Malaria breakthrough set to change vaccine design

Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) have discovered a vital clue as to why malaria vaccines keep failing, which could potentially change how vaccines for the deadly disease and others are made. Malaria is a major global killer. But the parasitic disease which is spread to people by mosquitos does not currently have an effective vaccine. The ANU experts from the John Curtin School of Medical Research have now found a way for a vaccine to better target the disease. Their finding, published in Cell Host & Microbe, shows where malaria vaccines are going wrong. Effective vaccines work by generating antibodies against infectious diseases, allowing the immune system to successfully provide long-term protection. However, current malaria vaccines have been failing to produce enough protection. “We have found that antibody based protection against malaria is difficult to achieve as the body cannot generate enough protective antibodies through the vaccine,” lead author and PhD scholar...