A groundbreaking new study led by researchers from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine has identified a gene that may be responsible for conferring resistance to malaria infection in humans. The gene, named FORB-1, appears to be strongly linked to the regulation of cytokine, a type of protein that helps the body fight infection. This discovery could pave the way for the development of new treatments and therapies to combat malaria, a major public health issue that still affects millions of people worldwide. In the study, the researchers analyzed the genomes of 1,000 individuals from Ethiopia, a region where malaria is endemic. Their results showed that FORB-1 is associated with a decreased risk of malaria infection. This suggests that the gene plays a significant role in conferring resistance to the malaria parasite. The discovery of FORB-1 could potentially lead to the development of new strategies to reduce the burden of malaria, and offers a greater understanding of how the human body defends itself against infectious diseases.

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source: Phys.org