With a little help from my friend: engaging CD44 facilitates Plasmodium falciparum invasion of erythrocytes.

Merozoite invasion in erythrocytes is a complex process. Kongsomboonvech et al. identify the host transmembrane protein CD44 as a critical coreceptor that, when crosslinked, significantly enhances the ability of Plasmodium falciparum to invade human erythrocytes. It provides a molecular link between early parasite attachment and the final, essential invasion steps.