Malaria, a mosquito-borne infectious disease caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium continues to be a major health problem worldwide. The unicellular Plasmodium-parasites have the unique capacity to infect and replicate within host erythrocytes. By expressing variant surface antigens Plasmodium falciparum has evolved to avoid protective immune responses; as a result in endemic areas anti-malaria immunity develops gradually over many years of multiple and repeated infections. We are studying the role of Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) expressed by asexual stages of P. falciparum responsible for the pathogenicity of severe malaria. The immunopathology of falciparum malaria has been linked to cyto-adhesion of infected erythrocytes to specific host receptors. A greater appreciation of the PfEMP1 molecules important for the development of protective immunity and immunopathology is a prerequisite for the rational discovery and development of a safe and protective anti-disease malaria vaccine. Here we review the role of ICAM-1 and EPCR receptor adhering falciparum-parasites in the development of severe malaria; we discuss our current research to understand the factors involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral malaria and the feasibility of developing a vaccine targeted specifically to prevent this disease.

中文翻译：

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恶性脑疟原虫疟疾：PfEMP1 在其发病机制和免疫中的作用，以及基于 PfEMP1 的疫苗来预防它。

疟疾是一种由疟原虫属寄生虫引起的蚊媒传染病，仍然是全世界的主要健康问题。单细胞疟原虫寄生虫具有感染宿主红细胞并在其内复制的独特能力。通过表达变异表面抗原，恶性疟原虫已经进化出避免保护性免疫反应的能力；因此，在流行地区，经过多年的多次和反复感染，抗疟疾免疫力逐渐发展。我们正在研究恶性疟原虫无性阶段表达的恶性疟原虫红细胞膜蛋白 1 (PfEMP1) 在严重疟疾致病性中的作用。恶性疟疾的免疫病理学与受感染的红细胞对特定宿主受体的细胞粘附有关。更好地了解 PfEMP1 分子对于保护性免疫和免疫病理学的发展至关重要，是合理发现和开发安全和保护性抗病疟疾疫苗的先决条件。在这里，我们回顾了恶性疟原虫粘附的 ICAM-1 和 EPCR 受体在严重疟疾发展中的作用；我们讨论了我们目前的研究，以了解脑型疟疾发病机制中涉及的因素以及开发专门预防这种疾病的疫苗的可行性。