CD44 cross-linking promotes Plasmodium falciparum invasion.

ABSTRACT: The ability of Plasmodium falciparum to invade and replicate asexually within human red blood cells (RBCs) is central to its pathogenicity. Invasion involves several host-parasite interactions, yet the required host factors remain underexplored, largely due to the intractability of mature RBCs. The transmembrane protein CD44 was identified as a host factor for P. falciparum invasion through a novel forward genetic screen. Here, we identify an anti-CD44 monoclonal antibody, BRIC 222, that significantly promotes P. falciparum invasion through CD44 cross-linking. CD44 cross-linking induced changes in the phosphorylation of RBC cytoskeletal proteins, consistent with a proposed role for CD44 as a co-receptor during invasion. CD44 cross-linking also altered the RBC membrane, increasing the acces

SUBMITTER: Kongsomboonvech AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12789465 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature