Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM)

Malaria resulting from Plasmodium falciparum infection is the major cause of mortality and morbidity. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that annually malaria causes over 300 million incidences of acute illness and more than one million deaths. Majority of these deaths occur in the poor countries of the tropics of which children and pregnant women have the highest mortality rate.

Due to these burden and resistance to anti-malarial drugs, many on-going researches are aiming at finding a vaccine against malaria. In this study, Epstein Barr Virus is used as a tool to immortalize B cells. The virus does not damage the B cells instead it infects and activates the B lymphocytes in vitro. 

Aim of the study:

The aim of the project was to establish and characterize Plasmodium falciparum specific B cell lines(Lymphoblastoid cell lines) using an EBV immortalization protocol.