Structure-based approaches towards a transmission-blocking vaccine against malaria

Half of the world population is at risk of contracting malaria, with over 200 million people becoming infected every year. Malaria in humans results from infections caused by a parasite. Resistance is alarmingly rising to existing malarial drugs, and no vaccine is available against malaria parasite infections. To develop effective biomedical interventions against malaria, there is a need to better understand parasites responsible for this afflicting disease. The molecular features of the malaria parasite specifically during a critical stage of its life cycle will be studied. High-resolution methodologies will be used to look at parasite components that are essential for transmission and uncover sites of vulnerability. This work will provide important insights into malaria parasite biology, and the blueprints to design biomedical interventions that can disrupt the transmission cycle of parasite species that cause human malaria.

Vaccines (Immune Correlates)

Apr 2020 — Mar 2025

$546,012

Canada