New article in PNAS from Francis Motta and our group showing that the parasite’s intraerythrocytic cycle and the human host circadian cycle are coupled during malaria infection.
We provide direct evidence that the parasite’s intrinsic developmental cycle is aligned to the host’s circadian rhythm during malaria infection. This alignment suggests an evolutionary adaptation that creates synchrony between parasites during the blood phase and a method for evading host defenses or optimizing utilization of host resources that are controlled by the host circadian clock. This work opens the door for chronotherapeutic strategies for treating malaria infections.
See the PNAS paper.
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