The pathogen causing malaria, Plasmodium, is a perfect escapist that causes millions of infections and deaths—mostly in endemic areas plagued with poverty and lack of resources. Efforts in developing vaccines against the parasite focus on several immunological strategies, but they still fail to control it. In 'Bedside to Bench', Pedro Alonso and Quique Bassat examine recent observational studies where Plasmodium vivax was associated with severe malaria—usually linked to Plasmodium falciparum—in non-African endemic areas. Understanding what factors add to this morbidity and how this species severely sickens children and adults may help pave the way to eradicate malaria worldwide. In 'Bench to Bedside', Michael Good and Christian Engwerda discuss how a CD8+ T cell–mediated strategy may be useful in a vaccine to tackle the blood-stage parasite. Stimulation of these immune cells with the correct vaccination approach could open new doors to prevent disease in people infected with malaria.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Relevant articles
Open Access articles citing this article.
-
Characterization of Plasmodium vivax-associated admissions to reference hospitals in Brazil and India
BMC Medicine Open Access 20 March 2015
-
Determinants of low socio-economic status and risk of Plasmodium vivax malaria infection in Panama (2009–2012): a case–control study
Malaria Journal Open Access 21 January 2015
-
Plasmodium falciparum, but not P. vivax, can induce erythrocytic apoptosis
Parasites & Vectors Open Access 18 October 2014
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on SpringerLink
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
References
Mendis, K., Sina, B.J., Marchesini, P. & Carter, R. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 64, 97–106 (2001).
Mueller, I. et al. Lancet Infect. Dis. 9, 555–566 (2009).
Kochar, D.K. et al. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 11, 132–134 (2005).
Kochar, D.K. et al. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 80, 194–198 (2009).
Poespoprodjo, J.R. et al. Clin. Infect. Dis. 48, 1704–1712 (2009).
Tjitra, E. et al. PLoS Med. 5, e128 (2008).
Genton, B. et al. PLoS Med. 5, e127 (2008).
Alexandre, M.A. et al. Emerg. Infect. Dis. 16, 1611–1614 (2010).
Price, R.N., Douglas, N.M. & Anstey, N.M. Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. 22, 430–435 (2009).
Mühlberger, N. et al. Malar. J. 3, 5 (2004).
Anstey, N.M., Russell, B., Yeo, T.W. & Price, R.N. Trends Parasitol. 25, 220–227 (2009).
Clark, I.A. & Cowden, W.B. Parasitol. Today 15, 458–461 (1999).
Andrade, B.B. et al. Malar. J. 9, 13 (2010).
Kochar, D.K. et al. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg. 83, 981–989 (2010).
Carvalho, B.O. et al. J. Infect. Dis. 202, 638–647 (2010).
Anstey, N.M. et al. J. Infect. Dis. 195, 589–596 (2007).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Competing interests
The authors declare no competing financial interests.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bassat, Q., Alonso, P. Defying malaria: Fathoming severe Plasmodium vivax disease. Nat Med 17, 48–49 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0111-48
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0111-48
This article is cited by
-
Cytotoxic CD8+ T cells recognize and kill Plasmodium vivax–infected reticulocytes
Nature Medicine (2018)
-
Characterization of Plasmodium vivax-associated admissions to reference hospitals in Brazil and India
BMC Medicine (2015)
-
Determinants of low socio-economic status and risk of Plasmodium vivax malaria infection in Panama (2009–2012): a case–control study
Malaria Journal (2015)
-
Treating Severe Malaria in Pregnancy: A Review of the Evidence
Drug Safety (2015)
-
Plasmodium falciparum, but not P. vivax, can induce erythrocytic apoptosis
Parasites & Vectors (2014)