Blood clotting cells help fight malaria

Feb 10 2009

Australian researchers have discovered that blood clotting cells help fight malaria.

The researchers at the Menzies Research Institute in Tasmania have discovered that platelets kill the malaria parasite during the early stages of a malarial infection.

The research led by Dr. Brendan McMorran, has revealed that platelets play a helpful role by buying the immune system time during those early stages by binding to the infected red blood cells which kills the parasites inside the red cell.

Malaria remains one of the world's biggest killers - according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds.

The WHO says half of the world's population is at risk of malaria and of an estimated 247 million cases in 2006, 881 000 people died, mostly African children.

Malaria is caused by a parasite which is transmitted through bites of infected mosquitoes - the parasites multiply in the liver and then infect red blood cells - if malaria is not treated early, it can quickly become a serious and even fatal illness.

Dr. McMorran says that experiments with cultured red blood cells have also shown platelet inhibitors like aspirin, removed this lethal effect that platelets have during the early stages of a malarial infection, on malaria parasites and he believes the use of aspirin and the potential harm it may have on malaria infection needs to be investigated.

Professor Simon Foote, the Director of Menzies says further research to understand how the platelets kill malaria parasites may reveal new antimalarial treatments that the world desperately needs to control the widespread and devastating disease.

Professor Foote says it is imperative the research continues, in the hope that it will significantly contribute to the global fight against malaria.

Dr. McMorran collaborated with researchers at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne and the Department of Medical Biology, University of Melbourne.

The research is published in the current issue of the prestigious scientific journal, Science.