Critical Understanding of the Influence of Cellular Aging Biomarkers on Host–Parasite Relationships Serving as a Key Platform for Malaria Eradication

Abstract

Plasmodium parasites are the causative agents of malaria and can infect humans and other vertebrates, impacting socioeconomic development and causing significant health issues globally. Plasmodium falciparum causes the most severe type of infection, which can lead to chronic morbidity and other severe complications like anemia and cerebral malaria. The onset of infection is marked by the injection of sporozoites into the skin through the bite of a female Anopheles mosquito. This triggers a cascade of reactions elicited both by the host immune system in response to infection and by the parasite in a bid to evade the host immune system, survive, and replicate. The dynamics of this host–parasite relationship have prompted extensive research in an attempt to understand and exploit it in the fight against malaria. Thus, understanding the temporal and spatial dimensions of adaptation in host–parasite relationships is critical for forecasting parasite evolution and spread within and between host populations. One such relationship is the complex interplay between malaria and cellular aging processes. Understanding this dynamic will provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of the disease. This comprehensive review takes us on that journey by providing an overview of the interaction between the Plasmodium parasite and its host and the interplay between infection mechanisms, host immune response, and parasite evasion strategies, narrowing it down to how it affects cellular aging biomarkers and howthis can be explored as a platform in the fight against the disease