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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter June 1, 2005

Progress toward a Malaria Vaccine: Efficient Induction of Protective Anti-Malaria Immunity

  • Moriya Tsuji , Elaine G. Rodrigues and Ruth S. Nussenzweig
From the journal Biological Chemistry

Abstract

Malaria can be a very severe disease, particularly in young children, pregnant women (mostly in primipara), and malaria naïve adults, and currently ranks among the most prevalent infections in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world. The widespread occurrence and the increased incidence of malaria in many countries, caused by drugresistant parasites (Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax) and insecticideresistant vectors (Anopheles mosquitoes), indicate the need to develop new methods of controlling this disease. Experimental vaccination with irradiated sporozoites can protect animals and humans against the disease, demonstrating the feasibility of developing an effective malaria vaccine. However, developing a universally effective, long lasting vaccine against this parasitic disease has been a difficult task, due to several problems. One difficulty stems from the complexity of the parasites life cycle. During their life cycle, malaria parasites change their residence within the host, thus avoiding being reexposed to the same immunological environment. These parasites also possess some distinct antigens, present at different life stages of the parasite, the socalled stagespecific antigens. While some of the stagespecific antigens can induce protective immune responses in the host, these responses are usually genetically restricted, this being another reason for delaying the development of a universally effective vaccine. The stagespecific antigens must be used as immunogens and introduced into the host by using a delivery system that should efficiently induce protective responses against the respective stages. Here we review several research approaches aimed at inducing protective antimalaria immunity, overcoming the difficulties described above.

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Published Online: 2005-06-01
Published in Print: 2001-04-27

Copyright © 2001 by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co. KG

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