PHILADELPHIA — For tens of thousands of years, the genomes of malaria parasites and humans have been at war with one another, each involving an attempt to get the upper hand. Scientists have now performed a genetic analysis of 15 ethnic groups across Africa, in an effort to identify gene variants that could explain differing local susceptibility to malaria. "Both host and the parasite try to fight back with mutations; it's a co-evolution arms-race that leaves a signature of selection on the genes," says Wen-Ya Ko, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Genetics at the Perelman School of Medicine. "We've identified several single-nucleotide polymorphisms that are candidates for that signature." The international team was led by Sarah Tishkoff PhD, a Penn Integrates Knowledge professor with appointments in the Genetics Department in Penn's Perelman School of Medicine and the Department of Biology in the School of Arts and Sciences. Their research was published online in the American Journal of Human Genetics. For full release and related image, please visit: www.upenn.edu/pennnews/news/penn-researchers-show-new-evidence-genetic-arms-race-against-malaria.
Penn Medicine is one of the world’s leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, excellence in patient care, and community service. The organization consists of the University of Pennsylvania Health System and Penn’s Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine, founded in 1765 as the nation’s first medical school.
The Perelman School of Medicine is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $550 million awarded in the 2022 fiscal year. Home to a proud history of “firsts” in medicine, Penn Medicine teams have pioneered discoveries and innovations that have shaped modern medicine, including recent breakthroughs such as CAR T cell therapy for cancer and the mRNA technology used in COVID-19 vaccines.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System’s patient care facilities stretch from the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania to the New Jersey shore. These include the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, Chester County Hospital, Lancaster General Health, Penn Medicine Princeton Health, and Pennsylvania Hospital—the nation’s first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional facilities and enterprises include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, Penn Medicine at Home, Lancaster Behavioral Health Hospital, and Princeton House Behavioral Health, among others.
Penn Medicine is an $11.1 billion enterprise powered by more than 49,000 talented faculty and staff.