show Abstracthide AbstractCerebral Malaria (CM), the deadliest complication of Plasmodium infection, is a complex and unpredictable disease. Currently, our understanding of the factors that trigger progression of malaria to CM is limited. Here, by infecting experimental CM (ECM) resistant (Balb/c) and ECM susceptible (C57BL/6) mice with ECM causing (ANKA) and non-ECM causing (NK65) Plasmodium berghei (Pb) parasite strains, we revealed that in resistant host, infection by ECM causing parasite develops similar to infection by non-ECM causing parasite in susceptible host in terms of parasite growth in host, disease course and host immune response against parasite. Our comparative gene expression analysis revealed that in Balb/c host, gene expression of Pb ANKA parasite is remarkably different from, the gene expression of Pb ANKA in C57BL/6 but similar to the gene expression of non-ECM causing Pb NK65 in C57BL/6. Thus, host has a critical influence on parasite behavior which ultimately determines the course of malaria disease. Overall design: different treatments of Plasmodium compared