A key challenge in developing a malaria vaccine is choosing which stage to target.

Transcript

A key challenge in developing a malaria vaccine is choosing which stage of the infection to target. You can target the parasite when it enters the body, multiplies in the liver and the blood, or is in the sexual stage, preparing to be picked up by a mosquito. Along with selecting the right vaccine target, it’s also important to consider how these targets naturally vary in the population. To identify the optimal target, researchers examined the genetic and structural variation of ten antigens in over 1,000 samples of malaria parasites from six African countries. Interestingly, antigens involved in human infection showed the most genetic and structural variation across countries. Transmission-blocking antigens—ones that induce antibodies in humans that disrupt the parasite’s development in the mosquito, thus preventing further transmission —were more conserved across regions. This makes transmission-blocking antigens excellent targets as standalone or multi-stage vaccines to prevent onward transmission to other people.

Source

Diversity and selection analyses identify transmission-blocking antigens as the optimal solution.

About The Podcast

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.

We share a special episode of our podcast to mark World Mosqutio Day.

World Mosquito Day, observed annually on August 20th, commemorates British doctor Sir Ronald Ross's discovery in 1897 that female Anopheles mosquitoes transmit malaria to humans. More than a century later, major advancements like genetically modifying mosquitoes—AKA gene drives—have the potential to reduce malaria cases and deaths dramatically, but not without hurdles.

About The Podcast

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.

People often talk about the 'malaria toolkit' - how might gene drives fit?

Transcript

When people talk about malaria, they often mention the 'malaria toolkit' – a set of tools, like bed nets and indoor residual spraying, that are available to help curb the spread of disease. In the past, these tools were trusty go-to's – thanks to their efficacy, scalability and cost. Like the antimalarial drugs used to prevent and treat the disease, they’re primarily aimed at protecting individuals. Yet, a new technology called gene drives – which releases and spreads genetically modified mosquitoes that can't transmit the disease – aims to protect whole communities. How might they fit into the toolkit? Dr Damaris Matoka-Muhia of the Kenya Medical Research Institute considers gene drives a potentially sustainable, long-term and cost-effective solution for malaria – especially as resistance dulls other tools. And in Kenya, there are regulations in place to support gene drive implementation. The National Biosafety Authority, already used for GM crops like cotton can be leveraged, ready to roll out this innovation in the future.

Source

How could genetic approaches be integrated in the malaria toolkit?

About The Podcast

The Johns Hopkins Malaria Minute podcast is produced by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute to highlight impactful malaria research and to share it with the global community.