How malaria parasites export proteins to hijack red blood cells
Official title: PTEX mechanism in malaria parasite effector protein export and host cell subversion
Funded at Iowa State University · NIH-11125988 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research looks at how malaria parasites send proteins into infected red blood cells to understand how they cause disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ames, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $365,617 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL170104-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11125988 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with active malaria infections or those willing to donate infected blood samples for research would be most relevant to this work.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate clinical treatment or those without malaria are unlikely to receive direct medical benefit from this lab-focused project.
What this research studies
Researchers are examining the molecular machine called PTEX that malaria parasites use to push proteins out of their vacuole and into red blood cells. They will use lab techniques like cryo-electron microscopy, protein biochemistry, and cell models to see how PTEX pieces assemble and turn on. The team will compare the blood-stage process with early liver-stage events to find which components are essential for export. Learning these steps could point to ways to block the parasite from remodeling your cells.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets for antimalarial drugs that stop parasites from surviving in red blood cells.
How similar studies have gone: Previous laboratory studies have identified PTEX components and produced structural insights, but turning that knowledge into effective drugs remains experimental.
Where this research is happening
-
Iowa State University
Ames, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Beck, Josh Ryan — Iowa State University
- Study coordinator: Beck, Josh Ryan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.