We suspected that at the early stages of the infection, the parasite actively reduces the secretion of CXCL10, but when the immune system is “out of control” (as in the severe disease case of CM) and the protein is heavily secreted, as detected in severe malaria patients4, 6, the parasite can directly sense its presence and modify its growth. The gene discussed is CXCL10; the disease is cutaneous mastocytosis.