Burnet Institute's video: Malaria parasites invading human red blood cell

Burnet Institute Head of Cell Imaging, Dr Paul Gilson, describes a bursting malaria-infected human red blood cell, which releases around 20 new malaria parasites. These then invade other red blood cells within seconds. If these parasites invade red blood cells and then produce new parasites of their own then the population expands rapidly to billions of parasites. This is what happens during a malaria infection, causing the human host to become very sick. A University of Oxford team has discovered a new human antibody which they can use to treat the parasites, slowing invasion of red blood cells. This is part of an attempt to develop a world-first effective malaria vaccine. This microscopic video proves the Oxford team's hypothesis that how a protein called RH5 helps human antibodies to block Plasmodium falciparum malaria from invading and destroying red blood cells. This is an important discovery in developing a blood-stage malaria vaccine. Burnet Institute is an Australian, unaligned, not-for-profit, independent organisation that links medical research with practical action to help solve devastating health problems. This sets us apart from other organisations. Find out more at https://burnet.edu.au/