It may also be challenging to detect the presence of the parasite in the initial stages of the infection, especially in populations that have not previously been exposed to malaria. In such areas, there may be no previous immune memory to guide the immune system's response. "This study, along with our past studies, has provided valuable insights into the interaction between the human host and malaria parasites, which is an important step towards designing a vaccine against the parasite," said Bancroft. ### "Rapid decline in immune response following malaria infection in early life." Lina Nurulhuda, Mark H. Bunn, Christopher P. Dye, Benjamin J. Kilejian, Rina Arjmand, and Michael L. Bancroft. Current Biology (2013) http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(13)00627-8 The study was funded by NIH grant R01 AI062792, the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, the American Asthma Foundation, and a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Cell, E.B. "Early life stage of malaria parasite interferes with development of host immunity." (2013). DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.09.016 About Cell Press Cell Press is a premier peer-reviewed academic publisher and a pioneering technology organization known for innovation and excellence in research communication. The organization's comprehensive publishing program includes renowned scientific journals, books, and reference works. Cell Press journals are published by The Rockefeller University Press, The Lillian Goldman Charitable Trust Press, The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and The BioMedical Press. All Cell Press journals and titles receive expert production, management, and marketing at no cost to the authors. Cell Press was recently recognized by Publisher's Weekly as one of the 50 publishers that are driving the evolution of scholarly publishing, for enabling the publication of cutting-edge research to be read and used globally. Cell Press is headquartered in New York City with offices in Washington, D.C., and San Francisco. For more information, please visit www.cell.com. Follow us on Twitter: @CellPress, @CellPressNews, and @CellPRess.