Why it might be bad for brain cells to eat malaria parasites

In this issue, Adams et al. (2021. J. Exp. Med. https://doi.org/10.1084/jem.20201266) show that red blood cells infected with strains of Plasmodium falciparum, which are commonly found in cerebral malaria patients, are specifically internalized by brain endothelial cells, perhaps contributing to the symptoms of the disease.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates that red blood cells infected with Plasmodium falciparum strains commonly found in cerebral malaria patients are specifically internalized by brain endothelial cells, potentially contributing to the symptoms of the disease.