Deciphering The Genetic Puzzle Of Malaria

Newly uncovered genetic indicators could help solve the puzzle of malaria, mosquito-borne infectious disease that is endemic in parts of Asia and Africa.

AsianScientist (Sep. 30, 2014) – Five genes that have a role in either protecting or making people more susceptible to severe malaria have been identified in a new international study. Published today in Nature Genetics, the study is the largest of its kind to explore the human genetics of malaria.

Severe malaria is comprised of a number of life-threatening complications after infection with the malaria parasite.
 It has been estimated that there are more than 200 million cases of malaria globally, with the disease endemic in parts of Asia and Africa.

Data on 11,890 cases of severe malaria was collected across 12 locations in countries of Africa, Asia and Oceania, where access to health resources to treat the disease is often limited.

Of the twenty-seven malaria resistance genes analysed, five genes were found to significantly determine human susceptibility to severe malaria.

The study was coordinated by MalariaGEN, a global research consortium, based at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford that uses a genetics approach to understand immunity to malaria. Co-author Dr. Sarah Dunstan of The Nossal Institute of Global Health, University of Melbourne, led the Vietnamese investigation in the study.

She said the results showed that the role of common human genetic disorders in severe malaria are more complex than previously thought.

“Our findings revealed that deficiency in G6PD, which causes a genetic blood disorder, can both reduce risk of cerebral malaria and increase risk of severe malarial anemia, both of which are fatal complications of malaria,” Dr. Dunstan said.



“This consortium has allowed for investigation of genes that influence susceptibility to malaria on a scale that has previously not been achieved. It involved a large number of severe malaria patients from multiple countries which allows us to identify genes that truly have an effect on whether or not you develop severe malaria,” she added. 




Dr. Dunstan noted that the findings would contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms and processes at work when progressing to severe disease.

The study authors hope that this new knowledge about the process of how and why people develop severe malaria could allow new therapeutics or vaccines to be developed against the disease.

The article can be read at: Rockett et al. (2014) Reappraisal of known malaria resistance loci in a large multicenter study.

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Source: The University of Melbourne.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.

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