Malaria vaccine: roadblocks and possible solutions

Malaria remains the most prevalent and devastating parasitic disease worldwide. Vaccination is considered to be an approach that will complement other strategies for prevention and control of the disease in the future. In the last 10 years, intense studies aimed at the development of a malaria vacci...

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Main Authors: I.S. Soares, M.M. Rodrigues
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica 1998-03-01
Series:Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X1998000300002
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author I.S. Soares
M.M. Rodrigues
author_facet I.S. Soares
M.M. Rodrigues
author_sort I.S. Soares
collection DOAJ
description Malaria remains the most prevalent and devastating parasitic disease worldwide. Vaccination is considered to be an approach that will complement other strategies for prevention and control of the disease in the future. In the last 10 years, intense studies aimed at the development of a malaria vaccine have provided important knowledge of the nature of the host immunological mechanisms of protection and their respective target antigens. It became well established that protective immune responses can be generated against the distinct stages of Plasmodium. However, in general, protective immune responses are directed at stage-specific antigens. The elucidation of the primary structure of these antigens made possible the generation of synthetic and recombinant proteins that are being extensively used in experimental immunizations against the infection. Today, several epitopes of limited polymorphism have been described and protective immunity can be generated by immunization with them. These epitopes are being tested as primary candidates for a subunit vaccine against malaria. Here we critically review the major roadblocks for the development of a malaria vaccine and provide some insight on how these problems are being solved
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spelling doaj.art-5078bf16816244bbb12f0842bc184eaa2022-12-21T18:44:20ZengAssociação Brasileira de Divulgação CientíficaBrazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research0100-879X1414-431X1998-03-0131331710.1590/S0100-879X1998000300002Malaria vaccine: roadblocks and possible solutionsI.S. SoaresM.M. RodriguesMalaria remains the most prevalent and devastating parasitic disease worldwide. Vaccination is considered to be an approach that will complement other strategies for prevention and control of the disease in the future. In the last 10 years, intense studies aimed at the development of a malaria vaccine have provided important knowledge of the nature of the host immunological mechanisms of protection and their respective target antigens. It became well established that protective immune responses can be generated against the distinct stages of Plasmodium. However, in general, protective immune responses are directed at stage-specific antigens. The elucidation of the primary structure of these antigens made possible the generation of synthetic and recombinant proteins that are being extensively used in experimental immunizations against the infection. Today, several epitopes of limited polymorphism have been described and protective immunity can be generated by immunization with them. These epitopes are being tested as primary candidates for a subunit vaccine against malaria. Here we critically review the major roadblocks for the development of a malaria vaccine and provide some insight on how these problems are being solvedhttp://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X1998000300002malariaPlasmodiumvaccineimmunityinfectious disease
spellingShingle I.S. Soares
M.M. Rodrigues
Malaria vaccine: roadblocks and possible solutions
Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
malaria
Plasmodium
vaccine
immunity
infectious disease
title Malaria vaccine: roadblocks and possible solutions
title_full Malaria vaccine: roadblocks and possible solutions
title_fullStr Malaria vaccine: roadblocks and possible solutions
title_full_unstemmed Malaria vaccine: roadblocks and possible solutions
title_short Malaria vaccine: roadblocks and possible solutions
title_sort malaria vaccine roadblocks and possible solutions
topic malaria
Plasmodium
vaccine
immunity
infectious disease
url http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X1998000300002
work_keys_str_mv AT issoares malariavaccineroadblocksandpossiblesolutions
AT mmrodrigues malariavaccineroadblocksandpossiblesolutions