Prevent Infections Malaria Infections First Next

							  Prevent Infections Malaria Infections
               First Next

A team of researchers has found that the existing malaria
prevents subsequent infection by the malaria parasite by
limiting the presence of iron in the host liver. This discovery has
important implications for treatment and prevention of malaria
that affects millions of people worldwide.


The study was developed by a team led by researcher Maria M.
Mota at the Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Lisbon, Portugal,
in collaboration with researchers at the Weatherall Institute of
Molecular Medicine and Oxford University, and funded by the
Portuguese Fundacao Ciencia e Tecnologia a pre, the European
Science Foundation and Medical Research Council, UK.


In this new study, the researchers focused on how the malaria
parasite to grow, both in the liver and in red blood cells and
analyzed patterns of infection in mice, looking for the special
case of "super infection", in which someone who is already
infected with malaria after being bitten by both an infected
mosquito. Someone in a high risk area can be bitten by
hundreds of mosquitoes infected with malaria per year, which
makes the problem very relevant super infection. The study for
the first time reveal the vital role of iron in the development of
a malaria infection, which has strong implications for iron
supplementation to combat anemia in malaria endemic areas.


After a mosquito bite, malaria parasites first of all to the heart,
a lot, then go out and attack the red blood cells. Formerly
known that parasites in both the liver and in blood need iron to
grow. This new study shows that the two mosquito bites on
someone who is already carrying blood parasites, does not
result in full blast a second infection. Super infection is blocked
in the liver by the first infection. This protective effect is caused
by blood parasites causing the parasites in the liver to iron out,
so they can not grow. Therefore, the results obtained dubious
biological concept that infection of different host cells (liver
hepatocytes or red blood cells) occur independently from each
other, which also had an impact on the field of study that
exceeds malaria infection.


Dr. Silvia Portugal, first researcher of the study said: "I am very
pleased we were able to find such an interesting interaction
occurring between the stages of the malaria parasite in a host
of different, and this may contribute to the control of malaria in
the future."


Dr. Maria Mota, who led the study at the Instituto de Medicina
Molecular in Lisbon says: "Our findings help explain the
differences in infection risk and complexity of infections in
young people observed in the malaria endemic areas who had
speculative explanation is needed to at this time. Anyway, they
doubted the idea that infection in distinct cell types occur
independently, which may impact on future research in the
field of infectious diseases as a whole. "


Dr. It Drakesmith working together leads study on the
Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine adds: "Now that we
understand how malaria parasites protect their territory in the
body from parasites competitors, we may be able to enhance
this natural defense mechanism to combat the risk of infection-
malaria infection. At the same time we need to look back on
the feasibility of iron supplementation programs in malaria-
endemic areas, as it increases the risk of possible infection
needs to be weighed with the benefits gained. More data are
needed for this problem. "
Malaria is a devastating disease affecting extensive areas of
Africa, Asia, Central and South America, causing several
thousand deaths per year in children under five years old.
Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites Plasmodium infection,
which includes the type Apikompleksa. Experiments to
eradicate malaria have so far not been successful. Failure can
be attributed to the increase in insecticide resistance in
mosquitoes and the anti-malarial drugs in the parasite. There is
an urgent need for developing new strategies against malaria.


The findings were published on May 15, 2011 in Nature
Medicine.