Dream Home: Malaria Parasite Renovates to Suit Its Tastes
he malaria parasite survives in its host by remodeling the red blood cells in which it dwells. Once ensconced in its newly refurbished home, the parasite evades detection by the host's immune system. Alan F. Cowman, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) international research scholar at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues report on studies that reveal this clever survival strategy, in the December 10, 2004 issue of the journal Science. Their findings provide a novel target for new anti-malaria drugs.