Developing next-generation mRNA vaccines for malaria

Vaccination is a highly effective strategy to protect populations against infectious diseases. Highly protective and long-lasting vaccines are needed to reduce the global burden of malaria and enable elimination. Vaccines work by training the immune system to detect and eliminate infectious agents and prevent illness and severe disease.

To achieve potent and long-lasting immunity against malaria requires vaccines that generate the right types of immune responses. mRNA vaccine technology is a new technology that has the potential to accelerate the development of next-generation malaria vaccines.

Objective

We aim to develop effective malaria vaccines that induce long-lasting protection using mRNA technology.

Timeline

2022–2030.

Approach

Professor James Beeson and his team are leading next-generation vaccine development for malaria by designing and engineering mRNA vaccines to contain specific proteins of malaria to generate antibodies that can provide highly protective immunity against malaria.

The project aims to develop vaccines for Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax, which are the two major causes of malaria. Additionally, the is identifying approaches that can generate a long-lasting protective immune response against malaria.

Community impact

An effective vaccine will alleviate the disease burden in communities globally, especially in low-middle-income settings where the malaria is the highest and where access to resources and health care can be severely constrained.