Protein Changes That Signal Malaria Severity Identified

A team at Karolinska Institutet has identified more than 250 proteins that are strongly influenced by malaria, findings that could enable earlier identification of patients at risk for severe disease. The study, published in Immunity, involved 72 adult travellers who were diagnosed with malaria at Karolinska University Hospital after returning from tropical regions. Blood samples from these patients were collected and analyzed over the course of a year.

The researchers identified around 700 proteins that changed during malaria infection, with over 250 showing strong effects. This comprehensive protein mapping enabled the grouping of patients according to disease severity. Co-senior author Anna Färnert explained, “Malaria can quickly become life-threatening, but it is difficult to predict at an early stage which patients are at risk of deterioration. Our results show how a set of proteins can help identify high-risk patients more quickly and enable more effective treatment.”

Using data-driven analysis, the team linked these proteins to specific immune cells and traced the organs from which they originated. According to first author Maximilian Julius Lautenbach, “In this study, we have been able to measure such a large number of proteins with high precision in the blood of malaria patients for the first time. This provides completely new and detailed insights into the immune system's response to the infection.”

The researchers note that further studies are needed to confirm these findings in larger patient groups and to investigate how the identified protein signatures might be used in clinical practice. The work highlights the potential for protein profiling to improve the management and treatment of malaria by enabling earlier and more accurate identification of patients at risk for severe disease.