Expression of Specific Pfemp1 Variants in Severe Childhood Malaria

Malaria is found to affect most children and pregnant women of Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Children suffer the most fatal malaria infection caused by Plasmodium falciparum: This is because, they have less developed immunity because of lack of exposure to malaria antigens. But after few exposure, they tend to develop protective immunity which can protect them from severe form of the disease. Immunity to malaria infection is directed towards the VSA found onto the surface of infected RBCs. More recent, it is reported that, Severe malaria is as the results of parasites expression of the protein families from PfEMP1 in particular the CIDRa1, that are responsible for the underlying mechanisms of severe malaria development, under the phenomenon called sequestration together with the involvement of the host endothelial activation markers. IgG raised against CIDRa1 bind with high affinity and are cross reactive to each of the CIDRa1 sub types.. There fore, there is a need to further pursue the CIDRa1 based vaccine but also looking on the possible adjunctive use of known human Endothelial activation markers in malaria treatment.