By Pesach Benson • April 23, 2026
Jerusalem, 23 April, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli scientists have uncovered a new mechanism used by the malaria parasite to manipulate human immune cells, potentially reshaping understanding of one of the world’s deadliest infectious diseases.
Malaria is a disease caused by a category of parasites known as Plasmodium that is spread to people through mosquito bites. When a person is bitten, the parasite first goes to the liver, then moves into the bloodstream, where it infects red blood cells. If malaria is diagnosed early and the right medicine is taken, most people recover fully. However, it can be deadly, particularly for children and pregnant women, if not treated quickly enough. In 2024, the World Health Organization estimated 282 million cases of malaria worldwide and 610,000 deaths.
New research led by scientists at the Weizmann Institute of Science is shedding light on one of the key ways the parasite manages to survive so effectively in the human body. The findings, published in the peer-reviewed Cell Reports, show how Plasmodium falciparum can deliver genetic material into the nucleus of immune cells and disrupt their internal control systems.
The parasite was already known to invade red blood cells, but more than a decade ago Weizmann’s Prof. Neta Regev-Rotsky discovered that it also communicates between infected cells using tiny vesicles containing DNA. The new study shows these vesicles also carry RNA, including messenger RNA (mRNA), which contains instructions for protein production. This suggests the parasite uses RNA-based communication far more extensively than previously understood.
‘It Was Inconceivable’
The researchers next discovered that these RNA molecules enter immune cells known as monocytes and, unexpectedly, travel into the nucleus, the cell’s most protected compartment.
“It was inconceivable. The cell jealously guards its nucleus, as its ‘brain’ is stored there,” Regev-Rotsky said. “To convince ourselves — and others — that the parasite’s RNA does indeed penetrate these defense systems, we had to identify it directly within the nucleus.” This finding shifted the focus from simple immune communication to direct nuclear interference.
To prove the mechanism, doctoral researcher Dr. Paula Abu Karem developed a fluorescent sensor capable of detecting individual parasite mRNA molecules inside the nucleus, which appeared as glowing red dots under the microscope. Each dot represented a single RNA molecule that had crossed into the nucleus. Further analysis showed that the parasitic RNA binds to key components of the host cell’s splicing machinery, which edits RNA before it is translated into proteins. Disruption of this system leads to widespread failure in immune protein production.
Working with researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the team found that this splicing disruption has broader consequences for immune defense. Infected monocytes release distress signals that attract additional immune cells, creating an intense but misdirected immune response. Meanwhile, parasites inside red blood cells continue to multiply largely unnoticed.
“It’s a diversionary mechanism,” Regev-Rotsky explained. “It’s like throwing a grenade in one direction so that the guards run to it, while you move to another place.” The result is immune confusion that benefits parasite survival.
For researchers, the study reframes malaria not only as a blood infection but as a pathogen capable of directly manipulating gene regulation inside immune cell nuclei, revealing a new class of potential targets for future therapies.
The findings point to several practical applications. One is a new treatment strategy that blocks the parasite’s ability to interfere with RNA splicing, potentially restoring normal immune function while the infection persists. Another is improved diagnostics based on detecting parasite RNA “signatures” carried in blood vesicles, which could enable earlier and more sensitive detection even when parasite levels are very low.
The researchers also suggest these vesicle-based RNA signals may have broader value beyond malaria, as similar mechanisms appear in other diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, where they could serve as biomarkers for detection and disease monitoring.