The village of Fulani was one of the regions taking part in the NYU Abu Dhabi study. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi
The village of Fulani was one of the regions taking part in the NYU Abu Dhabi study. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi
The village of Gouin in Burkina Faso where studies were carried out by a team of researchers from NYU Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi
The village of Gouin in Burkina Faso where studies were carried out by a team of researchers from NYU Abu Dhabi. Courtesy: NYU Abu Dhabi
A woman installs a mosquito net over her child in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Malaria is often transferred to humans by female mosquitos. EPA-EFE/LEGNAN KOULA
A woman installs a mosquito net over her child in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Malaria is often transferred to humans by female mosquitos. EPA-EFE/LEGNAN KOULA
Mosquitoes infected with 'Wolbachia' bacteria were used to test the theory that it can reduce the insects' ability to spread dengue fever virus, which has common symptoms with malaria. Bloomberg
Mosquitoes infected with 'Wolbachia' bacteria were used to test the theory that it can reduce the insects' ability to spread dengue fever virus, which has common symptoms with malaria. Bloomberg
"Freya" correctly detects a sample of malaria from a row of sample pots at the "Medical Detection Dogs" charity headquarters in Milton Keynes, England. The charity is currently working with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to test whether the dogs can be re-trained in the next six weeks to provide a rapid, non-invasive diagnosis of the virus. Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images
"Freya" correctly detects a sample of malaria from a row of sample pots at the "Medical Detection Dogs" charity headquarters in Milton Keynes, England. The charity is currently working with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to test whether the dogs can be re-trained in the next six weeks to provide a rapid, non-invasive diagnosis of the virus. Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images
Dr. Tim Mohlmann shows a disc with mesh of the so-called EaveTube system in Wageningen, The Netherlands eariler this year. The invention by the company In2Care, a special ventilation pipe for homes, containing a mosquito net impregnated with insecticides, reduces the risk of malaria. EPA-EFE/ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN
Dr. Tim Mohlmann shows a disc with mesh of the so-called EaveTube system in Wageningen, The Netherlands eariler this year. The invention by the company In2Care, a special ventilation pipe for homes, containing a mosquito net impregnated with insecticides, reduces the risk of malaria. EPA-EFE/ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN

Health

NYU Abu Dhabi makes discovery into natural immunity against malaria

New research took blood samples from children in African nations with the highest malaria mortality rates

Patrick Ryan
Patrick Ryan
Dubai

June 11, 2021

  • English
  • Arabic

A new study by NYU Abu Dhabi resulted in a major discovery into natural immunity against malaria.

Blood samples from children from ethnic groups in remote areas of Burkina Faso, and the Gouin and Fulani tribes spread over several countries, were studied to measure their response to the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum.

The study uncovered a molecular mechanism that “alters the immune response to infection”.

Why some people have natural protection against disease, while others do not, is a topic of major interest in medicine.

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“The inter-ethnic comparison points to a fundamental molecular mechanism that could define the outcome of the infection in children, and it is fascinating how two human groups could diverge functionally in such a way,” said Youssef Idaghdour, NYU Abu Dhabi assistant professor of biology, who carried out the study with colleagues from the Centre National de Recherche et de Formation sur le Paludisme in Burkina Faso.

There were 409,000 people killed by malaria in 2019, the most recent figure available from the World Health Organisation.

Most of those who died were young children from sub-Saharan Africa.

"These results will change our understanding of how to achieve better malarial therapeutic interventions and vaccine responsiveness in populations," said Wael Abdrabou, the first author of the paper, which was published in the journal Nature Metabolism.

Abu Dhabi's government and leaders have for many years funded research into and treatment of preventable diseases in the developing world.

Millions of dollars were recently pledged to fight neglected tropical diseases, which can blind, maim and kill hundreds of thousands of people every year – trapping people in the developing world in a cycle of poverty.

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