Question: What have you found out so far about how malaria parasites recognise and invade human red blood cells?

Julian Rayner answered on 15 Mar 2011:

We have identified a number of parasite proteins that bind to the surface of human red blood cells and are essential for invasion. In a couple of cases, we have identified the specific red cell receptors that they bind to. By identifying these interactions, we can try to develop drugs and vaccines to block the interactions and so block invasion, and therefore hopefully prevent disease. It is early days, but we have some pretty exciting leads.