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The Gorillas who brought malaria

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Although many human diseases have their origin in chimpanzees, malaria appears to be brought from the gorillas, according to a study published in Nature to which the newspaper El Mundo has devoted an article. The article includes views of Alfred Cortés, researcher at the Gene Translation Laboratory at IRB Barcelona and an expert on the subject. According to Cortés this discovery will not have much effect in improving current therapies, although if it is confirmed that the gorillas are still a reservoir of malaria, this finding could bring progress in prevention.

About IRB Barcelona

The Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB Barcelona) pursues a society free of disease. To this end, it conducts multidisciplinary research of excellence to cure cancer and other diseases linked to ageing. It establishes technology transfer agreements with the pharmaceutical industry and major hospitals to bring research results closer to society, and organises a range of science outreach activities to engage the public in an open dialogue. IRB Barcelona is an international centre that hosts 400 researchers and more than 30 nationalities. Recognised as a Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence since 2011, IRB Barcelona is a CERCA centre and member of the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST).