Development and Evaluation of a Cryopreserved Whole-Parasite Vaccine in a Rodent Model of Blood-Stage Malaria
Danielle I. Stanisic, Mei‐Fong Ho, Reshma J. Nevagi, Emily Cooper, Maddison Walton, Md. Tanjir Islam, Waleed M. Hussein, Mariusz Skwarczyński, István Tóth, Michael F. Good
Abstract
spp. that can cause malaria in humans, with P. falciparum causing the majority of the morbidity and mortality. Malaria parasites are endemic in 87 countries and continue to result in >200 million cases of malaria and >400,000 deaths/year, mostly children <5 years of age. Malaria infection initially presents as a flu-like illness but can rapidly progress to severe disease in nonimmune individuals if treatment is not initiated promptly. Existing control strategies for the mosquito vector (insecticides) and parasite (antimalarial drugs) are becoming increasingly less effective due to the development of resistance. While artemisinin combination therapies are frontline treatment for P. falciparum malaria, resistance has been documented in numerous countries. A highly effective malaria vaccine is urgently required to reduce malaria-attributable clinical disease and death and enable progression toward the ultimate goal of eradication.