Key immune differences that make one West African ethnic group less susceptible to malaria identified microbiologystudy

A team of researchers at NYU Abu Dhabi has uncovered how genetic and lifestyle factors influence immune responses to malaria in children from two large West African ethnic groups. The study found that children from the Fulani group have a distinct immune response to malaria than their Mossi counterparts, with key differences in immune cell activity offering greater protection.

Malaria susceptibility varies among African ethnic groups, but the reasons behind these differences have remained unclear. Africa has the world’s greatest genetic and environmental diversity, which affect disease susceptibility, yet its populations are underrepresented in genomic research. The Fulani, a nomadic group with a culture of herding and a dietary reliance on livestock-sourced foods, such as milk, have long been observed to have better protection against malaria compared to other groups.

In their study, “Single-cell Transcriptomics Reveals Inter-ethnic Variation in Immune Response to Falciparum Malaria,” published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, NYUAD researchers and collaborators in Burkina Faso analyzed immune cells from 126 children—comparing the less malaria susceptible Fulani group with the more-susceptible Mossi group.

Their findings showed that Fulani children’s monocyte cells, critical for the initial immune response, were less inflammatory than those of Mossi children, thereby protecting the host from disease pathogenesis. On the other hand, their B cells, which produce antibodies to fight disease, were more active and pro-inflammatory. The study highlights how differences in immune function, largely influenced by diet and genetics, play a role in modulating disease susceptibility.

“Our research—built on two years of intensive fieldwork studying Fulani and Mossi children—highlights the power of leveraging genetic and lifestyle diversity in Africa to uncover novel biological insights, underscoring the importance of empowering underserved populations in genomic studies,” said lead researcher Tala Shahin, Ph.D., a postdoctoral associate in NYU Abu Dhabi’s Idaghdour Lab, specializing in immuno-genomics.

Shahin’s co-authors include NYUAD undergraduates Jakub Jurkovic, Bana Alamad, and Odmaa Bayaraa.