When malaria parasites trick liver cells to let themselves in

In a work published in Nature Communications, João Mello-Vieira a PhD Student from Maria Mota Laboratory, showed that malaria parasites secrete a specific molecule EXP2 that required for their entry into hepatocytes. These findings open a new avenue for prophylactic anti-malarial strategies, since blocking or decreasing the infection of the liver can prevent the disease.

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João Mello-Vieira, Francisco J. Enguita, Tania F. de Koning-Ward, Vanessa Zuzarte-Luís, Maria M. Mota (2020). Plasmodium translocon component EXP2 facilitates hepatocyte invasion. Nature Communications.