Protective immunity to pre-erythrocytic stage malaria

Authors

• Robert J. Schwenk, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research
• Thomas L. Richie, Naval Medical Research Center, Silver Springs, MD

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2011

Comments

Published in Trends in Parasitology (2011), doi:10.1016/j.pt.2011.02.002

Abstract

The development of a vaccine against malaria is a major research priority given the burden of disease, death and economic loss inflicted upon the tropical world by this parasite. Despite decades of effort, however, a vaccine remains elusive. The best candidate is a subunit vaccine termed RTS,S but this provides only partial protection against clinical disease. This review examines what is known about protective immunity against pre-erythrocytic stage malaria by considering the humoral and T cell-mediated immune responses that are induced by attenuated sporozoites and by the RTS,S vaccine. On the basis of these observations a set of research priorities are defined that are crucial for the development of a vaccine capable of inducing long-lasting and high-grade protection against malaria.