NIH R01 · 2025
Defining the mechanism of coma in cerebral malaria
ABSTRACT Malaria remains a significant public health challenge that has resisted worldwide control efforts. Some individuals who become infected with Plasmodium falciparum develop cerebral malaria (CM), which presents as a coma and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. The etiology of CM coma, which is reversible in survivors, remains unknown. We have identified high blood levels of pipecolic acid (PA) in children with CM compared to mild malaria. PA has been shown to induce coma in animal models, and we will test the hypothesis that high blood levels in CM result in abnormally elevated PA central nervous system (CNS) concentrations to result coma in CM. We will determine if PA…
From the public funding record at NIH RePORTER. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.