Abstract

Malaria is possibly the most serious infectious disease of humans, infecting 5–10% of the world's population, with 300–600 million clinical cases and more than 2 million deaths annually. Adaptive immune responses in the host limit the clinical impact of infection and provide partial, but incomplete, protection against pathogen replication; however, these complex immunological reactions can contribute to disease and fatalities. So, appropriate regulation of immune responses to malaria lies at the heart of the host–parasite balance and has consequences for global public health. This Review article addresses the innate and adaptive immune mechanisms elicited during malaria that either cause or prevent disease and fatalities, and it considers the implications for vaccine design.

Author affiliations

1. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, 1G Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3050, Australia.
2. Université de la Méditerranée, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6020, Immunopathology Group, Faculty of Medicine, Institut Fédératif de Recherche 48, 27 boulevard Jean Moulin, F-13385 Marseille, France.

Correspondence to: Louis Schofield¹ Email: schofield@wehi.edu.au

MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS

These links to content published by NPG are automatically generated.