Cone Snail Venom Shows Potential for Treating Severe Malaria

 

Malaria is responsible for more than 500 million cases and 400,000 deaths worldwide each year. The parasite P falciparum invades inside your red blood cells to hide from your immune system and multipl

Cone Snail Venom Shows Potential for Treating Severe Malaria

Malaria is responsible for more than 500 million cases and 400,000 deaths worldwide each year. The parasite P falciparum invades inside your red blood cells to hide from your immune system and multiply. Our bodies have the ability to destroy defective red blood cells in the spleen, so to avoid this the parasite induces adhesive proteins on the surface of the red blood cells. This causes them to stick together, and to the walls of small blood vessels. This blocks microvasculature and leads to end-organ damage. Destruction of the protective blood-brain barrier leads to cerebral malaria, with symptoms including abnormal posturing, gaze palsy, seizures, and coma. 

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