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Vaccines
Special Issues
Malaria Vaccines: From Vaccine Candidate Discovery to Clinical Trials
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Malaria Vaccines: From Vaccine Candidate Discovery to Clinical Trials

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "Vaccines against Infectious Diseases".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2024) | Viewed by 16572

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Takafumi Tsuboi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Proteomedical Sciences, Cell-Free Science and Technology Research Center, Ehime University, Ehime, Japan
Interests: malaria vaccine development
Prof. Dr. Nirianne Marie Q. Palacpac

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Malaria Vaccine Development, Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Suita-shi, Japan
Interests: Infectious disease; malaria research and clinical trials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Significant efforts have been made to develop malaria vaccines. The efficacy of the first WHO-recommended malaria vaccine, RTS,S/AS01, is modest. Another promising vaccine, R21/Matrix-M, was provisionally approved in Ghana and Nigeria based on phase 2 trial results. Since both are pre-erythrocytic/anti-infection vaccines, other vaccines are sought that target another life cycle stage, have higher efficacy, are cost-effective and are feasible for large-scale implementation.

Original research, review and clinical trial articles are welcomed. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to):

  1. Novel vaccine candidates and their discovery;
  2. Studies on immune responses that confer protection or seek surrogate markers of protective immunity, including the utilization of controlled human malaria infection studies for a comprehensive analysis of immunological mechanisms;
  3. Comparison of immune regulatory profiles in malaria-exposed, minimally or non-exposed subjects or poor responders in vaccine trials (magnitude, quality, breadth of immune responses);
  4. Understanding the role of functional antibodies, cellular immune responses, or other effector functions after malaria vaccination, as well as assays/experimental models for prescreening candidates;
  5. Immune response differences by gender, age group or previous exposure (symptomatic or asymptomatic);
  6. Genetic background of the population vs. vaccine response;

Clinical trials for vaccine candidates/new antigens or adjuvants or vaccine platforms. 

Prof. Dr. Takafumi Tsuboi
Prof. Dr. Nirianne Marie Q. Palacpac
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • malaria
  • plasmodium
  • vaccine
  • candidate discovery
  • controlled human malaria infection
  • clinical trials

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 5162 KiB  
Article
Persistence of Anti-SE36 Antibodies Induced by the Malaria Vaccine Candidate BK-SE36/CpG in 5–10-Year-Old Burkinabe Children Naturally Exposed to Malaria
by Issa Nebie, Nirianne Marie Q. Palacpac, Edith Christiane Bougouma, Amidou Diarra, Alphonse Ouédraogo, Flavia D’Alessio, Sophie Houard, Alfred B. Tiono, Simon Cousens, Toshihiro Horii and Sodiomon B. Sirima
Vaccines 2024, 12(2), 166; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020166 - 6 Feb 2024
Viewed by 2117
Abstract
Information on the dynamics and decline/persistence of antibody titres is important in vaccine development. A recent vaccine trial in malaria-exposed, healthy African adults and children living in a malaria hyperendemic and seasonal area (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) was the first study in which BK-SE36/CpG [...] Read more.
Information on the dynamics and decline/persistence of antibody titres is important in vaccine development. A recent vaccine trial in malaria-exposed, healthy African adults and children living in a malaria hyperendemic and seasonal area (Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso) was the first study in which BK-SE36/CpG was administered to different age groups. In 5- to 10-year-old children, the risk of malaria infection was markedly lower in the BK-SE36/CpG arm compared to the control arm. We report here data on antibody titres measured in this age-group after the high malaria transmission season of 2021 (three years after the first vaccine dose was administered). At Year 3, 83% of children had detectable anti-SE36 total IgG antibodies. Geometric mean antibody titres and the proportion of children with detectable anti-SE36 antibodies were markedly higher in the BK-SE36/CpG arm than the control (rabies) arm. The information obtained in this study will guide investigators on future vaccine/booster schedules for this promising blood-stage malaria vaccine candidate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Malaria Vaccines: From Vaccine Candidate Discovery to Clinical Trials)
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Review

