Immune responses to malaria infections

Malaria caused by the apicomplexan parasite Plasmodium remains a global public health problem. A highly efficacious vaccine is deemed essential to achieve the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) vision of “a world free of malaria”. An in-depth characterisation of the generation and protective efficacy of parasite-specific immune responses is warranted to inform the design of future malaria vaccines.
Antigen immunogenicity and accessibility are regarded as important criterions for progression of candidate vaccines to further clinical evaluation. The first part of the presentation will focus on studies in animal models investigating how spatially different parasite forms that comprise the malaria pre-erythrocytic stages and the ensuring temporal expression of parasite-derived antigens influence the generation of infection-induced CD8+ T cell responses. The relevant timings of targeting by vaccine-induced effector CD8+ T cells will also be presented.
The second part of the presentation will highlight research work in endemic areas on immunological memory and mechanisms leading to natural acquired immunity to human malaria.