MALARIA is likely to cause children's immune systems to target their own DNA, prompting a more severe manifestation of the disease than in adults.
The discovery, made by a team of US and Nigerian scientists, explains why DNA based malaria vaccines don't work.
The scientists took blood samples from 21 Nigerian children under the age of 6, infected with Plasmodium falciparum malaria.
They tested them for the presence of immune components such as cytokines - signalling chemicals released by the immune system - and antibodies.
They found that the samples contained modified white blood cells, called NETs, which capture the malaria parasite.
But they also found that NETs release copies of the body's own DNA. Samples also contained increased levels of antibodies specific to the children's DNA.
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In the photograph: Mosquito, the culprit behind spread of Malaria
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