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Malaria vaccine: Scientists have found the Achilles' heel of the malaria parasite
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025
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Using a technique developed by the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, scientists have discovered that the malaria parasite only needs one receptor to enter red blood cells. They hope their discovery, described in a paper in the journal Nature, opens up promising new avenues for the successful development of malaria vaccines.
Senior co-author Dr Gavin Wright, from the UK's Wellcome Trust Sanger, told the press that they may have found the malaria parasite's "Achilles heel" - how it invades red blood cells: "Our results were unexpected and completely changed the way we think about the disease."
Malaria is a disease caused by mosquito bites infected with the Plasmodium parasite. The disease kills about a million people each year, mostly children in African countries.
Once the parasite has entered the red blood cells, the clinical stage of the disease develops, which leads to the appearance of typical symptoms of malaria and often ends in death.
Despite many years of research, there are currently no licensed malaria vaccines that could prevent the parasite from penetrating red blood cells. The problem is made worse by the parasite's good adaptation. Previously, scientists identified many potential receptors that are responsible for the pathogen's penetration into the target. However, when one receptor was blocked, the parasite switched to another, thus infecting the cell.
A receptor is a protein located on the surface of a cell and allows only those agents that have the correct "key" or ligand that is bound only to this receptor to pass through.
In this study, the scientists discovered one unique receptor, blocking which prevents the parasite from switching to other receptors. This receptor turned out to be universal for all strains of the malaria pathogen.
The study's authors hope that this discovery will bring them closer to developing an effective vaccine, but additional laboratory testing is still needed to determine whether it can create lasting immunity.