Progress and prospects for blood-stage malaria vaccines

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Vaccinology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Significant reductions in malaria mortality and morbidity have been observed globally.
• The RTS,S vaccine, a pre-erythrocytic malaria vaccine, received positive regulatory opinion in 2015.
• No blood-stage malaria vaccine has yet advanced to a Phase III clinical trial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and evaluate assays and models for predicting the efficacy of blood-stage malaria vaccines.
• To discuss current and novel blood-stage malaria vaccine candidates.
• To provide an overview of strategies for malaria vaccine development.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of assays, models, and clinical trial data for blood-stage malaria vaccines.
• Analysis of vaccine candidates based on efficacy in human clinical trials and controlled human malaria infection models.
• Discussion of ongoing clinical investigations and emerging vaccine strategies.

Main Results:

• Various assays and models exist for predicting blood-stage vaccine efficacy, each with advantages and limitations.
• Several blood-stage vaccine candidates have demonstrated partial efficacy in human trials or challenge models.
• A pipeline of diverse vaccine candidates is under clinical investigation, with novel strategies also emerging.

Conclusions:

• Predictive models and assays are essential for advancing blood-stage malaria vaccine development.
• Continued research and development of blood-stage vaccines are necessary to complement existing control measures.
• The field is progressing towards more effective malaria vaccines through diverse approaches.