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21 pages, 853 KiB  
Review
How to Accelerate Early Stage of Malaria Vaccine Development by Optimizing Functional Assays
by Kazutoyo Miura
Vaccines 2024, 12(6), 586; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12060586 - 28 May 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2141
Abstract
While two Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein-based pre-erythrocytic vaccines (PEV), RTS,S and R21, have been approved by the WHO, no blood-stage vaccine (BSV) or transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) has reached a phase 3 trial. One of the major obstacles that slows down malaria vaccine development [...] Read more.
While two Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein-based pre-erythrocytic vaccines (PEV), RTS,S and R21, have been approved by the WHO, no blood-stage vaccine (BSV) or transmission-blocking vaccine (TBV) has reached a phase 3 trial. One of the major obstacles that slows down malaria vaccine development is the shortage (or lack) of in vitro assays or animal models by which investigators can reasonably select the best vaccine formulation (e.g., antigen, adjuvant, or platform) and/or immunization strategy (e.g., interval of inoculation or route of immunization) before a human phase 2 trial. In the case of PEV, RTS,S and R21 have set a benchmark, and a new vaccine can be compared with (one of) the approved PEV directly in preclinical or early clinical studies. However, such an approach cannot be utilized for BSV or TBV development at this moment. The focus of this review is in vitro assays or in vivo models that can be used for P. falciparum BSV or TBV development, and I discuss important considerations during assay selection, standardization, qualification, validation, and interpretation of the assay results. Establishment of a robust assay/model with proper interpretation of the results is the one of key elements to accelerate future vaccine development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Malaria Vaccines: From Vaccine Candidate Discovery to Clinical Trials)
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17 pages, 7274 KiB  
Review
Assessing the Implementation Determinants of Pilot Malaria Vaccination Programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi through a Complexity Lens: A Rapid Review Using a Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research
by Abdu A. Adamu, Rabiu I. Jalo, Duduzile Ndwandwe and Charles S. Wiysonge
Vaccines 2024, 12(2), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12020111 - 23 Jan 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3922
Abstract
In 2019, national immunization programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi commenced the implementation of RTS,S/AS01 vaccination in large-scale pilot schemes. Understanding the implementation context of this malaria vaccination in the pilot countries can provide useful insights for enhancing implementation outcomes in new countries. [...] Read more.
In 2019, national immunization programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi commenced the implementation of RTS,S/AS01 vaccination in large-scale pilot schemes. Understanding the implementation context of this malaria vaccination in the pilot countries can provide useful insights for enhancing implementation outcomes in new countries. There has not yet been a proper synthesis of the implementation determinants of malaria vaccination programs. A rapid review was conducted to identify the implementation determinants of the pilot malaria vaccination programs in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi, and describe the mechanism by which these determinants interact with each other. A literature search was conducted in November 2023 in PubMed and Google Scholar to identify those studies that described the factors affecting malaria vaccine implementation in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi. Thirteen studies conducted between 2021 and 2023 were included. A total of 62 implementation determinants of malaria vaccination across all five domains of the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) were identified. A causal loop diagram showed that these factors are interconnected and interrelated, identifying nine reinforcing loops and two balancing loops. As additional countries in Africa prepare for a malaria vaccine roll-out, it is pertinent to ensure that they have access to adequate information about the implementation context of countries that are already implementing malaria vaccination programs so that they understand the potential barriers and facilitators. This information can be used to inform context-specific systems enhancement to maximize implementation success. Going forward, primary implementation studies that incorporate the causal loop diagram should be integrated into the malaria vaccine implementation program to enable immunization program managers and other key stakeholders to identify and respond to emerging implementation barriers in a timely and systematic manner, to improve overall implementation performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Malaria Vaccines: From Vaccine Candidate Discovery to Clinical Trials)
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14 pages, 1450 KiB  
Review
Malaria Vaccines: From the Past towards the mRNA Vaccine Era
by Maria E. Tsoumani, Chrysa Voyiatzaki and Antonia Efstathiou
Vaccines 2023, 11(9), 1452; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11091452 - 4 Sep 2023
Cited by 21 | Viewed by 7640
Abstract
Plasmodium spp. is the etiological agent of malaria, a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Malaria remains a major global health challenge, particularly in endemic regions. Over the years, various vaccine candidates targeting different stages of Plasmodium parasite life-cycle have been explored, [...] Read more.
Plasmodium spp. is the etiological agent of malaria, a life-threatening parasitic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes. Malaria remains a major global health challenge, particularly in endemic regions. Over the years, various vaccine candidates targeting different stages of Plasmodium parasite life-cycle have been explored, including subunit vaccines, vectored vaccines, and whole organism vaccines with Mosquirix, a vaccine based on a recombinant protein, as the only currently approved vaccine for Plasmodium falciparum malaria. Despite the aforementioned notable progress, challenges such as antigenic diversity, limited efficacy, resistant parasites escaping protective immunity and the need for multiple doses have hindered the development of a highly efficacious malaria vaccine. The recent success of mRNA-based vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 has sparked renewed interest in mRNA vaccine platforms. The unique mRNA vaccine features, including their potential for rapid development, scalability, and flexibility in antigen design, make them a promising avenue for malaria vaccine development. This review provides an overview of the malaria vaccines’ evolution from the past towards the mRNA vaccine era and highlights their advantages in overcoming the limitations of previous malaria vaccine candidates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Malaria Vaccines: From Vaccine Candidate Discovery to Clinical Trials)
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