Malaria parasites harbor microscopic “rocket engines” powered by the same chemical reaction used to launch spacecraft, a discovery that could revolutionize treatment strategies for the deadly disease, researchers at the University of Utah Health announced Thursday.
For decades, scientists have been puzzled by the constant, erratic motion of iron crystals within Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite responsible for the most dangerous form of malaria. These crystals, contained within a specialized compartment in each parasite cell, whirl, bounce, and collide with such speed and unpredictability that they defied conventional observation techniques. Now, a team led by Paul Sigala, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at the University of Utah, has determined that the crystals’ movement is driven by the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide.
“People don’t talk about what they don’t understand, and since the motion of these crystals is so mysterious and bizarre, it’s been a blind spot for parasitology for decades,” Sigala said. The findings, published in the journal PNAS, reveal a previously unknown biological application of a propulsion system commonly used in aerospace engineering.
The crystals, composed of an iron-based compound called heme, are propelled by the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. This reaction releases energy, creating the force necessary for the crystals’ continuous motion. “This hydrogen peroxide decomposition has been used to power large-scale rockets,” explained Erica Hastings, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in biochemistry at the University of Utah, “But I don’t believe it has ever been observed in biological systems.”
Researchers confirmed hydrogen peroxide’s role by observing that slowing its production—through experiments conducted in low-oxygen environments—reduced the crystals’ speed by half, even while the parasites remained otherwise healthy. This suggests the motion is directly linked to hydrogen peroxide availability.
The purpose of this constant spinning remains under investigation, but scientists hypothesize it may be crucial for parasite survival. One possibility is that the motion helps the parasite safely manage the toxic effects of hydrogen peroxide, a byproduct of its metabolism. Another theory suggests the movement prevents the crystals from clumping together, maintaining their surface area for efficient iron storage and processing.
The discovery has implications beyond malaria treatment. The spinning crystals represent the first known example of self-propelled metallic nanoparticles in biology, potentially offering insights for the development of nanoscale robots. “Nano-engineered self-propelling particles can be used for a variety of industrial and drug delivery applications, and we think there are potential insights that will come from these results,” Sigala stated.
the unique mechanism presents a promising target for new antimalarial drugs. Because the process is fundamentally different from anything found in human cells, drugs designed to disrupt it are less likely to cause harmful side effects. “If we target a drug to an area that’s very different from human cells, then it’s probably not going to have extreme side effects,” Hastings explained. “If we can define how this parasite is different from our bodies, it gives us access to new directions for medications.”
The research was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Utah Center for Iron & Heme Disorders, the Price College of Engineering at the University of Utah, and the 3i Initiative at University of Utah Health.
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