The MalariaWorld Journal

A considerable effort is currently underway to develop a malaria vaccine based on live Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites. The first requisite of a sporozoite vaccine is the guarantee of parasite arrest prior to the onset of the pathogenic blood stage. Immunisation with genetically attenuated parasites (GAP) that arrest in the liver forms a promising approach. Work in this thesis describes the development and characterisation of a P. berghei Δb9Δslarp GAP that fully arrests in the liver. Immunisation of multiple mouse strains with low numbers of Δb9Δslarp GAP resulted in sterile protection. The Δb9Δslarp GAP is there- fore the leading GAP vaccine candidate. Work in this the- sis further describes the effect of varying the parameters of sporozoite inoculation on parasite liver load. These findings provide a rationale for the design of clinical trials aimed at the administration of live attenuated P. falciparum sporozoites.

[Note: Full copy of PhD thesis attached]

This Editorial accompanies seven research articles for which the research was funded through Grand Challenge Exploration grants. Alan Magill is the newly appointed Director who oversees the development and implementation of strategies for the Gates foundation’s ultimate goal of the eradication of malaria using current tools and strategies as well as developing new generations of vaccines, diagnostics, and anti-malarial therapies to be used in novel and innovative ways. Steven Buchsbaum leads the Discovery & Translational Sciences team’s efforts to expand the Grand Challenges family of grant programs and associated partnerships to enhance their impact.

This GCE project aimed to establish “humanised liver” mice capable of supporting the full development of the liver stages of human malaria parasites. This could provide an invaluable opportunity to study various aspects of human malaria without the use of human volunteers. This would include investigating the biology of human malaria parasites in vivo and testing the potency of various agents against human malaria infection. Furthermore, “humanised liver” mice would give us the means by which efficient and economical precursor analysis can be done prior to the more expensive human clinical trials.

The aim of this GCE project was to develop a non-invasive method for diagnosing malaria. In order to do this, we sought to identify a novel optical property of β-haematin that gives it a robust optical signature. The optical signature needs to be readily detected with light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and photodiodes, which are compatible with low-cost operation in the developing world. The product is envisioned to be similar to a commercial fingertip pulse oximeter, which can be purchased for $20 and can be utilised for thousands of tests with a single battery.