Malaria infection causes lasting damage to spleen macrophages, study finds

A joint study by the University of Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity in Melbourne has shown that malaria infection causes permanent damage to resident CD163 macrophages in the spleen. These macrophages are responsible for cleaning the blood, recycling iron and coordinating immune responses. The research, led by Professor Elvira Mass with Dr. Lynette Beattie, found that severe infection destroys many resident macrophages, which cannot divide quickly enough to replace themselves, forcing reliance on bone‑marrow‑derived cells that are less effective.

The findings, published online in the journal Immunity, suggest new avenues for more effective malaria vaccines and could inform the development of treatments for other infectious diseases.