Housebreaking Plasmodium parasites leave their fingerprints at the door.

Protective antibodies against Plasmodium falciparum merozoite antigens, including EBA-175, can inhibit erythrocyte invasion. New data from Musasia et al. indicate that these antibodies can also trigger antibody-dependent phagocytosis of ring-infected and uninfected erythrocytes and that this correlates with protection from malaria. This provides a new pathway for vaccine design.