Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Apr 20:13:863568.
doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.863568. eCollection 2022.

Cerebral Malaria: Current Clinical and Immunological Aspects

Karin Albrecht-Schgoer  1 , Peter Lackner  2 , Erich Schmutzhard  3 , Gottfried Baier  1
Affiliations
Review

Cerebral Malaria: Current Clinical and Immunological Aspects

Karin Albrecht-Schgoer et al. Front Immunol. .

Abstract

This review focuses on current clinical and immunological aspects of cerebral malaria induced by Plasmodium falciparum infection. Albeit many issues concerning the inflammatory responses remain unresolved and need further investigations, current knowledge of the underlying molecular mechanisms is highlighted. Furthermore, and in the light of significant limitations in preventative diagnosis and treatment of cerebral malaria, this review mainly discusses our understanding of immune mechanisms in the light of the most recent research findings. Remarkably, the newly proposed CD8+ T cell-driven pathophysiological aspects within the central nervous system are summarized, giving first rational insights into encouraging studies with immune-modulating adjunctive therapies that protect from symptomatic cerebral participation of Plasmodium falciparum infection.

Keywords: CD8+; T cell sequestration; activation of the brain endothelium; blood brain barrier (BBB); cerebral malaria (CM); host virulence factors; parasite virulence factors; pathophysiology of CM.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
CD8+ T cell dependent CM pathology.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. WHO . Severe Malaria. Trop Med Int Health (2014) 19(Suppl 1):7–131. doi: 10.1111/tmi.12313_2 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Tanwar GS, Khatri PC, Sengar GS, Kochar A, Kochar SK, Middha S, et al. . Clinical Profiles of 13 Children With Plasmodium Vivax Cerebral Malaria. Ann Trop Paediatr (2011) 31(4):351–6. doi: 10.1179/1465328111Y.0000000040 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Barber BE, Grigg MJ, Piera KA, William T, Cooper DJ, Plewes K, et al. . Intravascular Haemolysis in Severe Plasmodium Knowlesi Malaria: Association With Endothelial Activation, Microvascular Dysfunction, and Acute Kidney Injury. Emerg Microbes Infect (2018) 7(1):106. doi: 10.1038/s41426-018-0105-2 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. WHO . World Malaria Report 2021 Vol. 322. World Health Organization; (2021). Geneva, Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.
    1. WHO . Guidelines for the Treatment of Malaria - Third Edition. (2015). Geneva, World Health Organization, Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

Publication types