Mechanisms of disease resolution and interrelation with dysmetabolism in severe malaria

Malaria is a worldwide health problem with a high disease burden. More than 200 million clinical cases and 600000 deaths occur each year. Most of the lethality is due to malaria complications, such as cerebral malaria and malaria-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome. Metabolic disturbances are also highly associated with mortality. Current antimalarial treatment is based on highly efficient artemisinin combination therapies which have an extremely fast action. Despite the rapid killing of most of the malaria parasites in the body, many patients do not recover from the complications and die. This suggests that in those cases, the disease resolution process is failing. This project will also use these high-end technologies in a clinical study with severe malaria patients. By obtaining better mechanistic insights into the disease resolution mechanisms, this project will reveal new possibilities for improved treatment of severe malaria.

Project details

Basic Science

Jan 2023 — Dec 2026

Belgium