Fas and perforin contribute to the pathogenesis of murine cerebral malaria

Abstract

Malaria is a serious health, social and economic problem for over 40% of the world's population living in endemic regions. Of the half-billion people infected with malaria each year, some 2.5 million will develop cerebral complications. Even with expedient treatment with anti-malarials, the prognosis for an individual displaying symptoms of cerebral malaria remains poor, with an estimated 25%of cases resulting in death. There is, as yet, no direct treatment for cerebral malaria, and the exact mechanism by which it causes death is still undetermined.