Malaria can permanently deplete spleen macrophages that filter blood and recycle iron
Macrophages formed in the bone marrow can only assume the function of embryonal phagocytes, or "scavenger cells," to a certain degree according to a study by the University of Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne. The researchers have demonstrated that malaria infection causes permanent damage to resident CD163 macrophages in the spleen,…
The University of Bonn and the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity have discovered that malaria infection permanently damages CD163 macrophages in the spleen. These macrophages play a crucial role in cleaning blood, recycling iron, and communicating with other immune cells. The researchers found that the presence of malaria parasites leads to a long-lasting loss of CD163 macrophages during the blood stage of infection, even months after the infection subsides.
Their replacements, derived from the bone marrow, are less specialized and fail to restore the specialized function of the original CD163 macrophages. This damage to the spleen's architecture and iron metabolism can result in more severe subsequent infections and prolonged anemia. The findings suggest that single malaria episodes can leave lasting impressions on the immunological memory, spleen's particle filtering, and iron metabolism. This research could aid in the development of drugs and treatments for malaria and other diseases.
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