The prevalence of Plasmodium vivax has been increasing lately, and the -70-80 million cases currently recorded annually are of growing global public health importance. However, research aimed at understanding this parasite species has lagged by comparison to that carried out for P. falciparum. Lack of a suitable culture technique for this parasite is largely responsible for this. Therefore, this research aims to 1) develop a culture technique that is applicable to red cell invasion and drug resistance studies, 2) study the genetic diversity of this parasite in a hypoendemic area of Thailand, 3) elucidate the interaction of P. vivax and P. falciparum in terms of immunology and epidemiology, and 4) obtain comparative genomic information through analysis of the parasite proteomes. The proposed research will contribute to the understanding of Plamsodium vivax epidemiology and genetic diversity in an area where vivax malaria has been on the rise, therefore providing important information for control of the disease. In addition, this proposal targets will help build a cadre of young scientists with long-term commitment and motivation in malaria research in this area, which will have a more profound impact on future training of malariologists in Asia. ?
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