Systematic prioritization and initial characterization of Plasmodium falciparum vaccine antigens against pregnancy associated malaria (EndPAMAL)

Plasmodium falciparum malaria in pregnancy accounts for an estimated 10,000 maternal and 200,000 infant deaths per year worldwide with over 25 million pregnancies at risk of infection in sub-Saharan Africa alone. Many of the associated deaths are due to severe maternal anemia and low birth weight. Peripheral blood P. falciparum infections generally peak between 13 and 18 gestation weeks, which is when infected red blood cells (iRBCs) begin to sequester and accumulation in the placenta. However, there is strong scientific evidence that women in their second and subsequent pregnancies have a lower risk of placental infection and severe disease partly due to the acquisition of antibodies directed against parasite antigens that mediate iRBC sequestration or other parasite proteins. We believe that by identifying these targets, we can develop vaccines that can protect women against malaria at this critical stage of raising a family. 

The platform created under this proposal will radically change the scale and pace of pregnancy associated vaccine antigen prioritization and eventual development, and will produce resources of broad utility to the malaria research community and strengthen research Kenya and Africa.

Project information

Enabling Technologies & Assays
Vaccines (Immune Correlates)
Vulnerable Populations

Oct 2021 — Sep 2024

$168,000

Kenya