All articles tagged with #plasmodium falciparum
Yale researchers used ancient DNA from Francesco I de' Medici and his brother Giovanni to test centuries-old poisoning rumors; they found genetic traces of Plasmodium falciparum and other malaria parasites in the remains, indicating Francesco’s 1587 death was likely due to malaria rather than poisoning and illustrating how genomic analysis can resolve historic mysteries and illuminate parasite evolution.
A DNA study of Francesco I and Giovanni de’ Medici’s remains finds Plasmodium falciparum in both brothers and Plasmodium malariae in Francesco, confirming malaria—not poison—as the cause of death in 1587; researchers also identified a novel P. falciparum lineage in Giovanni, suggesting historic parasite movements across Europe during population growth. Published in iScience (2026) by Ochoa et al., the work aligns with Renaissance fever records and highlights how ancient DNA clarifies the history of one of humanity’s oldest diseases.
An international team analyzed the 16th‑century remains of Cardinal Giovanni de’ Medici and Grand Duke Francesco I and found DNA evidence of malaria parasites, confirming they died of malaria rather than poisoning; Francesco’s bones show infection with both P. falciparum and P. malariae, while Giovanni carried a novel P. falciparum strain. The work, published in iScience, provides insight into malaria’s evolution in Europe and suggests swampy Tuscany environments facilitated transmission in the Medici era.
This study uses dual single-cell RNA sequencing to map the development of P. falciparum in the mosquito midgut, revealing key stages, interactions with mosquito cells, and potential targets for malaria control, including validation of essential parasite genes and discovery of interactions with mosquito progenitor cells and muscles.
Researchers from Leiden University and Radboud University have developed a promising new malaria vaccine that uses genetically weakened Plasmodium falciparum parasites, delivered via mosquito bites, to trigger a strong immune response without causing disease. This second-generation vaccine, GA2, showed significant improvement in protection compared to existing vaccines, with eight out of nine participants protected. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlights the potential for more effective malaria prevention, though the mosquito delivery method is not practical for widespread use.