Parasite biology: EPCR unlocks severe malaria.

Sequestration of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes in the microvasculature is key to the pathogenesis of severe malaria and involves interactions between P. fal-ciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) and receptors on the endothelial lining. Now, Turner et al.identify endothelial protein C recep-tor (EPCR) as the specific receptor for PfEMP1 variants that are associated with severe childhood malaria.  The P. falciparum genome contains about 60 var genes encoding distinct PfEMP1 variants that are expressed on the surface of infected erythrocytes and attach to various receptors on the endothelial lining. In severe childhood malaria, PfEMP1 subtypes containing domain cassette 8 (DC8) and DC13 predominate, but the endothelial receptor that these ligands bind to was unknown.