Human Monoclonal Antibodies That Target the RH5 Complex of Blood-Stage Plasmodium Falciparum

249 million people were afflicted with malaria in 2022. There are five Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans. Of the five, Plasmodium falciparum causes most of the incidence of human disease. Most advanced malaria vaccine candidates can confer only partial, short-term protection in malaria-endemic areas. The pathogenesis of malaria is associated with blood-stage infection and antibodies specific to the parasite blood-stage antigens may be able to control parasitemia. To address this public health need, NIAID inventors have developed 35 human monoclonal antibodies that target the RH5 complex of blood-stage Plasmodium falciparum and were found to have potent activity in in vitro growth inhibition assays.