A new malaria vaccine achieves an unparalleled 89% efficacy by targeting late-liver-stage antigens, unlocking new horizons in the fight against global disease. Study: Safety and Efficacy of Immunization with a Late-Liver-Stage Attenuated Malaria Parasite . Image Credit: Corona Borealis Studio / Shutterstock In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine , researchers in the Netherlands evaluated the safety, immune response, and protective efficacy of a second-generation genetically attenuated (GA) Plasmodium falciparum parasite in healthy adults.
Background Malaria eradication efforts have slowed, highlighting the need for more effective tools. Current malaria vaccines, such as the recombinant protein-based RTS,S/AS01 (Mosquirix) and the modified recombinant R21, target the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) but provide only modest, short-lived protection, particularly in infants. Whole-parasite vaccination strategies using GA sporozoites offer a promising alternative.
These sporozoites invade liver cells but fail to progress to blood-stage infection, allowing the immune system to safely encounter a wide array of parasite antigens and generate humoral and cellular immune responses. Late-arresting GA parasites show potential for improved efficacy over early-arresting models. Further research is needed to optimize these strategies and evaluate their effectiveness in malaria-endemic regions.
About the Study The trial utilized a dose-escalation safety phase (Stage.