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Sickle-cell may blunt, not stop, malaria

Trait appears to diminish infection severity

By Tina Hesman Saey

- More than 2 years ago

Sickle-cell hemoglobin may gas malaria into submission, a new study proposes.

People who carry one copy of a mutation that leads to sickle-cell disease are protected from the worst effects of malaria, research shows. A sickled red blood cell is shown (top) alongside normal red blood cells. Wellcome Trust, UK

People who carry a mutation that deforms the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells are well-known to be protected against malaria.