Malaria continues to cause damage to bone tissue even after the disease is eliminated, as the infection causes toxic parasites that can remain in the joints, according to a new finding released today by the American Association for Advantage of Science (AAAS).
The study, led by a group of scientists at the University of Osaka, highlights “a unique bone pathology that has been previously overlooked,” and suggests as a treatment bone therapy with antimalarial drugs that helps address the long-term consequences Term of the disease.
Malaria or malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by the parasite Plasmodium, and can sometimes lead to serious complications such as brain infection and respiratory problems.
Several field studies in endemic areas of malaria have also shown that children surviving malaria infection often show stunted growth, prompting Michelle Lee, study director, to investigate the direct effect of Plasmodium in the woven bone.
Using well-established malaria models in mice, they found that after infection, the remains of Plasmodium deposits persisted in the bone marrow.
“Parasitic waste was swallowed by bone cells, which caused the production of inflammation-promoting molecules that depleted bone tissue and prevented post-infection repair,” the study notes.
Interestingly, mice exposed to the Plasmodium mutation lacking the malaria deposit did not show bone deterioration.
In addition, administration of alfacalcidol, a vitamin D derivative previously used to treat osteoporosis, protected Plasmodium-infected mice from bone degradation.
The authors indicated that there is still pending research to discover how alfacalcidol offers such therapeutic effects.
