Inhibition of Infected Red Blood Cell Binding to the Vascular Endothelium

Plasmodium falciparum-infected red blood cells (IRBC) adhere to the endothelium via receptors expressed on the surface of vascular endothelial cells (EC) and sequester in the microvasculature of several organs. Sequestration is the primary step leading to complications related to the severity of malaria. In order to study this cytoadhesion phenomenon, IRBC in vitro binding assays have been developed using a monolayer of primary or transformed endothelial cells. Here we describe the methodology of an assay to inhibit the binding of IRBC on vascular endothelial cells under static adhesion conditions. Similar techniques could be used for conducting a binding inhibition assay under flow assay conditions using an appropriate device.