RTS,S/AS02A for malaria.
Malaria prevention and treatment is becoming increasingly difficult as drug-resistant strains of parasites spread globally and affordable antimalarial drugs become ineffective. Therefore, there is a need for a safe and effective vaccine. In recent years, significant technological advances and an increase in funding for malaria vaccine research, including better public-private collaboration, have increased optimism that highly effective vaccines can be developed. RTS,S/AS02A is a novel pre-erythrocytic vaccine based on the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite surface protein. Among all candidate vaccines developed thus far, only the RTS,S/AS02A vaccine has consistently been demonstrated to be well tolerated and provide significant protective efficacy in challenge studies and clinical trials in malaria-endemic countries.
Bojang
Kalifa A
KA
MRC Laboratories, PO Box 273, Banjul, The Gambia, West Africa. kbojang@mrc.gm
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use; D017954:Africa South of the Sahara / Q000453:epidemiology; D000818:Animals; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D019353:Endemic Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007223:Infant; D017780:Malaria Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016778:Malaria, Falciparum / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D014330:Tropical Medicine / Q000639:trends
D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; C493155:RTS,S-AS02A vaccine; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan