Cutting Edge: FHR-1 Binding Impairs Factor H-Mediated Complement Evasion by the Malaria Parasite .

Human complement is the first line of defense against invading pathogens, including the malaria parasite We previously demonstrated that human complement represents a particular threat for the clinically relevant blood stages of the parasite. To evade complement-mediated destruction, the parasites acquire factor H (FH) via specific receptors. We now report that the FH-related protein FHR-1 competes with FH for binding to the parasites.