Ethnic differences in susceptibility to malaria: what have we learned from immuno-epidemiological studies in West Africa?

There are many fundamental aspects of the immunobiology of Plasmodium falciparum infections that are not fully understood, therefore limiting our comprehension of how people become immune to malaria and why some ethnic groups living in malaria endemic areas are less susceptible than others. The complexity of parasite-host interactions and the genetic diversity of the parasites as well as the human host complicate our strategy to address this issue. In this mini-review we discuss and summarize what we have learned about African ethnic differences in susceptibility to malaria from immuno-epidemiological studies. Additionally, we suggest research topics that might be of great value for dissecting the mechanisms of protection by providing new insights into molecular interactions between the parasite and the host.