, 741-744 (2006).