Malaria vaccines

Abstract

Malaria continues to be a major worldwide problem. Recent advances in our understanding of the parasite and the immune response to malarial infections has resulted in major advances in the progress toward an effective malaria vaccine. Owing to the complexity of the parasite's life cycle, an effective vaccine will most assuredly contain components selected to stimulate potent immune mechanisms directed at various points in the parasite's life cycle. Considering the increasing incidence of drug resistance, combined with the high case-fatality rate, most research efforts have focused on developing a vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum. A successful vaccine against P. falciparum would be a significant advance in medical science. One must not, however, forget the severe morbidity associated with the other three human malarial species. As information is gained in the effort against P. falciparum, it is rapidly incorporated into efforts against P. vivax, P. malariae, and P. ovale.