After mosquito bite, the malaria parasite first infects the liver, where it is thought to be undetected by the host immune system as it develops into the blood-stage pathogen. Maria Mota and her colleagues now report that Plasmodium RNA is detected by hepatocytes, triggering an interferon response that controls the parasite burden in the liver and blood of infected mice.
- Peter Liehl
- Vanessa Zuzarte-Luís
- Maria M Mota
