Malaria
Malaria
Malaria is caused by a parasite called Plasmodium, which is transmitted via the bites of infected mosquitoes. In the human body, the parasites multiply in the liver, and then infect red blood cells.
Symptoms of malaria include fever, headache, and vomiting, and usually appear between 10 and 15 days after the mosquito bite. If not treated, malaria can quickly become life-threatening. In many parts of the world, the parasites have developed resistance to a number of malaria drugs.
Most cases and deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa. However, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and parts of Europe are also affected. In 2006, Malaria was present in 109 countries and territories. 300-500 million people contract malaria annually among 3 billion people at risk, causing one million deaths each year. Every 30 seconds someone dies from malaria.
Malaria being an extremely climate-sensitive disease, a potential risk exists that Global Warming leads Malaria towards areas in higher latitudes. Some Scientifics predict that in the coming decades, tens – even hundreds – of millions more cases will occur in regions where the disease is already present, and that it will move to higher latitudes and altitudes.1
Mymetics’ Malaria Vaccine
Mymetics’s Malaria Vaccine develops antibodies against the Plasmodium falciparum, the most aggressive type of parasite that causes Malaria. The parasite has two main stages of development that take place into two different organs. First, migration of the parasite transmitted by the mosquito bite (sporozoite) to the liver. Second, the sporozoite get transformed inside the liver cell for generating hundreds of merozoites, which then infect red blood cells. Therefore, proteins at the surface of the parasite (sporozoites or merozoites) are constantly changing and the ideal vaccine should target different proteins from the various stages to improve the chance of obtaining protection or reducing the symptoms related mostly to the red blood cell infection.
Mymetics’ vaccine is one of only a few designed for targeting the two forms of the parasite: sporozoites (infecting liver cells) and merozoites (infecting red blood cells). The vaccine uses virosomes as a delivery platform.
Status and Next Steps
The malaria vaccine project in-licensed from Pevion Biotech has been tested in Phase 1b in Tanzania. Results shows good safety and the vaccines has been well tolerated. Interim results show that antibodies against the two malaria parasite forms were present.
References
1 Reiter P. Global warming and malaria: knowing the horse before hitching the cart; Malaria Journal ( December 11, 2008). Article available here