Blood Disease Protects Against Malaria In An Unexpected Way

Children with an inherited blood disorder called alpha thalassemia make unusually small red blood cells that mostly cause a mild form of anemia. Now, researchers have discovered that this disorder has a benefit it can protect children against one of the world’s greatest killers, malaria, according to a new study. “We made the surprising finding that packaging your hemoglobin in smaller amounts in more cells is an advantage against malaria,” says Karen Day, Ph.D.

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Filed under: Blood on April 2nd, 2008