Kajumbula, HenryByarugaba, WilsonWayengera, Misaki2021-12-132021-12-132012Kajumbula et al.: Targeting wild-type Erythrocyte receptors for Plasmodium falciparum and vivax Merozoites by Zinc Finger Nucleases In- silico: Towards a Genetic Vaccine against Malaria. Genetic Vaccines and Therapy 2012 10:8. doi:10.1186/1479-0556-10-810.1186/1479-0556-10-8https://nru.uncst.go.ug/xmlui/handle/123456789/441Malaria causes immense human morbidity and mortality globally. The plasmodium species vivax and falciparum cause over 75 % clinical malaria cases. Until now, gene-based strategies against malaria have only been applied to plasmodium species and their mosquito-vector. Merozoites of these two respective plasmodium species target and invade red blood cells (RBCs) by using the duffy antigen receptor for chemokines (DARC), and Sialic Acid (SLC4A1) residues of the O-linked glycans of Glycophorin A. RBCs of naturally selected duffy-negative blacks are resistant to P.vivax tropism. We hypothesized that artificial aberration of the host-pathway by target mutagenesis of either RBC –receptors, may abolish or reduce susceptibility of the host to malaria. As a first step towards the experimental actualization of these concepts, we aimed to identify zinc finger arrays (ZFAs) for constructing ZFNs that target genes of either wild-type host-RBC- receptors.enMalariaPlasmodiumP. falciparumP. vivaxMerozoitesRBC-receptorsDarcGlycophorin AZinc finger nucleasesHost-pathwayAbrogationGenetic vaccineArticle