An update on the search for a Plasmodium vivax vaccine.
Although Plasmodium falciparum is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality due to malaria worldwide, nearly 2.5 billion people, mostly outside Africa, are also at risk from malaria caused by Plasmodium vivax infection. Currently, almost all efforts to develop a malaria vaccine have focused on P. falciparum. For example, there are 23 P. falciparum vaccine candidates undergoing advanced clinical studies and only two P. vivax vaccine candidates being tested in preliminary (Phase I) clinical trials, with few others being assessed in preclinical studies. More investment and a greater effort toward the development of P. vivax vaccine components for a multi-species vaccine are required. This is mainly because of the wide geographical coexistence of both parasite species but also because of increasing drug resistance, recent observations of severe and lethal P. vivax cases and relapsing parasite behaviour. Availability of the P. vivax genome has contributed to antigen discovery but new means to test vaccines in future trials remain to be designed.
Herrera
Sócrates
S
Malaria Vaccine and Drug Development Center, AA 26020, Cali, Colombia; Immunology Institute, Universidad del Valle, AA 25574, Cali, Colombia. sherrera@inmuno.org
Corradin
Giampietro
G
Arévalo-Herrera
Myriam
M
D000818:Animals; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D016780:Malaria, Vivax / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1 / Q000276:immunology; D010966:Plasmodium vivax / Q000276:immunology*; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000276:immunology; D013045:Species Specificity
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; C066001:Duffy antigen binding protein, Plasmodium; D017780:Malaria Vaccines; D020066:Merozoite Surface Protein 1; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C041595:circumsporozoite protein, Protozoan