Deeper understanding of malaria parasite development unlocks opportunities to block disease spread

Natural malaria infections have undergone more thorough genetic study than in the past, yielding data that might help understand and stop transmission. Using single-cell RNA sequencing, the critical developmental stages of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum are thoroughly characterized. This gives detailed information about the stages of this parasite's life cycle as it develops and changes from an asexual to a sexual state, which is necessary for the parasite to be able to infect mosquitoes. The Malaria Cell Atlas project's recent emphasis on spontaneous infections aligns with the advent of malaria vaccines and the continuous rise in treatment resistance. In addition to generating far more genetically varied parasites than any other method, single-cell RNA sequencing provides us with a window into parasite gene use. Citations: Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute. "Deeper understanding of malaria parasite development unlocks opportunities to block disease spread." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 2 May 2024. .