Genetically modified ‘Plasmodium’ strains proved to be an effective vaccine against malaria

Malaria is one of the most notorious killers up to now. Developing a vaccine against the disease posed challenges as the parasite that caused the disease out maneuver the host immune response. However, a team of researcher experimentally developed a vaccine by deleting one of the genes of the parasite. In 2015, approximately 214 million cases of malaria have been recorded along with 438,000 deaths. Most of the affected were children and women. Currently, there are still 3.2 billion people at risk of contracting the disease. By far, malaria is the biggest parasitic threat to the human population despite the increased prevention efforts that even targets mosquito vectors. An experimental study led by Salaheddine Mécheri in cooperation with Institut Pasteur’s Malaria Infection & Immunity Unit’s Robert Ménard, developed a genetically attenuated vaccine for the parasite that causes malaria. The scientists induced an effective. Long-lasting response in a mouse model by identifying and...