CHAPTER 4 – Malaria Vaccines

Publisher Summary Malaria is a disease of major global proportions. Estimates vary, but possibly as many as 500 million people throughout the world are infected with malaria parasites, and as a result 2 to 3 million children die annually. It is still less than 10 years since the first malaria genes were cloned and expressed in the laboratory, opening the way for possible vaccine development, and during this time, there has been tremendous development in knowledge of malaria immunity, in discovery of vaccine candidates, and in the development of adjuvants required for a successful vaccine program. Coupled with this, there has been resolve from scientists, industry, and governments for the development of such a vaccine. This chapter explores the prospects for a vaccine separately for each stage of the parasite's life cycle. The chapter also discusses some future directions for vaccine development, some of which are general, while others are specific for each stage in the life cycle.