Scientific research Infectious diseases: malaria and vaccine research

Malaria research

• Why is Malaria research important?

  Malaria is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world and has a particularly severe impact on people in low-income countries. Every year, millions of people fall ill with malaria, with children under the age of five being particularly vulnerable. Malaria remains a major cause of death in this young age group.

  Radboudumc has been conducting research into malaria since 1962, initially focusing on its spread by mosquitoes and parasite cultivation. 35 years later in 1997, this led to the first so-called controlled human malaria infections, followed by an innovative vaccine research program. 

  Since then, many researchers have studied this subject. There are drugs and vaccines against malaria, but they are not yet effective enough. Increasingly, the parasite that causes malaria is becoming resistant to existing drugs. Furthermore, current vaccines do not protect everyone. That is why research into malaria remains essential. With better research, we can develop new drugs and vaccines to better protect people. 

• Malaria vaccine development

  Through controlled human malaria infections in healthy volunteers, researchers can study the immune response to malaria. We use this knowledge to develop new, better malaria vaccines. 

  How do we work?

  We research how the malaria parasite itself can be used as a vaccine by repeatedly infecting healthy volunteers with malaria while they take antimalarials. The antimalarials prevent the volunteers from becoming ill, but the immune system comes into contact with the parasite and learns how to destroy it. If these volunteers are bitten by mosquitoes with malaria again, they will no longer become sick even without the antimalarials.

  Together with the Leiden University Medical Center and the American company Sanaria Inc., a weakened malaria parasite has been developed at Radboudumc, in which two genes have been removed. This “genetically modified” parasite stops developing early on, which, as expected, results in no symptoms occurring in the human subject, but it is still recognized by the immune system.

  Testing malaria vaccines

  Testing of a potential vaccine must first be done extensively on laboratory animals. At a later stage, the vaccines will be tested on healthy volunteers. After a malaria vaccine is found to be safe in healthy volunteers, it will be tested whether the vaccine is effective in preventing malaria. Sometimes, this research is conducted among a group of volunteers in countries where malaria is very common. However, these types of studies are often difficult to set up and conduct. In order to advance the development of malaria vaccines, these types of studies can also be performed in countries where malaria does not occur naturally. This involves healthy volunteers receiving the new vaccine and being exposed to malaria under strictly controlled conditions in order to see whether the vaccine can effectively prevent malaria.

• What is controlled human malaria infection research?

  In this research, healthy participants are infected with malaria under strictly controlled conditions. This allows us to investigate exactly how well new drugs work and how we can better protect people with vaccines. The safety of the participants is always our first priority. Everyone who participates is well supervised and receives immediate treatment if necessary. Fortunately, there are very effective drugs available to treat malaria that prevent serious illness or relapse. 

• Did you know?

  • You can only participate in controlled human malaria infection studies if you are in good health.
  • You can be infected with malaria in various ways, such as through mosquito bites, but also through injection of malaria infected blood.
  • The symptoms of malaria are similar to those of the flu, such as malaise, fatigue, fever, and headache.
  • During a controlled human malaria infection study, you have 24/7 hour access to a doctor.
  • You are seen regularly at the hospital to monitor your health.
  • You receive a highly effective antimalarial drug and are completely cured at the end of the study.