The Art of Microbial Disguise
The Art of Microbial Disguise
On the battleground of the human body, microbes use every skill to mask, infiltrate, manipulate, and evade the immune radar.
On the battleground of the human body, microbes use every skill to mask, infiltrate, manipulate, and evade the immune radar.
plasmodium falciparum
How to Get Away from the Immune System
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Dec 13, 2024 | 3 min read
From manipulating host molecules to concealing their presence in the host’s body, microbes employ a wide range of tactics to dodge immune detection.
Malarial Host-Parasite Clash Causes Deadly Blood Sugar Drop
Natalia Mesa, PhD | Jul 18, 2022 | 4 min read
Scientists say they have finally figured out why some people with severe malaria end up with dangerous hypoglycemia, also reporting that the condition starves the parasite into changing tactics from virulence to transmission.
Humans Inoculated with Genetically Modified Malaria Parasites
Ruth Williams | May 20, 2020 | 4 min read
Engineered Plasmodium parasites form the basis of two experimental malaria vaccines that showed safety and encouraging immune responses in clinical trials.
Malaria Parasites’ Biological Clocks Coordinate Cell Destruction
Abby Olena, PhD | May 14, 2020 | 3 min read
Two studies show that Plasmodium—the genus of protozoans that cause malaria—have an internal sense of time that synchronizes with their host’s circadian rhythms and allows the parasites to collectively attack blood cells.
Image of the Day: An Eyeful
The Scientist and The Scientist Staff | Apr 30, 2018 | 1 min read
The physiological changes that can occur in the retinas of patients with cerebral malaria may provide a useful approach to diagnosis.