Breaking Malaria's Lethal Grip: Targeting The Assembly Of An Adhesive Complex On Infected Red Blood Cells
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$817,426.00
Summary
The malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, infects the red blood cells of its human victims. It causes them to stick to blood vessel walls in the brain, causing severe cerebral complications and death. Adhesion is mediated by a Velcro-like protein that is presented at the red blood cell surface. This project will fully elucidate the pathway for trafficking of the adhesion protein to the red blood cell surface with a view to finding new ways of interfering with malaria disease.
Elucidating The Mechanisms Of Action Of And Resistance To Endoperoxide Antimalarials
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$716,755.00
Summary
Artemisinin-based antimalarials (ARTs) save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Unfortunately resistance of P. falciparum to ART is now emerging in South East Asia and it is critical to know how and why. We will determine what is different about resistant parasites and will develop assays to monitor drug resistance in the field. We have found that the immature form of the malaria parasite is more resistant to ARTs, which helps explain resistance. We will build on this to develop new targe ....Artemisinin-based antimalarials (ARTs) save hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Unfortunately resistance of P. falciparum to ART is now emerging in South East Asia and it is critical to know how and why. We will determine what is different about resistant parasites and will develop assays to monitor drug resistance in the field. We have found that the immature form of the malaria parasite is more resistant to ARTs, which helps explain resistance. We will build on this to develop new targetted treatments.Read moreRead less
Trafficking Of The Major Virulence Protein To The Host Cell Surface In Malaria Parasite-infected Erythrocytes
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$658,164.00
Summary
The malaria parasite infects human red blood cells and causes them to stick to blood vessels in the brain, inducing coma. This causes the deaths of ~2 million children each year. We will use cell biology techniques to manipulate malaria parasites to unravel the details of the molecular ticketing system that the parasite uses to get its adhesive proteins onto the red blood cell surface. The ability to interfere with this process would greatly decrease the impact of this major human pathogen.