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Researchers say they have identified proteins that enable the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum to “walk through cell walls.”
The team believes the proteins—SPECT and PLP1—could be targeted to develop antimalarial drugs or vaccines.
Justin Boddey, PhD, of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Parkville, Victoria, Australia, and his colleagues described this research in Cell Reports.
“The malaria infection cycle begins with a mosquito bite, when parasites are injected into the skin, and then rapidly move to the liver,” Dr Boddey explained. “We have shown that P falciparum employs a technique called cell traversal to quickly move through host cells in their path as they seek out liver cells to infect.”
“Our study identified that P falciparum parasites traverse human cells—effectively walking through cell walls—using 2 proteins called SPECT and PLP1 to achieve this superpower. This allows parasites to get from the skin to the liver very quickly following a mosquito bite.”
Dr Boddey said pinpointing these proteins was a good avenue for new therapies.
“Our long-term goal is to eradicate malaria, so we have to look at ways of breaking the cycle of infection,” he said. “A vaccine or treatment that halts the liver-stage infection offers the best chance of eradication because it stops parasites before they take hold.” 
Researchers say they have identified proteins that enable the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum to “walk through cell walls.”
The team believes the proteins—SPECT and PLP1—could be targeted to develop antimalarial drugs or vaccines.
Justin Boddey, PhD, of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Parkville, Victoria, Australia, and his colleagues described this research in Cell Reports.
“The malaria infection cycle begins with a mosquito bite, when parasites are injected into the skin, and then rapidly move to the liver,” Dr Boddey explained. “We have shown that P falciparum employs a technique called cell traversal to quickly move through host cells in their path as they seek out liver cells to infect.”
“Our study identified that P falciparum parasites traverse human cells—effectively walking through cell walls—using 2 proteins called SPECT and PLP1 to achieve this superpower. This allows parasites to get from the skin to the liver very quickly following a mosquito bite.”
Dr Boddey said pinpointing these proteins was a good avenue for new therapies.
“Our long-term goal is to eradicate malaria, so we have to look at ways of breaking the cycle of infection,” he said. “A vaccine or treatment that halts the liver-stage infection offers the best chance of eradication because it stops parasites before they take hold.”
Researchers say they have identified proteins that enable the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum to “walk through cell walls.”
The team believes the proteins—SPECT and PLP1—could be targeted to develop antimalarial drugs or vaccines.
Justin Boddey, PhD, of the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Parkville, Victoria, Australia, and his colleagues described this research in Cell Reports.
“The malaria infection cycle begins with a mosquito bite, when parasites are injected into the skin, and then rapidly move to the liver,” Dr Boddey explained. “We have shown that P falciparum employs a technique called cell traversal to quickly move through host cells in their path as they seek out liver cells to infect.”
“Our study identified that P falciparum parasites traverse human cells—effectively walking through cell walls—using 2 proteins called SPECT and PLP1 to achieve this superpower. This allows parasites to get from the skin to the liver very quickly following a mosquito bite.”
Dr Boddey said pinpointing these proteins was a good avenue for new therapies.
“Our long-term goal is to eradicate malaria, so we have to look at ways of breaking the cycle of infection,” he said. “A vaccine or treatment that halts the liver-stage infection offers the best chance of eradication because it stops parasites before they take hold.”