Last Updated: 28/11/2025
Investigation of host red blood cell receptors essential for rosetting in severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria
Objectives
The overall aims of this work were to reassess the evidence for previously described host erythrocyte rosetting receptors, explore new methods of investigating rosetting mechanisms, including generating knockdown/out erythrocytes from CD34+ haematopoietic stem cells and immortalised erythroid precursors, and to identify novel rosetting receptors.
Plasmodium falciparum malaria kills almost half a million people every year, many of whom are children living in Africa. Rosetting is a pathological phenomenon which is associated with all types of severe malaria and occurs when two or more uninfected erythrocytes adhere to an erythrocyte infected with the mature form of the P. falciparum parasite. It is thought that these rosettes may cause obstruction of the microvasculature leading to the serious complications seen in severe malaria. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of rosetting could therefore lead to the development of new adjuvant therapies for severe disease.
Feb 2015 — Apr 2019
$336,698
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