The malaria vaccine--status quo 2013

Area of Science:

• Malariology
• Vaccinology
• Infectious Disease Research

Background:

• Significant progress in malaria vaccine development has been made since early immunization experiments.
• The first recombinant Plasmodium falciparum vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, has advanced to Phase III clinical trials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine in pediatric populations in Africa.
• To explore emerging candidate components for second-generation malaria vaccines.

Main Methods:

• Phase III pediatric trial of RTS,S/AS01 in African children.
• Field trial of the AMA-1/AS02 blood stage vaccine.
• Initial trials of new vaccine antigens targeting different parasite stages.

Main Results:

• RTS,S/AS01 reduced clinical and severe Plasmodium falciparum malaria by 56% and 47% in 5-17 month olds, and 31% and 26% in infants.
• The AMA-1/AS02 vaccine showed no overall efficacy but demonstrated allele-specific efficacy against the vaccine strain.
• New vaccine candidates targeting pre-erythrocytic, blood, sexual stages, and placental malaria are under investigation.

Conclusions:

• The RTS,S/AS01 vaccine shows significant potential for reducing malaria burden in young children.
• Further research and development are crucial for next-generation malaria vaccines, including multicomponent and transmission-blocking strategies.
• Renewed efforts aim to develop effective attenuated-sporozoite vaccines.