Central to severe malaria pathogenesis is the cytoadherence of P. falciparum-infected red blood cells (iRBCs) to the vascular endothelium11, mediated by clonally variant P. falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) proteins12,13 with binding to intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) and endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) strongly linked with severe disease14. This evidence concerns the gene PROCR and malaria.