Scientists at Johns Hopkins, Yale and other institutions have exposed a protein cells called MIF, which repress red blood cell production in people infected by malaria parasites. A number of human proteins, including MIF were long suspected to cause malarial anemia.
The study, published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, says that a person’s unique genetic makeup can have an effect on the occurrence and outcome of diseases.
In a lab experiment mice, infected with plasmodium and heritably engineered to lack MIF experience, had less severe anemia and were more likely to survive. It confirmed that MIF clearly contributes to severe anemia and suggested new ideas for therapies that can block MIF in malaria patients.
The research team also found diverse version of DNA sequences that control how much MIF protein a cell makes, in response to infection. The researchers are making effort to develop drugs that can block MIF and treat severe anemia in malaria patients.
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