AUTHOR=Andoh Nana Efua , Gyan Ben Adu 

TITLE=The Potential Roles of Glial Cells in the Neuropathogenesis of Cerebral Malaria

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/cellular-and-infection-microbiology/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2021.741370

DOI=10.3389/fcimb.2021.741370

ISSN=2235-2988

ABSTRACT=<p>Cerebral malaria (CM) is a severe neurological complication of malaria caused by the <italic>Plasmodium falciparum</italic> parasite. It is one of the leading causes of death in children under 5 years of age in Sub-Saharan Africa. CM is associated with blood-brain barrier disruption and long-term neurological sequelae in survivors of CM. Despite the vast amount of research on cerebral malaria, the cause of neurological sequelae observed in CM patients is poorly understood. In this article, the potential roles of glial cells, astrocytes, and microglia, in cerebral malaria pathogenesis are reviewed. The possible mechanisms by which glial cells contribute to neurological damage in CM patients are also examined.</p>