A novel adjuvant for use with a blood-stage malaria vaccine

An effective vaccine delivery system has been developed for vaccination against a blood-stage malaria infection in mice. Subcutaneous vaccination with a semi-purified asexual blood-stage malaria antigen combined with an adjuvant formulation containing squalane, Tween 80 and pluronic L121 (AF) protected mice infected with a lethal P. yoelii infection against death and greatly reduced the severity and duration of parasitaemia. The adjuvant and the route of immunization are both clinically acceptable, thereby making this an attractive delivery system for a human malaria vaccine. Protective immunity appeared to be associated with an enhancement of both Th1 and Th2 subset cytokines.