Abstract
Plasmodium vivax causes 14.3 million infections annually, with 3.3 billion people at risk worldwide. No effective vaccine is available. P. vivax can only invade immature reticulocytes, expressing high levels of CD71, and <1.5% of circulating red blood cells (RBCs). CD71 is the receptor for PvRBP2b, a member of the P. vivax reticulocyte-binding protein (PvRBP) family. Another member, PvRBP…