K562 erythroleukemia line as a possible reticulocyte source to culture Plasmodium vivax and its surrogates

•miR-26a and miR-30a knockdowns promote differentiation in Fy-transduced K562 cell lines.•miR-26a and miR-30a knockdowns promote enucleation in Fy-transduced K562 cell lines.•Data denote an interplay in the mode of action of miR-26a and miR-30a in erythropoiesis.•Plasmodium cynomolgi and P. knowlesi invade, albeit inefficiently, Fy-transduced K562 cells. Establishing an in vitro “red blood cell matrix” that would allow uninterrupted access to a...