Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) have developed 11 human monoclonal antibodies that bind to a unique site on the circumsporozoite protein (CSP) in Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites.
Several of these antibodies have substantially reduced liver parasite burden in a mouse model of malaria, with some conferring advanced protection when combined with an established protocol of monoclonal antibodies, suggesting that together they may form an effective cocktail for malaria prevention.
NIAID is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize this technology. Areas of specific interest include: testing developability of these antibodies (e.g., biophysical characteristics, cross-reactivity, pharmacokinetics, toxicity); pre-clinical model assessment; and human clinical trials.
Malaria is one of the worlds deadliest infectious diseases, causing an estimated 249 million cases and 608,000 deaths annually, with children in the regions of Africa and South Asia being most vulnerable. Approx 2,000 cases of malaria are reported in the United States each year, by travelers from malaria-risk countries.
Malaria is a mosquito-borne parasitic disease transmitted through the bite of infected female mosquitoes, which introduces Plasmodium sporozoites into the bloodstream of the human host. There are five Plasmodium parasite species that cause malaria in humans, of which, the vast majority of life-threatening cases are caused by infection with Plasmodium falciparum parasites.