New insights into antibody roles could improve malaria vaccines for children
Antibody repertoire analyses by B cell sequencing have been useful to determine common signatures in antibody genes and gain insights...
The first malaria vaccine approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2021, RTS,S/AS01 (RTS,S), has shown limited efficacy and only targets Plasmodium falciparum. New vaccine candidates are under development, but more knowledge of protective antibody responses is needed.
IgG and IgA antibodies associated with protection
Research published in Nature Medicine provides novel insights into the role of antibodies in protecting young children against malaria. The study examined antibody responses in Tanzanian children who had been vaccinated with RTS,S or a control vaccine and followed up for two years.
The results showed that children who were protected against malaria had higher levels of functional antibodies mediated by IgG and IgA. These antibodies were able to neutralize the parasite and inhibit its growth. In contrast, children who developed malaria had lower levels of these antibodies.
Next-generation vaccines needed
The findings suggest that next-generation malaria vaccines should focus on inducing functional IgG and IgA antibodies. Such vaccines could improve the protective efficacy of RTS,S or R21, a new vaccine candidate that is currently in Phase 3 trials, and address the wider malaria scourge by preventing transmission of P. falciparum from human to human.
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