An mRNA multivalent approach including pre-erythrocytic-stage antigens and mosquito saliva antigens to broaden the immune targets against malaria infection

Every year, over 200 million cases of malaria occur globally with over half a million deaths, mainly of children. Malaria is a major health risk for billions of people living in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia as well as for travelers and military personnel serving in these regions. Malaria is associated with severe chills, fever, and sweating, and is transmitted by the bite of a mosquito infected with parasites of the genus Plasmodium. The most severe disease and death is caused by infection with P. falciparum; however, morbidity and mortality are also on the rise for P. vivax infection in Southeast Asia, which is a great health threat to U.S. military personnel deployed to these areas. Due to high rates of resistance of Plasmodium parasites to anti-malarial drugs, there is an urgent need to develop effective malaria vaccines. In addition, the highly versatile mRNA platform technology will be used to evaluate delivery of the antigen targets. An effective vaccine targeting the very early stages of malaria parasite infection in the human host will produce immune responses that interfere with parasites at the mosquito bite site and block infection of liver cells. Effective targeting at this early stage of infection can lead to sterile protection of non-immune, deploying military personnel and short-term travelers to malaria endemic regions. The advantage of the mRNA platform is that its production process is relatively simple, rapid, and low cost compared to more complex protein-based processes. Therefore, the proposed work will add to the growing body of research on the effect of combining different vaccine targets and vaccine platforms, and if successful, will support using mRNA technology to deliver multiple vaccine candidates in the same vaccine, in addition to using mosquito saliva antigens combined with many other existing vaccines against other mosquito borne diseases including but not limited to dengue, yellow fever, and Zika.

Vaccines (Immune Correlates)

Sep 2023 — Sep 2026

$1.42M

Canada
United States