MALARIA VACCINE: PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

Malaria over the years has been a great scourge to mankind. It is caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan of the genus Plasmodium which is transmitted by several species of Anopheles mosquitoes. It is basically a disease of the tropics and is endemic in Nigeria. Drugs are available for treatment but the risk of malaria is worsened by drug resistance developed by these parasites and this has become a source of serious concern and has led to the development of new drugs and treatment regimens. An effective malaria vaccine would be a valuable tool to reduce the disease burden and could contribute to the elimination of malaria in some regions of the world. Current malaria vaccine candidates are directed against human and mosquito stages of the parasite lifecycle, but thus far, relatively few proteins have been studied for potential vaccine development. The most advanced vaccine candidate RTS/SAS01 conferred partial protection against malaria in phase II clinical trials and is currently being evaluated in a phase III in Africa. A better understanding of the mechanisms of naturally acquired immunity to malaria may lead to the insights for vaccine development.