IFN-γ response in malaria parasite-infected women is crucial for parasite clearance in both the liver and blood stages (Inoue et al., 2013), however high levels of IFN-γ may also exacerbate the disease severity, including cerebral malaria and other pregnancy complications such as embryotoxicity or abnormal placenta as shown in Figure 3 (King and Lamb, 2015). This evidence concerns the gene IFNG and malaria.