Biological breakthrough

Description:

Recent discoveries have shown that people with type O blood are naturally protected from malaria’s most severe forms. When Mali and Kenya from Edinburgh University in the US studied African children, they found out that those with blood type O were two-thirds less likely to experience unrousable coma or life-threatening anaemia. In malaria, proteins recruit healthy red blood cells to stick to the malaria parasite, encasing the infected red blood cell inside a so-called rosette. This worsens the blockage and the disease. However, the lastest findings suggest that group O red blood cells do not easily join rosettes as the cell's surface structure prevents it from sticking fully. With this new discovery, it is hoped that a drug or a vaccine can be developed to reduce the number of children dying from severe malaria in sub-Saharan Africa.

Reflection:

This is certainly a biological breakthrough! It is estimated that malaria kills up to two million lives annually around the world. If a cure can be found, many people can be saved. And knowing that people with blood type O are less likely to suffer from malaria is the first step to develop a drug or vaccine for malaria. With this useful information and further investigation, I am sure researchers will find a drug or vaccine that can cure this fatal disease.

Scientific researchers contribute a lot to the world. Without them, our world will not improve. They try to find ways to cure diseases, protect our lives, and many more. We should all be thankful to them. Yet we should always remind ourselves that we can also be researchers. For instance, we can pay more attention to our surroundings. We may be able to discover something new! Who knows?

Blood findings bring malaria hope!