Malaria Vaccine Successfully Tested In Mice

The search for a malaria vaccine has proven successful. Scientists from the university hospital in Heidelberg have vaccinated mice with a genetically engineered malaria agent. When rodents were repeatedly stuck by infected mosquitoes, they did not come down with the disease.

Every year several million people die of Malaria. Until now there exists no reliable vaccine against this disease.

The breakthrough resulted from scientists blocking the gene UIS4 in the genetic information of the plasmodium-agent. This gene is necessary for the development of the parasite in infected liver cells. It contains the construction plan for a protein of the outer mantle of the parasite, which encircles the agent within the liver cell and through which the metabolism with the cell is regulated.

Without the gene the agents can infiltrate liver cells, but stay in a harmless state of development. The scientists activated the immune system of the mice with this vaccine, so that the animals were protected against Malaria.

“We hope that we can apply appropriate vaccines also in humans”, said executive researcher Kai Matuschewski.

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