<i>Plasmodium falciparum</i> merozoite surface protein 1 as asexual blood stage malaria vaccine candidate
Richard Thomson-Luque, Thomas C. Stabler, Kristin Fürle, Joana C. Silva, Claudia Daubenberger
Abstract
Introduction Malaria represents a tremendous public health challenge in tropical and sub-tropical regions, and currently deployed control strategies are likely insufficient to drive elimination of malaria. Development and improvement of malaria vaccines might be key to reduce disease burden. Vaccines targeting asexual blood stages of the parasite have shown limited efficacy when studied in human trials conducted over the past decades.Areas covered Vaccine candidates based on the merozoite surface protein 1 (MSP1) were initially envisioned as one of the most promising approaches to provide immune protection against asexual blood-stage malaria. Successful immunization studies in monkey models involved the use of the full-length MSP1 as vaccine construct. Vaccines using full-length MSP1 for immunization have the potential benefit of including numerous conserved B-cell and T-cell epitopes. This could result in improved parasite strain-transcending, protective immunity in the field. We review here outcomes of clinical trials that utilized a variety of MSP1 constructs and formulations, including full-length MSP1, either alone or in combination with other antigens, in both animal models and humans.Expert opinion Novel approaches to analyze breadth and magnitude of effector functions of MSP1-targeting antibodies in volunteers undergoing experimental vaccination and controlled human malaria infection will help to defined correlates of protective immunity.