Decoding cellular communication during malaria infection

Malaria remains one of the major global health challenges, drug resistances to treatment is on the rise and novaccine is in sight. It is therefore urgent to further investigate the fundamental biological mechanisms thatgovern parasite physiology to develop new therapeutics. A novel and promising approach is to focus oncellular communication, which mainly takes place using extracellular vesicles. Plasmodium parasite causingmalaria has developed ways to communicate as a group, to sense its microenvironment and tailor it. Efficient cellular communication is mandatory for successful infection and understanding this communication canallow us to develop new detection methods and cures that interfere with it. Yet how the parasite “talks” in realconditions remains a mystery. Do EVs target specific tissues and organs? What are the cellular targets of EVs? How does this communication contribute to the development of the disease.

Project details

Basic Science

Feb 2020 — Dec 2021

$106,409

Switzerland