Thus, the infected erythrocytes get surrounded by a protective cage of uninfected RBCs, which results in a formation called “rosettes.” Insulin like growth factor-binding protein 7 (IGFBP7), a protein secreted by monocytes in response to parasitic infection, stimulates rosette formation by P. falciparum and P. vivax infected erythrocytes. Here, IGFBP7 is linked to parasitic infectious disease.