AUTHOR=Lee Wenn-Chyau , Russell Bruce , Rénia Laurent 

TITLE=Sticking for a Cause: The Falciparum Malaria Parasites Cytoadherence Paradigm

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2019.01444

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2019.01444

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p>After a successful invasion, malaria parasite <italic>Plasmodium falciparum</italic> extensively remodels the infected erythrocyte cellular architecture, conferring cytoadhesive properties to the infected erythrocytes. Cytoadherence plays a central role in the parasite's immune-escape mechanism, at the same time contributing to the pathogenesis of severe falciparum malaria. In this review, we discuss the cytoadhesive interactions between <italic>P. falciparum</italic> infected erythrocytes and various host cell types, and how these events are linked to malaria pathogenesis. We also highlight the limitations faced by studies attempting to correlate diversity in parasite ligands and host receptors with the development of severe malaria.</p>