Scientists attack malaria in blood cells by altering parasite genes

     In third world and developing countries, specifically in Africa, millions die every year from the worlds leading cause of death, malaria. This disease, transmitted by the female mosquito carrying the parasite Plasmodium, infects red blood cells disrupting blood flow to vital organs. Billions of dollars have been poured into prevention such as mosquito nets though the fight has also been taking place in research labs across the globe. Researchers at Yale University has reported a way to alter the way Plasmodium affects humans by altering our own RNA.

     The tool used to alter the expression of the parasite is called morpholino oligomer (MO), used to block access to of other molecules to certain RNA sequences. The Yale research team believes this can disrupt the parasites development in red blood cells. "The ease in design of the MO molecules presents a possibility for their use in large-scale genome functional analyses and possibly in malaria therapy." This could ultimately lead to a quick and inexpensive solution to malaria across the globe, all through the use of preventative genetics.  

The article can be found here.