NYU Abu Dhabi researchers uncover hidden vulnerability in malaria parasite

UAE—Researchers at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYU Abu Dhabi) have identified a specific type of fat that the malaria parasite depends on to survive and multiply in the human body, revealing a potential vulnerability that could inform the development of future antimalarial treatments.

The study, published in Genome Biology, examined blood samples collected from 396 children in Burkina Faso before and during malaria infections.

The researchers found that the parasite does not consume nutrients indiscriminately.

Instead, during the blood stage of infection, it consistently selects specific blood fats containing linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid obtained through the diet.

Parasite Shows Selective Nutrient Use

According to the researchers, the findings challenge the conventional understanding of how the malaria parasite obtains nutrients from its human host.

Rather than broadly using the nutrients available in the bloodstream, the parasite appears to selectively target a particular source of nourishment to support its growth.

This highly specific dependence could provide an opportunity for researchers to investigate new approaches to malaria treatment by targeting the parasite’s ability to obtain or use these fats.

“Malaria continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives every year, yet we still have much to learn about how the parasite survives inside the human body,” said Youssef Idaghdour, associate professor of biology at NYU Abu Dhabi and the study’s senior author.

“We found that the parasite is surprisingly selective about the nutrients it uses. That gives us an opportunity to target a weakness that was previously unknown and could eventually lead to new ways of treating the disease.”

Findings Consistent Across Populations

The researchers observed the same pattern among children from three genetically and culturally distinct ethnic groups in Burkina Faso.

This consistency suggests that the parasite’s reliance on these fats may represent a fundamental feature of malaria infection rather than a characteristic restricted to a specific population.

In addition, laboratory experiments confirmed the parasite’s dependence on these fats, providing further evidence that they play an important role in supporting parasite growth during infection.

To reach these findings, the research team combined clinical samples with advanced genetic and metabolic analyses.

This approach enabled the scientists to examine previously hidden interactions between the malaria parasite and its human host and gain deeper insights into how the pathogen acquires the nutrients it needs during the blood stage of infection.

Potential Pathway for New Treatments

The researchers said the findings could help identify new targets for antimalarial drug development by improving understanding of the biological processes that allow the parasite to survive within the human host.

“Our goal is to better understand the biology of malaria so we can identify new opportunities for therapeutic intervention,” said Idaghdour.

“Studies like this help reveal how the parasite survives inside the human body and provide a foundation for developing more effective antimalarial strategies.”

Beyond their potential implications for drug discovery, the findings also raise questions about the relationship between nutrition, metabolism, and infectious diseases.

Future research could therefore examine whether dietary factors or changes in metabolism influence malaria progression or the parasite’s ability to multiply.

The study reflects NYU Abu Dhabi’s interdisciplinary approach to global health research, combining biology, genomics, computational science, and population health.

It also highlights the value of international collaborations linking researchers in Africa, the Middle East, and other regions to investigate infectious diseases and identify potential new strategies for disease control.