A step forward for an attenuated blood-stage malaria vaccine

Abstract

Efforts to develop an effective malaria vaccine have encountered multiple challenges, and have had limited success to date. As the need remains urgent, novel approaches must be explored. One concept that has gained attention uses whole malaria parasites. Building on preclinical studies in animal models, Stanisic et al. describe the development of a vaccine based on chemically attenuated Plasmodium falciparum blood-stage parasites, with an evaluation of safety and immunogenicity in malaria-naïve human subjects. The vaccine was shown to be safe, well tolerated, and capable of priming antigen-specific T cells. This work, and the completion of an initial clinical trial in human subjects, represents a significant advance. While the path forward for this attenuated vaccine remains challenging, these initial findings are encouraging. Importantly, the results provide the foundation and framework for testing modified immunization protocols, and designing subsequent clinical trials to further evaluate safety, test for enhanced immunogenicity, and ultimately measure protective efficacy.Please see related article: https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-018-1173-9

Identification, molecular characterization and expression of aminopeptidase N-1 (APN-1) from Anopheles stephensi in SF9 cell line as a candidate molecule for developing a vaccine that interrupt malaria transmission

“…Vaccines have been the primary objects to achieve this goal from previous years, but most of them have been designed based on parasite antigens [43]. Few studies have been performed to find the critical molecules in the vector, which are essential for sexual parasite development, and few vector-based antigens have been introduced as promising candidates for vaccine development against malaria [44].…”

Polymeric Nanoparticle Based Diagnosis and Nanomedicine for Treatment and Development of Vaccines for Cerebral Malaria: A Review on Recent Advancement

“…A number of reviews about the malaria vaccine development in general are available, which has been discussed. The general approaches to vaccination that have been tested at the different stages of infection use tobacco mosaic virus platform, pre-erythrocyte stage, transmission blocking stage, protein based vaccination and sporozoite based vaccination. − It can be noted that none of the earlier reviews has discussed polymeric nanomaterials used in the development of vaccines for the prevention of cerebral malaria. Altogether, to the best of our knowledge none of the reviews has discussed malaria diagnostic tools or devices that are been made using polymeric nanoparticles.…”

Studies on the immunological mechanisms leading to protection or pathology during malaria infection

“…Interestingly, no antigen-specific antibody responses were detected in this study although there was only a very small cohort involved and one single priming dose (Stanisic et al 2018). Still, results are promising (Burns 2018).…”