Production of radiation-attenuated vaccines against malaria and schistosomiasis.

PARASITOLOGY research at the Naval Medical Research Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A., is directed toward developing effective vaccines against malaria and schistosomiasis. The malaria vaccine is based on radiation-attenuated sporozoites which are effective immunogens but must be separated from their mosquito host and purified. The schistosomiasis program focuses on studies of the use of radiation-attenuated cercariae for vaccine development and for research on immunity mechanisms in experimental schistosomiasis.