Pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccines: identifying the targets

Abstract

Pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccines target Plasmodium during its sporozoite and liver stages, and can prevent progression to blood-stage disease, which causes a million deaths each year. Whole organism sporozoite vaccines induce sterile immunity in animals and humans and guide subunit vaccine development. A recombinant protein-in-adjuvant pre-erythrocytic vaccine called RTS,S reduces clinical malaria without preventing infection in field studies and additional antigens may be required to achieve sterile immunity. Although few vaccine antigens have progressed to human testing, new insights into parasite biology, expression profiles and immunobiology have offered new targets for intervention. Future advances require human trials of additional antigens, as well as platforms to induce the durable antibody and cellular responses including CD8⁺ T cells that contribute to sterile protection.

Keywords::

• adjuvants
• liver
• Plasmodium falciparum
• pre-erythrocytic malaria
• rodent models
• sporozoite
• vaccine

Financial & competing interests disclosure

PE Duffy is named as a co-inventor on patents for novel pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccine antigen candidates. The authors contributing to this review are supported by funds from Division of Intramural Research, NIAID, NIH, and by a grant from the Malaria Vaccine Initiative at PATH (to PE Duffy). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.