Monoclonal Antibody Aids Global Fight Against Malaria

Global Fight against Malaria

Malaria is spread by infectious mosquitoes, especially by Plasmodium sp., that affects humans and other animals. It is characterized by symptoms like fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. Yellow skin, seizures, coma, or death may occur in severe cases.

Malaria affects over 200 million cases and kills hundreds of thousands of people every year especially in impoverished and resource-limited areas of the world. A cornerstone for prevention and treatment of malaria – antimalarial drug effectiveness can be sub-optimal due to ever-emerging resistance, the need for frequent administration, and difficulties with compliance.

Due to the repeated low efficacy rates shown in field vaccine trials, the researchers are now shifting their interest towards monoclonal antibodies for targeting against the circumsporozoite protein of the parasite.

The mAbs may offer longer protection up to months soon after the administration of a single injectable dose, unlike vaccines that require multiple doses and many months to develop protection. Also, the mAbs can be developed at a fraction of the cost of developing new drugs.

“This was a critical study and will help to guide our future work in isolating monoclonal antibodies of unique specificity and activity from ongoing clinical trials of the FMP013 and FMP014 malaria vaccines that were developed at the WRAIR, in collaboration with our malaria research partners”, says Army Col. Jason Regules, MD, director of WRAIR’s Malaria Biologics Branch.

Source: Medindia