New malaria vaccine proposed
A group of scientists at Yale University developed a new malaria vaccine and tested the drug in mice. It is based on the effect on a particular protein that parasites use to avoid an immune response. The results of the study were published today in the journal Nature Communications.
Malaria ranks second in the list of the most deadly infectious diseases - in 2013 it claimed more than half a million lives. Currently, there is no effective vaccine against this disease, and even infection does not lead to the development of sufficient immunity. In the previous work, the Yale scientists described a unique protein produced by malarial parasites - plasmodia. It was named PMIF (inhibiting factor of migration of macrophages of plasmodium), as it is able to suppress T cells that react to pathogens and prevent re-infection.
In a new study, specialists tested an RNA-based vaccine that affects PMIF. At the first stage of the experiment, scientists genetically modified the plasmodium strain. They infected the mice with these parasites, as a result of which the rodents developed an enhanced immunity compared to the usual ones. The researchers then used two murine models of malaria to test the effectiveness of the vaccine. One of the models was infected with the liver (early stage of the disease), the second - with blood (late stage). In both cases, vaccination prevented repeated infection. At the last stage, scientists introduced T cells taken from vaccinated mice, rodents that had not previously met with malarial vectors. In this case, the disease also did not develop.
As a result of the study, specialists were able to find out that PMIF is necessary to complete the life cycle of the parasite and to hit the next host. They concluded that with the introduction of a new vaccine, a re-illness can be prevented. In the future, scientists expect to develop a vaccine for those who have never previously had malaria, in particular, for young children. In addition, they noted that theoretically, in view of the characteristics of PMIF, parasites can not develop resistance to the vaccine, and the same approach can be used when vaccinating against other parasitic infections.
A group of scientists at Yale University developed a new malaria vaccine and tested the drug in mice. It is based on the effect on a particular protein that parasites use to avoid an immune response. The results of the study were published today in the journal Nature Communications.
Malaria ranks second in the list of the most deadly infectious diseases - in 2013 it claimed more than half a million lives. Currently, there is no effective vaccine against this disease, and even infection does not lead to the development of sufficient immunity. In the previous work, the Yale scientists described a unique protein produced by malarial parasites - plasmodia. It was named PMIF (inhibiting factor of migration of macrophages of plasmodium), as it is able to suppress T cells that react to pathogens and prevent re-infection.
In a new study, specialists tested an RNA-based vaccine that affects PMIF. At the first stage of the experiment, scientists genetically modified the plasmodium strain. They infected the mice with these parasites, as a result of which the rodents developed an enhanced immunity compared to the usual ones. The researchers then used two murine models of malaria to test the effectiveness of the vaccine. One of the models was infected with the liver (early stage of the disease), the second - with blood (late stage). In both cases, vaccination prevented repeated infection. At the last stage, scientists introduced T cells taken from vaccinated mice, rodents that had not previously met with malarial vectors. In this case, the disease also did not develop.
As a result of the study, specialists were able to find out that PMIF is necessary to complete the life cycle of the parasite and to hit the next host. They concluded that with the introduction of a new vaccine, a re-illness can be prevented. In the future, scientists expect to develop a vaccine for those who have never previously had malaria, in particular, for young children. In addition, they noted that theoretically, in view of the characteristics of PMIF, parasites can not develop resistance to the vaccine, and the same approach can be used when vaccinating against other parasitic infections.
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