The two primary forms of African trypanosomiasis are West African sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense, and East African sleeping sickness, caused by Trypanosoma brucei ...

or sleeping sickness. This disease was common in the west African region. The gene prompts the immune system to produce a protein that dissolves the membrane of the parasite, destroying it.

Millions of people worldwide are affected by African sleeping sickness, Chagas disease and other life-threatening infections caused by microscopic parasites borne by insects such as the tsetse fly.