Plasmodium infection and drug cure for malaria vaccine development

Introduction: Despite decades of research into the development of a vaccine to combat the malaria parasite, a highly efficacious malaria vaccine is not yet available. Different whole parasite-based vaccine approaches, including deliberate Plasmodium infection and drug cure (IDC), have been evaluated in pre-clinical and early phase clinical trials. The advantage of whole parasite vaccines is that they induce immune responses against multiple parasite antigens, thus lowering the impact of antigenic diversity. Deliberate Plasmodium IDC, as a vaccine approach, involves administering infectious, live parasites in combination with an anti-malarial drug, which controls the infection and enables induction of protective immune responses.

Automated summary

Despite years of research, an efficacious malaria vaccine has not been developed yet. Whole parasite-based vaccine approaches are being evaluated to induce immune responses against multiple parasite antigens. Deliberate Plasmodium IDC involves administering live parasites with an anti-malarial drug to control infection and induce protective immune responses.