Development of vaccines for Plasmodium vivax malaria

Abstract

Plasmodium vivax continues to cause significant morbidity outside Africa with more than 50% of malaria cases in many parts of South and South-east Asia, Pacific islands, Central and South America being attributed to P. vivax infections. The unique biology of P. vivax, including its ability to form latent hypnozoites that emerge months to years later to cause blood stage infections, early appearance of gametocytes before clinical symptoms are apparent and a shorter development cycle in the vector makes elimination of P. vivax using standard control tools difficult. The availability of an effective vaccine that provides protection and prevents transmission would be a valuable tool in efforts to eliminate P. vivax. Here, we review the latest developments related to P. vivax malaria vaccines and discuss the challenges as well as directions toward the goal of developing highly efficacious vaccines against P. vivax malaria.

Independent Origin and Global Distribution of Distinct Plasmodium vivax Duffy Binding Protein Gene Duplications

“…PvDBP is therefore a high-priority P . vivax vaccine candidate [7]. The essentiality of the PvDBP-DARC interaction for P .…”

Control of Malaria by Bio-Therapeutics and Drug Delivery Systems

“…Vaccine development has been directed to different infection stages including transmission blocking vaccines, pre-erythrocytic vaccines, and blood-stage vaccines; these have been reviewed comprehensively for both P. falciparum and P. Vivax [14][15][16]. Generally, vaccines have either been subunits of well-defined and conserved parasite antigens, or whole attenuated sporozoites.…”

Rationale for Further Development of a Vaccine Based on the Circumsporozoite Protein of Plasmodium vivax

“…Plasmodium vivax and its mosquito vectors have several distinctive characteristics that allow the transmission of this parasite in both temperate and tropical climates [1,2]. None, however, are as unique as its ability to form hypnozoites—dormant forms that reactivate periodically to cause multiple bouts of clinical malaria—that may be responsible for up to 80% of clinical episodes [1].…”

“…None, however, are as unique as its ability to form hypnozoites—dormant forms that reactivate periodically to cause multiple bouts of clinical malaria—that may be responsible for up to 80% of clinical episodes [1]. Unlike P .…”