Malaria still kills over 600,000 people each year, particularly in tropical nations. Nevertheless, the severity of the illness varies among infected individuals; some develop severe symptoms, while others experience milder symptoms. Understanding why this happens is one of the most difficult tasks in medicine. Italy is leading the way in this area. Researchers from the Institute of Genetic and Biomedical Research of the National Research Council (CNR-IRGB) in Cagliari and the University of Sassari discovered a genetic variant that can inhibit the growth of the malaria parasite. The study, titled "Reduced cyclin D3 expression in erythroid cells protects against malaria", was published in Nature. It also defines the underlying mechanism of protection and proposes a potential avenue for novel medications. The discovery is based on an observation of Sardinian DNA. For researchers, this "natural experiment" presents a novel therapeutic opportunity: "Nature has demonstrated an effective method of preventing malaria", according to the experts. "The current challenge is to convert this biological mechanism into a therapy by pharmacologically replicating the variant's protective effect to safeguard the populations that are currently affected by the disease". The work thus gives a solid scientific foundation for designing new targeted medications that are directly inspired by human development.