Brendan McMorran Research Group
Platelets – the kiss of death for malaria parasites.
John Curtin School of Medical Research

Platelets are best known as the blood cells that form clots and prevent bleeding. But they can also combat and prevent pathogens infecting our bloodstream, including the deadly malaria parasite, Plasmodium. Plasmodium causes malaria when it grows in red blood cells. My lab studies how platelets recognise and kill these parasites, We have discovered that platelets kill the parasite by binding to the infected cell and releasing a toxic protein called PF4. We are interested in finding how this so-called deadly kiss works, including the parts of the platelet and parasite that attract each other, and how the deadly platelet proteins can be developed into new antimalaria drugs.

• Profile of Brendan McMorran ANU Researchers | John Curtin School of Medical Research
• McMorran Group website.

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