Transmission-Blocking Malaria Vaccine

There is no vaccine for malaria, and there is growing resistance to existing anti-malarial drugs. Sexual stage-specific antigens are of interest as vaccine candidates because disruption of these antigens would reduce the fertility and, thus, the infectivity of the parasite.

This invention claims methods and compositions for delivering a Plasmodium P47 vaccine or antibody to P47 to prevent Plasmodium falciparum or Plasmodium vivax malaria. P47 and other antigens have been mentioned as potential transmission-blocking vaccines due to their surface location on gametes. The gene for P47 antigens is also well characterized. Recent discoveries have noted that P47 allows the parasite to suppress or evade the immune system, thereby ensuring the mosquitoes' survival. Recent discoveries have also shown the mechanism by which P47 enables survival of the parasite by manipulation of the mosquito immune system. Based on the critical role of P47 antigens in transmission, the disruption of the function of P47 by various means can be an innovative and forceful means to control and/or reduce the prevalence of malaria.