A study identifies new markers associated with protection by the RTS,S malaria vaccine

Infants who have been less exposed to the parasite are better protected Protection conferred by the RTS,S malaria vaccine depends greatly on the amount and subclass of antibodies generated upon vaccination, and on previous exposure levels to the parasite, according to a study led by ISGlobal, an institution supported by “la Caixa” Foundation. The results, published in BMC Medicine, shed new light on the mechanisms by which RTS,S confers protection and provide the basis for developing more efficacious vaccines. Malaria elimination will require the right combination of interventions, including an effective vaccine. The RTS,S vaccine (MosquirixTM), approved by the European Medical Agency, has shown partial effectiveness – 31% in 6 to 12 weeks-old infants, and 56% in children aged 5 to 17 months. ISGlobal researcher, Carlota Dobaño, and her group, have been working over the past years to understand the reasons for this variability and identify vaccine protection correlates. In this study, an...