Researchers at USF Health have identified a previously unknown spot on Plasmodium vivax, a malaria parasite that infects millions of people in parts of the world.
The spot is found on a protein the parasite uses as it begins an infection. In laboratory studies, antibodies aimed at the spot blocked the parasite from entering liver cells.
That matters because P. vivax can hide in the liver and cause malaria to return months or even years later. The finding gives scientists a new target to study as they design a vaccine.
The work was published in the journal Immunity. A vaccine based on the discovery is still several years away, but the research gives the next stage of development a clearer direction.
