Severe malaria

Apart from the molecular approaches, the pathogenesis of malaria is one of the crucial factors that can be contributed to its treatment. Associate Professor Dr. Parnpen Viriyavejakul from the Department of Tropical Pathology has studied the activation of transcription factor, Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-ΚB). Her study revealed that this signaling protein can induce caspase response of apoptotic pathway in endothelial cells and white blood cells in the brain tissue. This finding will be applied in clinical practice, to develop an adjuvant drug which can inhibit the activation of this signaling protein, to alleviate apoptotic process. It is expected that cerebral malaria symptoms can be minimized, and mortality rate can be reduced.