Book chapter
Vaccination Against Malaria Parasites: Paradigms, Perils, and Progress
Molecular Vaccines, pp.217-235
Springer Vienna
08/16/2013
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-7091-1419-3_12
Abstract
Malaria, caused by infection of humans with Plasmodium spp., remains a global health emergency with >200 million new cases and hundreds of thousands of deaths annually. Although naturally acquired resistance against severe malarial disease can develop with age and following repeated exposures to the parasite, current control of Plasmodium infection still relies heavily on the use of anti-malaria chemotherapies. However, the continued selection of drug-resistant parasites continues to confound efforts to effectively manage the incidence and prevalence of the disease caused by this major human pathogen.
Thus, the development of an efficacious vaccine against Plasmodium remains a major goal for improving global public health. Despite decades of significant effort, currently no licensed vaccine for malaria exists. Several factors contribute to the difficulties with developing anti-malaria vaccines, most notably the complex multi-host, multistage developmental life cycle of Plasmodium parasites. Additionally, our limited understanding of the immunologic requirements necessary for the host to control, or clear, Plasmodium parasites remains poorly defined. Importantly, recent work has improved our understanding of host-Plasmodium parasite interactions and has provided critical insight into new strategies for enhancing anti-malarial immunity via prophylactic vaccination.
Based on these new concepts and paradigms, exciting progress has been made in the areas of subunit, vectored, and whole-parasite vaccination against liver-stage and blood-stage Plasmodium infection. Herein, we review the biology and pathogenesis of Plasmodium parasite infection and highlight recent progress and illustrate remaining hurdles for vaccination against malaria parasites.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Vaccination Against Malaria Parasites: Paradigms, Perils, and Progress
- Creators
- Noah S. Butler - University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Publication Details
- Molecular Vaccines, pp.217-235
- DOI
- 10.1007/978-3-7091-1419-3_12
- Publisher
- Springer Vienna; Vienna
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/16/2013
- Academic Unit
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics; Microbiology and Immunology
- Record Identifier
- 9984297327802771
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