The Astrocyte: A Crossroads In Cerebral Malaria Pathogenesis
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$597,598.00
Summary
Malaria is an infectious disease that kills over 1 million people each year. It is prevalent in the Australian region, e.g. PNG and SE Asia. One of its most serious complications is cerebral malaria (CM), which affects the brain and is often fatal. This project will determine whether a very important cell in the brain, the astrocyte, is involved in the disease processes that lead to CM. This is highly relevant to the development of therapies that can be given along with anti-malarial drugs.
Wrong Parasite, Wrong Host? How Plasmodium Falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 Expression And The Host’s Innate Immune Response Combine To Influence The Inflammatory Response To Malaria In Vitro And In Vivo. Implications For Severe Malaria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$707,821.00
Summary
One factor that determines whether some children die of malaria is the type of protein that the parasite expresses on the red blood cell, to help it stick in blood vessels. Our new data suggests that some proteins stimulate excessive host immune response, possibly leading to severe malaria. People's immne response to malaria varies too, and we will discover whether severe malaria occurs when a dangerous parasite strain infects a susceptible host causing an excessive immune response, harming the ....One factor that determines whether some children die of malaria is the type of protein that the parasite expresses on the red blood cell, to help it stick in blood vessels. Our new data suggests that some proteins stimulate excessive host immune response, possibly leading to severe malaria. People's immne response to malaria varies too, and we will discover whether severe malaria occurs when a dangerous parasite strain infects a susceptible host causing an excessive immune response, harming the child.Read moreRead less
Mechanism Of Neurological Complications In Cerebral Malaria
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$53,609.00
Summary
Malaria kills 1 million young children every year. About the same number are saved by treatment with anti-malarial drugs but have brain damage, leading to problems of understanding, learning or memory. The processes in the brain that lead to these changes are unknown. I will investigate a biochemical pathway that is activated during malaria infection, because I propose that this may cause the brain damage that leads to the long-term cognitive problems in survivors.