A new malaria vaccine called FMP2.1/AS02A is being tested on children in Mali. The vaccine contains a form of the AMA-1 protein from the most common and deadly malaria parasite, along with an adjuvant to boost the immune response. Previous studies found the vaccine to be safe and produce strong and long-lasting antibody responses in adults. A current study is testing the vaccine on 400 Malian children to examine if it can protect against multiple malaria parasite strains and potentially be combined with other vaccines to create highly protective immunization.

1. New Malaria VaccineCassie Goodman and Dylan Karle

2. MalariaMosquito-borne infectious disease caused by a parasite: PlasmodiumParasite Plasmodium multiply in the liver and infect red blood cellsTransmitted through mosquitoesCommon symptoms: fever, headache, vomiting, muscle pains, chills10-15 days after bitehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_nOgu8OnZA&feature=related

3. Spread of MalariaWidespread in tropical and sub-tropical areasParts of the Americas, Asia and AfricaAround 350-500 million cases a year that kill 1-3 million people90% of Malaria-caused deaths occur in Sub-Saharan AfricaMajority are young children in Sub-Saharan AfricaImmunity can develop naturally, but only after repeated infections of different strains of malaria

4. Vaccine NeedChildren are usually most vulnerable to malaria, because they have not built up a natural immunity like some adultsIn Africa, 1 child dies of malaria every 30 secondsThere are some ways to prevent malaria (killing infected mosquitoes, bed nets) and some medications to treat the parasiteAn effective vaccine is the key step toward eradicating the disease

5. FMP2.1/AS02AResearchers are finding strong and long-lasting responses to a new vaccine for childrenBeing studied on children in MaliThe vaccine produces antibody levels that are as high or higher then those of people who have become naturally immuneThe vaccine can reproduce the natural protective immunity that usually takes years of intense exposure to malaria to develop

6. FMP2.1/AS02AConsists of a form of the AMA-1 protein and the AS02 Adjuvant SystemAdjuvant System is a compound that boosts the immune response to the vaccineBased on a single strain of the falciparum malaria parasite – the most common and deadliest form of the parasite found in AfricaTargets the blood stageThe period after the mosquito bite – when the parasite multiplies in the bloodCauses the disease and death

7. StudiesOther blood stage vaccines have been tested but none have shown the ability to prevent malariaPrevious studies with the new vaccine in the US and Mali have found the vaccine to be safe and produce strong immune responses in adultsTested in 100 Malian children ages 1-6Children were randomly assigned either one of three escalating doses of the new vaccine or a control rabies vaccineAll three doses of the vaccine proved to be safe, well tolerated, and had strong antibody responses that were sustained for at least 1 year

8. More StudiesSince the earlier trial, researchers are now conducting a larger trial of 400 Malian children This trial will also examine if the vaccine can protect against multiple malaria parasites – even though it is only based on a single strainScientists hope that the vaccine could be combined with other vaccines and create a highly protective multi-component immunization

9. Sourceshttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/02/100203201425.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaria