KFSH&RC, KAUST RESEARCHERS IDENTIFY GENE ESSENTIAL IN COMBATING MALARIA

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- Research team from King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSH&RC), has discovered a vital gene instrumental in combating malaria, in a major scientific breakthrough.

The research was in collaboration with King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), working alongside researchers from the United Kingdom, the United States and India.

KFSH&RC in a statement said this gene, termed PfAP2-MRP, is essential in the replication process of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the most lethal strain of malaria.

Advanced laboratory techniques enabled the researchers to inhibit the PfAP2-MRP gene, revealing its critical role in the malaria parasite’s life cycle within red blood cells.

This inhibition significantly disrupts the parasite’s ability to reproduce, reducing the severity of the disease’s symptoms and curbing its spread, whereby this discovery is particularly impactful as it addresses Plasmodium falciparum malaria, which claims over half a million lives annually.

KFSH&RC-Jeddah Chairman of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and the lead researcher, Dr Ashraf Dada said: "This discovery paves the way for the development of more effective treatments for the deadliest malaria strain, Plasmodium falciparum."

In addition, this study enhances the scientific community’s understanding of the disease’s progression and its interaction with the human immune system, thereby strengthening efforts to combat this widespread malaria parasite prevalent in Africa.

The research demonstrated that the PfAP2-MRP gene regulates the production of genetically diverse protein receptors, allowing the parasite to evade the host’s immune system.

Published in the prestigious journal "Nature", this study is part of a close collaboration between KFSH&RC and KAUST to engage in innovative research activities aimed at improving the diagnosis of microbes, bacteria, and parasites, while also underscores a global effort to combat pathogens and improve human health.

-- BERNAMA