Pair of Malaria Parasite Proteins Could Lead to Targeted Therapies

Targeting RAP proteins for next-generation malaria treatments

A University of California, Riverside-led team has made an advance in the basic understanding of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the deadliest form of human malaria, that could make novel, highly targeted anti-malarial therapies possible.

Pair of malaria parasite proteins could lead to targeted therapies

A University of California, Riverside-led team has made an advance in the basic understanding of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the deadliest form of human malaria, that could make novel, highly targeted anti-malarial therapies possible.

High-resolution map of the Plasmodium falciparum genome reveals MORC/ApiAP2-mediated links between distant, functionally related genes

Genome organization plays an important role in silencing compacted, heterochromatinized genes in the most virulent human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum. However, it remains unclear how these genes spatially cluster or whether active genes are also organized in a specific manner. We used Micro-C to achieve near-nucleosome resolution DNA–DNA contact maps, which revealed previously undescribed inter- and intrachromosomal heterochromatic an…

Plasmodium vivax Liver and Blood Stages Recruit the Druggable Host Membrane Channel Aquaporin-3

Malaria Parasite Protein Duo Offers New Hope for Targeted Therapies

In a groundbreaking study that could revolutionize the way we fight malaria and related parasitic diseases, researchers led by Professor Karine Le Roch at the University of California, Riverside, have uncovered pivotal insights into the molecular biology of Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the deadliest form of human malaria. Their research illuminates how specific proteins within a unique parasite organelle, the apicoplast, o…

High-Res Plasmodium Map Uncovers MORC/ApiAP2 Gene Links

In a landmark study published in Nature Microbiology in 2025, a collaborative team of researchers has unveiled a high-resolution chromatin interaction map of the Plasmodium falciparum genome, illuminating the intricate network of regulatory pathways that orchestrate the parasite’s complex life cycle. This work elucidates how the MORC (Microrchidia) proteins, in concert with ApiAP2 transcription factors, […]